“Krishnalaya,” The Abode of Lord Krishna , Piercy
CMW’s headquarters and retreat center called Krishnalaya lies 200 miles north of San Francisco, in Piercy’s serene Redwood country, near the California coast, on the banks of the Eel River (which Pujya Gurudev dubbed as “Eel Ganga”).
This first CMW property in USA was purchased in 1979; it consists of a beautiful tract of land and buildings. It serves as CMW’s headquarters and is a retreat center that hosts camps for adults and children. CMW conducted the first and only two-year Vedanta Course outside India at Krishnalaya, 1979-1982. It is here that Pujya Gurudev held his month-long camps on Vivekachudamani and the entire Bhagavad Gita, which was professionally video-recorded in 1991.
Over the years, numerous spiritual retreats, Dharma Sevak Courses, and camps for all ages have been conducted here by Pujya Gurudev, Pujya Guruji, and many other CM acharyas. The ashram is ideally suited for such activities and is available to CM centers and visitors throughout the year.
Visit www.krishnalaya.org for details
‘Krishnalaya’ was established by the spiritual Vedantic teacher, His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda (Pujya Gurudev), founder of Chinmaya Mission. Pujya Gurudev resided and conducted many spiritual retreats in Krishnalaya, and often compared it to the serenity and beauty of India’s sacred Himalayas.
Swamiji also invoked and poured spiritual life and energy into the beautiful idol of Lord Krishna, the presiding Lord of Krishnalaya. Lord Krishna stands in the original temple shrine, enchanting all with his divine look and sweet smile.
Krishnalaya is the first property owned by Chinmaya Mission West. It was purchased in 1979 for conducting a two-and-a-half-year, in-depth Vedanta course. Thereafter, Chinmaya Mission conducted occasional camps and weekend programs and continued to maintain the property until 1989, when Gurudev decided to revive the site. Gurudev held numerous programs at Krishnalaya over the next few years.
Normally, Gurudev traveled around the world lecturing weekly on one chapter of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. In 1992, he conducted a two-month Gita Camp at Krishnalaya, wherein he taught all 18 chapters of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. These talks were professionally videotaped and are considered as one of the greatest legacies left by the spiritual master. In 1993, just following his last series of talks at Krishnalaya, he became fatally ill and attained mahasamadhi on August 3.
The gurgling flow of the Eel Ganga and the stunning views of the mountain ranges make Krishnalaya an ideal place for a retreat. To date, Chinmaya Mission West centers annually conduct intensive Vedanta retreats and spiritual camps for children, youth, and adults.
Gurudev’s presence is very much alive and vibrant in Krishnalaya. His residence is being maintained as he left it. His bedroom is a sacred haven for meditation. His living room/library is used for silent reading, reflection, and classes. Guests are welcome in both quarters.
The ashram presently houses a beautiful 200-person lecture hall with air conditioning, a state-of-the-art sound system, a big screen television, and multimedia equipment. The ashram lodges 80 people comfortably and has a commercial kitchen, dining hall, satsang hall, and temple shrine.
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Contact
Address:83900 Highway 271, Piercy, CA 95587
Phone: 707-247-3488
Email: krishnalaya@chinmayamission.org