Ananda Puri Ashram
Also known as Anandpuri Ashram, Haidakhan Babaji Temple Chilianaula, Chilianaula Ashram
Babaji built this ashram at Chilianaula, a small village below Ranikhet, in the late 1970s. Its large temple looks straight at the Himalayan snow peaks, and the Samaj holds it second only to the main temple at Haidakhan. The same daily rhythm runs here - morning aarti, karma yoga, and the evening aarti with bhajan and satsang - and free cataract surgery, an ENT clinic and dental care are run for the villages around. Ranikhet bus stand is about 5 km away, so most devotees come up from Ranikhet town or stop here on the Bhowali road just before it.
- A large temple built by Babaji in the late 1970s, looking at the Himalayan snow peaks
- Free cataract surgery, an ENT clinic and dental care for the villages around
- About 5 km short of Ranikhet town, on the Bhowali side
- Guest rooms, two satvik meals and the morning and evening aarti
How to reach Ananda Puri Ashram
- Kathgodam Railway StationNearest railway station78 km
- Ranikhet Bus StandNearest bus stand5 km
- Pantnagar AirportNearest airport116 km
Travel facts come from the records of the properties listed near Ananda Puri Ashram, OpenStreetMap and public travel sources - on hill roads allow more time than the distance suggests. Local taxis and autos run from the station and bus stand.
Location
Coordinates 29.66235, 79.41295
Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors. Distances on this page are straight-line, so a hilly or riverside road can be longer.
About Ananda Puri Ashram
The ashram below Ranikhet
Babaji built a large temple and ashram at Chilianaula in the late seventies, on a ridge that looks out over the snow peaks. The Samaj describes its temple as vibrant with a high rate of divine pulsation, second only to the core temple at the main Haidakhan ashram, and its position just short of Ranikhet makes it the easiest of the three ashrams to reach by road.
The temple and the day
The day follows the same routine as Haidakhan: morning aarti early, karma yoga through the middle of the day, then the evening aarti with bhajan and satsang. Devotees come for darshan through the day and for the quiet of the ridge; the temple faces the Himalayan snow peaks, clearest in the weeks after the monsoon.
Staying at the ashram
Guest rooms here follow the same rules as the other Samaj ashrams: a ceiling fan, geyser and Western-style toilet, two satvik meals a day, and the aartis included. Towels and soap are not provided. Guests are expected at the morning and evening aarti - men in a dhoti-kurta or kurta-pyjama, women in a saree or salwar suit - check-in is at 10 am and check-out at 11 am, and alcohol, tobacco and intoxicants are not allowed on the premises.
The Samaj's medical work
Free cataract surgery, an ENT clinic and dental care run at Ananda Puri Ashram for the villages around Ranikhet. It is one of the three ashrams of the Haidakhandi Samaj, along with the main dham at Haidakhan in Nainital district and the Manda ashram near Vapi in Gujarat.
What is around Ananda Puri Ashram
3 placesNearest first, with straight-line distances - a hilly or riverside road can be longer. Rows marked "from our listings" are distances reported by the properties listed here.
Towns around 3
- Chaubattia 2.0 km
- Majkhali 5.0 km
- Dwarahat 13.0 km
Timings & best time
The temple keeps Babaji's routine: morning aarti early, karma yoga through the middle of the day, and the evening aarti with bhajan and satsang. Visitors come through the day; confirm the day's programme at the ashram office.
March to June and September to November - Ranikhet is a summer hill station, and the snow peaks are clearest in the weeks after the monsoon. February brings the Samaj's festival days and both Navratris are observed here too; the monsoon is wet and the winter cold.
- Ranikhet bus stand is about 5 km away and Kathgodam railway station 78 km - hill roads, so allow about two hours from the railhead.
- Rooms are by reservation through the ashram office, up to three days ahead for Indian devotees and a month ahead for foreign devotees. Carry your own towel and soap.
- Guests are expected at the morning and evening aarti: men in a dhoti-kurta or kurta-pyjama, women in a saree or salwar suit, and footwear comes off at the temple.
- Come in the weeks after the monsoon for the clearest view of the snow peaks from the ridge.
Stays near Ananda Puri Ashram
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Timings, distances and facilities come from the properties listed here, OpenStreetMap and public sources - no invented data. Something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.