Situated in foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains, Isha Yoga Center is located 40 kilometres from the southern Indian city of Coimbatore. Spiritual seekers from all over the world assemble at the Isha Yoga Center in India to follow the spiritual path in this sacred space for self-transformation.
How to Stay at this place?
You must email : ishastay@ishafoundation.org to make your reservation. In 24-36 hours you will get a reply from them so please be patient. Once they check your mail they will reply back by sending a list of stays available, guidelines to follow and a document to fill, you have to edit it online and send it back to them.
When they receive this form, they will verify all the details and then they will send you a confirmation email stating that your stay has been confirmed. This is the only way you can book your stay at the moment.
There are about 5 different cottage and room stay options :
- Nalanda – Suites with AC and Non AC rooms
- Nadhi Cottages – Non AC Cottage rooms
- Brahmaputra – Non AC Rooms for Women
- Sivapada 1,2,3 – AC and Non AC rooms for Family, Couples and Men
- Tennai Cottages – I am not very sure about these rooms, you could call them for more information
How to reach this place?
Once your stay reservation is done, the next step is to reach this location. So there are multiple ways to reach this place :
- By Air – Nearest Airport to this place is the Coimbatore airport. From here it’s approximately 44kms. You can either book a cab or choose the local transport like bus or auto.
- By Bus – Anywhere you start from, if you want to take a bus to the Isha you have to start from the Gandhipuram Bus Stand. I got down here and took the 14D bus to reach Isha Yoga centre.
- By Train – Get down at the Coimbatore railway station and catch a bus. 14D bus has one stop at the railways station, so you can get into this bus to reach Isha Yoga centre.
- By Road – There are parking areas until the stay point, you can directly come by your own vehicle or by renting a car to this place.
Entry to the Isha Yoga Centre
The Naga Statue at the entryway will be visible as soon as you arrive. You take a right turn, you will witness the Adi Yogi Statue and if you take a left turn, you will see the entrance to the Isha Yoga centre. Distance from entry to the check in point is around 1 km. There are no Baggi’s at this point, baggis start from the check in point.
Once inside, you’ll need to head to the entry check-in desk to collect your room keys and hand bands, which you must wear the entire time you’re there. You will be paying for the stay here itself and then you can get into a Baggi and settle down in your room.
Places to visit in Isha
There are 5 main attractions to visit inside the Isha Yoga Center :
- Dhyanalinga
- Linga Bhairavi
- Suryakund
- Chandrakund
- Naga Shrine
Dhyanalinga: The Dhyanalinga is an extraordinary and potent energy form that captures the essence of yogic teachings. Without requiring rituals, prayers, or worship and without adhering to any one religion or belief system, the Dhyanalinga offers a unique atmosphere for meditation. In addition to the Nandi Bull statue directly in front of the Dhyanalinga, this location also features a Shiva lingam where visitors can stop by and meditate for 15 minutes.
Timings : 6AM – 8PM
Everyday from 11:45 AM – 12:10 PM and 5:45 PM – 6:10 PM, Nada Aradhana, a sound offering happens twice where people can visit this place for a duration of 20 mins. People either sing or play the different music instrument sounds or just simply sit there and meditate.
After visiting this place and coming out of Dhyanalinga you will witness a Nandi Statue standing tall.
Linga Bhairavi – The Dhyanalinga is a potent and exceptional energy form that embodies the essence of yogic sciences. The Dhyanalinga provides a special environment for meditation that does not adhere to any one religion or belief system or demand rituals, prayers, or worship.
The three primary chakras in the human system are strengthened by Linga Bhairavi’s energy, which also stabilises the body, mind, and energy system.
Timings : 6:30AM – 1:20PM and 4:20PM – 8:20PM
Everyday from 7:40 AM, 12:40 PM and 7:40PM, Arathi happens.
People sing and meditate during this time. After worshipping the statue and coming out of Linga Bhairavi, you will witness a Trimurti Panel conisisting of lord Bhrahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Suryakund – Located 20 feet below ground, it is surrounded by a beautiful 20-foot-tall brass and copper sculpture of the sun and has three rasalingas.
This theerthakund is exclusive for men. A dip in these charged water bodies corrects pranic imbalances, improves physiological and psychological well-being, and increases spiritual receptivity.
Timings : 8AM – 6PM
Chandrakund –The Chandrakund, which lies 30 feet below the surface and accessible only by descending 32 enormous steps, is reserved for women. Massive granite stones surround it, and a vibrant mural representing the Mahakumbha Mela. A dip in these charged water bodies corrects pranic imbalances, improves physiological and psychological well-being, and increases spiritual receptivity. You will be asked to take a shower and change into a dress provided by them before entering this kund.
Timings : 8AM – 6PM
Naga Shrine – The Naga Shrine is situated near Suryakund. It’s a huge statue of the Naga that’s worshipped by all. As soon as you enter Suryakund, you have to take a few steps down and you will get to witness the statue.
Timings : 8AM – 6PM
YOGA and Other Programs
There is a Upa-Yoga and Isha Kriya program that happens everyday from 9AM to 4PM (Every 30 mins) which happen sin Sadhana Hall 2 next to the Linga Bhairavi temple.
Apart from this there are some other programs that happen in this place, Guru Pooja and Practices happen daily at 5:30AM to 7:30AM at Suryakund Mandapam for men and Sadhana Hall & outside cottages for women.
All these are for free of cost, but if you want to get into one of their residential programs, please visit their website for more details.
Please Note : Photography is allowed only at Adi Yogi statue but inside Isha Yoga Centre you are not allowed to take any pictures, so all the pictures used in this blog related to Isha Yoga Centre are taken from their official website.
Food
There are around 3 restaurants and one Biksha Hall at this place.
Biksha Hall provides free food to people twice a day in 4 time slots. Twice in the morning and twice in the night. You will be served with a healthy balanced diet meal here.
Timings : Brunch at 9:50AM and 10:35AM
Dinner at 6:50PM and 7:35PM
If you are still hungry or would like to eat something else, you can visit the 3 other restaurants situated in this place. One restaurant is right next to the entry point on the way to Adi Yogi statue (this restaurant offers. everything from North Indian, South Indian and Chinese cuisines), second one is near Suryakund (a small canteen with basic snacks and juices) and the last one is near check-in counter (this restaurant has a variety of dishes available).
On the way to the Adi Yogi Statue and as soon as you enter the Isha centre, there are many food stalls available so you don’t have to worry much about finding food at this place.
Once you finish visiting all these sites, you can start walking towards the entry point again to visit the Adi Yogi Statue. Make sure to start by 5PM so that you will get to witness the statue before sunset to view it in light and you reach the place at the right time for the Light show.
You can either walk towards the statue or take a bullock cart to reach the place. There are two entries for reaching this place. One entry is through the Isha Yoga Center and the other one is directly to the statue entry point. You will have to walk for 800m to reach the destination in either way.
The Adi Yogi Shiva Statue, which stands 112 feet tall, represents the 112 ways indicated in yogic culture to achieve moksha (freedom), as well as the 112 chakras in the human body.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the “Largest Bust Sculpture” ever created. There are no words to describe the comfort and tranquilly you experience here. The tall monument set against the tranquil backdrop of the Velliangiri Mountains is magnificent.
Adiyogi Divya Darshanam is a 3D laser show that tells the tale of Adiyogi and how he transmitted the science of yoga to humans. Every day at 7 PM, this Light and Sound performance is presented. Don’t forget to witness this show
Overall, I loved visiting this place. I’d highly recommend this trip to everyone out there.
Hope you found this guide helpful. Let me know about your experiences in the comment section below!
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