All that is Here is Ishvara
“All that is here is Ishvara.” the legendary sentence of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, provided the inspiration for the planning and landscaping of the garden space at Jnanapravaha.
The plants and flowers chosen to sanctify this sacred place, hold a deep significance in our memories of Pujya Swamiji. Many exude a gentle, mild fragrance, sensed immediately as one treads the well-lit path through the garden, leading to the main entrance of Jnanapravaha.
The Jackfruit Tree
Fascinating facts and history surround many of the trees and plants lining the path to the doors of the main hall. The jackfruit tree that stands in the garden, grew from a seed that Pujya Swamiji had discarded in his childhood, after consuming the fruit which used to grow at a neighbouring home! Until date, this jackfruit tree yields the sweetest, most delectable of fruit, so its seeds have been planted across the Manjakkudi campus!
Lord Krishna
An exquisitely sculpted form of Lord Krishna, the friend, philosopher and guide of Arjuna et al, stands at the entrance to welcome visitors into the Jnanapravaha space.
Brahmi
If one were to glance down, one would see an abundance of the brahmi leaf strewn across and lining the path. Named after Brahmaji, the creator, this medicinal herb possesses neuroprotective properties, strengthening memory. In ancient sanskrit texts, it is held that this herb sharpens the intellect and attentuates mental deficits.
Vedic scholars, used to memorising lengthy sacred hymns and scriptures, still consume the leaves of the brahmi plant, believing it to aid the ability to recall and recollect.
Tulasi
We also come across the celebrated Tulasi plant, also known as the holy basil, which is most revered and considered sacred in Hinduism. Even the soil around the plant is said to be sanctified, Tulasi being regarded as the earthly manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Areca nut, Betel leaves
and Heliconia
A powerhouse of antioxidants, every auspicious occasion in India is marked by the gifting of areca nuts, betel leaves and turmeric. Areca nut, betel leaves and heliconia (from the same family as turmeric) are symbols of auspiciousness, and provide the perfect setting for any satsang, uplifting gathering of spiritual aspirants.
Beach Gardenia (Paneer Pushpam)
Pujya Swamiji was very fond of beach gardenia (paneer pushpam). As children growing up in Manjakkudi, Swamiji and his friends would collect these flowers and offer them at the local Shiva and Vishnu temples for worship.
Night Jasmine (Parijata)
Parijata (night jasmine) trees encircle the main hall, garlanding the deity inside- a lifelike stone replica of Pujya Swamiji himself! These flowers afford devotees and students of Vedanta the opportunity to enter the portals of knowledge, Jnanapravaha, with a handful of the sweet scented flowers to offer to the Guru of gurus, Pujya Swamiji.
Fragrant Flowers
In addition to the aforesaid flowers, rows of plumaria, honeysuckle, costas, balsam, night queen, day queen and muraya grandiflora adorn our Jnanapravaha gardens. All of these have mild, lingering fragrances that intermingle to produce a symphony of scents. A mini ecosystem, the gardens attract all varieties of birds, butterflies and insects, blessing all with a feast for the senses.
Sri Dakshinamurti
Jnanapravaha, a temple-like structure, is designed as per vastu shastra and built to generate the most harmonious of environments for all our guests.
As in Shiva temples, so too on the grounds of Jnanapravaha, our intricately-sculpted Lord Dakshinamurti, framed by the exquisite flowers of Bauhinia Monandra, faces the southerly direction. As the Adi Guru, He is the primary imparter of the knowledge that liberates.
“All that is here is Ishvara.” the legendary sentence of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, provided the inspiration for the planning and landscaping of the garden space at Jnanapravaha.
The plants and flowers chosen to sanctify this sacred place, hold a deep significance in our memories of Pujya Swamiji. Many exude a gentle, mild fragrance, sensed immediately as one treads the well-lit path through the garden, leading to the main entrance of Jnanapravaha.
The Jackfruit Tree
Fascinating facts and history surround many of the trees and plants lining the path to the doors of the main hall. The jackfruit tree that stands in the garden, grew from a seed that Pujya Swamiji had discarded in his childhood, after consuming the fruit which used to grow at a neighbouring home! Until date, this jackfruit tree yields the sweetest, most delectable of fruit, so its seeds have been planted across the Manjakkudi campus!
Lord Krishna
An exquisitely sculpted form of Lord Krishna, the friend, philosopher and guide of Arjuna et al, stands at the entrance to welcome visitors into the Jnanapravaha space.
Brahmi
If one were to glance down, one would see an abundance of the brahmi leaf strewn across and lining the path. Named after Brahmaji, the creator, this medicinal herb possesses neuroprotective properties, strengthening memory. In ancient sanskrit texts, it is held that this herb sharpens the intellect and attentuates mental deficits.
Vedic scholars, used to memorising lengthy sacred hymns and scriptures, still consume the leaves of the brahmi plant, believing it to aid the ability to recall and recollect.
Tulasi
We also come across the celebrated Tulasi plant, also known as the holy basil, which is most revered and considered sacred in Hinduism. Even the soil around the plant is said to be sanctified, Tulasi being regarded as the earthly manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Areca nut, Betel leaves
and Heliconia
A powerhouse of antioxidants, every auspicious occasion in India is marked by the gifting of areca nuts, betel leaves and turmeric. Areca nut, betel leaves and heliconia (from the same family as turmeric) are symbols of auspiciousness, and provide the perfect setting for any satsang, uplifting gathering of spiritual aspirants.
Beach Gardenia (Paneer Pushpam)
Pujya Swamiji was very fond of beach gardenia (paneer pushpam). As children growing up in Manjakkudi, Swamiji and his friends would collect these flowers and offer them at the local Shiva and Vishnu temples for worship.
Night Jasmine (Parijata)
Parijata (night jasmine) trees encircle the main hall, garlanding the deity inside- a lifelike stone replica of Pujya Swamiji himself! These flowers afford devotees and students of Vedanta the opportunity to enter the portals of knowledge, Jnanapravaha, with a handful of the sweet scented flowers to offer to the Guru of gurus, Pujya Swamiji.
Fragrant Flowers
In addition to the aforesaid flowers, rows of plumaria, honeysuckle, costas, balsam, night queen, day queen and muraya grandiflora adorn our Jnanapravaha gardens. All of these have mild, lingering fragrances that intermingle to produce a symphony of scents. A mini ecosystem, the gardens attract all varieties of birds, butterflies and insects, blessing all with a feast for the senses.
Sri Dakshinamurti
Jnanapravaha, a temple-like structure, is designed as per vastu shastra and built to generate the most harmonious of environments for all our guests.
As in Shiva temples, so too on the grounds of Jnanapravaha, our intricately-sculpted Lord Dakshinamurti, framed by the exquisite flowers of Bauhinia Monandra, faces the southerly direction. As the Adi Guru, He is the primary imparter of the knowledge that liberates.
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