District: Shimoga
Village: Varadahalli or Varadapura
Religious Importance: Religious Organization
Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram, located in the village of Varadahalli under Shimoga district of Karnataka, is a renowned hill shrine. It was established in the year 1954 by a saint named Shridhara Swami from Sajjanghad of Maharashtra. He established the ashram to carry on his spiritual meditation. As people came to know about his spiritual and religious devotion, many from the state of Karnataka and Maharashtra started believing his principles and ideologies. People started to become his devotees. By the time the Swami left his mortal body for his heavenly journey in 1973, he had formed many followers. His devotees and followers constructed his Samadhi inside the ashram. Even today devotees visit the ashram to seek the blessings of the pious man.
Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram, Varadahalli – An Overview
Shri Sridhara Swami believed in spiritual upliftment and preached it to everyone. He worked whole heartedly for the resurgence of Hinduism from the clutches of caste, orthodox beliefs and rituals and sectarianism. The Swami travelled through the length and breadth of the country and preached his principles based on the core ideologies of Sanatan Vedic Hindu Dharma. Later, after he founded the ashram at Varadahalli near Sagara, he erected the Dharma Dhwaja there.
Even today this Dharma Dhwaja serves as a spiritual inspiration to his devotees and followers. It reminds them to continue with their endeavors to revive the Sanatan Vedic Hindu Dharma. Today the ashram has a school that offers knowledge about the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Sanskrit language. Devotees come from far and near to seek spiritual knowledge at this place.
Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram –A Perfect Place to Awaken the Soul
The ashram is located atop a hill and is surrounded by lovely green rainforests. There are 300 steps that lead from the base of the hill to the ashram. The ashram has a simple and beautiful structure. The serene ambiance inside the premises offers visitors a feel of peace and tranquility. Away from the hustle-bustle of everyday life and cocooned in the lap of nature, the place is a perfect location to awaken the soul and realize the preaching of the holy saint.
This ashram in Shimoga holds many attractions for the devotees of the Swami. The premises consists of :
The Swamiji’s Samadhi Mandir (shrine housing the tomb of the Swami), the cave where the saint had spent the last few years of his life from 1968 to 1973 in complete solitude.
The Sanskrit Pathshala (school for spiritual studies) where students can gain knowledge of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the preaching of the saint and other spiritual literature.
The Gowshala or cow shelter that has around 250 cows.
The Shreedhar Teertha, the continuous source of holy water that is believed to have been created by the pious man himself.
The Dharma Stamba with the Dharma Dhwaja standing at the top of the mountain is another major attraction of the ashram. The structure is 30 feet high and is made of 5 sacred metals.
Facilities at Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram, Varadahalli
Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram is run by a trust whose members are disciples of the saint. All the members stay in the ashram. The members do voluntary work in the ashram and do not accept any kind of salary for their work. They are dedicated devotees whose mission in life is to follow the teachings of the Swami. The ashram is a complete charitable organization that offers several facilities to the visitors.
- The ashram has two temples inside the premises, the Uma Maheshwara temple and the Rama Durgamba temple.
- There is a large communal dining hall where lunch is provided to the devotees between 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. every day.
- The ashram has a pond where devotees can take bath.
- There is a big yaga shala inside the ashram premises built for the devotees and disciples
- The simple living quarters are built to accommodate students and saints.
- The Veda school inside the ashram is an ideal place for those seeking spiritual and religious knowledge.
- A restroom inside the premises of the ashram offers place for relaxation.
- The ashram provides free lodging for the visitors and disciples alike.
How to reach Shri Sridhara Swami
Shri Sridhara Swami Ashram is located at a distance of 6 km from Sagara, 72 km from Shimoga and 352 km from Bangalore. The nearest railway stations are located at Shimoga and Sagara. The nearest airport is at Mangalore. Varadahalli is well-connected by road network. There are government buses, hired cars and auto-rickshaws available from Sagara to Varadahalli. Visitors can also reach the place through private buses available from Sagara to Varadahalli.
Contact Information
Shri Shridhara Seva Mahamandala (R)
Shri Shridharashrama – Sri Kshetra Varadapura
E.J. Mane Post, Sagar Taluk,
Shimoga District-577401
Phone: +91 8183 236 166 / 296 583
Email: info@shrishridhara.org, ashrama@in.com
Website: www.shrishridhara.org
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