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ABOUT THE FOUNDER, SHRI SURENDRA NATH JAUHAR (CHACHA JI): "He (Shri Surendra Nath Jauhar) had laid the foundations of this Ashram very deep, they are founded on the spiritual vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It is not just another Ashram, there are many Ashrams around the world, but it is an Ashram that seeks to reflect a very deep commitment to the spiritual quest" DR. KARAN SINGH "… … a very remarkable human being, a man whose life was dedicated to freedom, freedom of India, then freedom of spirit. A man who was a total devotee of Sri Aurobindo and of the Mother, whom he adored, and a man who was responsible for planting a seed that is now grown into this beautiful Ashram and associated institutions" DR. KARAN SINGH "A great man may not be famous while all famous men were not great. Sri S.N. Jauhar was certainly a great man – a valiant freedom fighter, who later surrendered his all to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and till his last breath working to materialize their great vision" Prof. Manoj Das Sri Aurobindo Ashram-Delhi Branch The Mother had once called the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry a veritable laboratory to work out the future society. Its counterpart in the capital of India , the Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Delhi Branch, can best be understood as an extension of the centre of sadhana at Pondicherry . What is being done in this spiritual endeavour is the overcoming of the ascetic phase of the Indian tradition, which in a lopsided way equated spirituality with outer renunciation. In the Vedic times, integral life, prosperity, equality of sexes and a life-affirming attitude were cultivated by spiritual seekers. This integral approach was lost in later epochs when Mayavada (Illusionism) prevailed. 
According to Sri Aurobindo “all life is Yoga.” In the Integral Yoga, the integral life down to the smallest detail has to be divinised : an inner illumination that does not change the outer life leaves the world as it is. The object of our Yoga is self-perfection and world-perfection. From an early age the Mother had dreamed of a place where seekers of the Divine could completely dedicate themselves to spiritual life. “Earth needs a place where men can live away from…social conventions, self-contradictory moralities and contending religions, a place where human beings, freed from all slavery to the past, can devote themselves wholly to the discovery and practice of the divine consciousness that is seeking to manifest itself.” By providing a congenial environment and field of activities the Ashram seeks to be such a place. With the needs of the body provided, each one takes his work in the spirit of service and unselfishness, in the spirit of Karma Yoga — as an offering to the Divine. The Delhi Branch was officially inaugurated on 12 February, 1956, with the Blessings of the Mother. To the great joy and gratitude of spiritual seekers in Northern India , the Mother graciously granted the very first Sacred Relics of Sri Aurobindo to be enshrined here on 5 December, 1957. Since then the Ashram has been growing at a steady pace. The shrine and the Meditation Hall continue to be the centre of life and the teaching of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother the guiding light. The Love and Blessings of the Master and the Mother and their Grace are always available to their disciples living here. All live and work here as equals. No distinctions of sex, creed, religion, race, caste or national origin are observed : all are looked upon as souls and children of the Mother. There is no hierarchy of officials and subordinates. All work in association and as a unit under the general supervision of one or more sadhaks. The doors of the Ashram are open for those who aspire for a higher life, with the trust that their aspiration will not stop merely at having a pious wish for a higher and nobler aim, but will manifest increasingly in the thoughts, the life movements and the physical expressions—which will all be progressively and integrally consecrated to the Divine. ACTIVITIES Meditation Hall : The Ashram has a spacious Meditation Hall. From Monday to Saturday, there is collective Satsang from 7 to 7.30 p.m., spiritual and devotional music and reading from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. On Sundays, the Satsang is held from 10 a.m. to about 11.15 a.m. and includes a talk on a spiritual theme. The Hall is open all day for those who would like to meditate by themselves. Lecture Series, Study Camps: Lectures, talks and discourses by sadhaks and exponents of Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga and his great vision of the future are held throughout the year. A Lectures Series is organised during the Birth Anniversary celebration of Sri Aurobindo in August. Several Study Camps are held during summer and autumn at our Himalayan Centre in Nainital, Uttarakhand. Library & Reading Room ‘Knowledge' : The library has a growing collection of books and periodicals on yoga, religion, philosophy, literature, education, science, history, geography, health and hygiene, etc. The collection represents 16 Indian and foreign languages. The library is open all week except Monday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm with a lunch break between 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Should you wish to check out books, security of Rs. 300/- (refundable) is to be deposited at the Ashram Reception. Donation of good books and periodicals for the library is welcome. 
SABDA, New Delhi : handles sale of all Sri Aurobindo Ashram (Puducherry and Delhi-Branch) publications and photographs. It also sells incense, handmade paper and stationery, greeting cards, cassettes/CDs of devotional songs, yogasanas & meditation, and other Ashram products. Contact on 011-6568 4153 or send email to
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. The titles catalogue can be accessed at http://sabda.sriaurobindoashram.org/catalog/booksearch.php 
The Mother’s Health Centre:
Matri Free Homoeopathic Dispensary is open to all, Weekdays: 11:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Services of a competent homoeopath is available.
The Mother’s Integral Health Centre: An allopathic dispensary caters to the needs of the school children and residents of the Ashram. Medical check-up of the school children is also carried out by this unit. The dispensary is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily except Sunday. Several Speciality Clinics are also held on different days. Call Dr Baveja at 2685 8563 between 9 a.m. and 12 noon or e-mail at
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for further information and appointment.
Yoga & Nature-cure, Acupressure, Magnetotherapy, Vision-improvement courses are also available. Please check the notice board for ongoing and forthcoming courses.
The Centre provides FREE services and medicines to the low-income people as needed. We periodically run Rural Clinics in villages around Nainital in Uttarakhand, in M.P., Orissa, etc., where in addition to free medical aid, clothes, etc are also distributed to the needy.
Every year FREE intra-ocular transplants and free spectacles are provided to the economically weaker strata of society during eye-camps. Yoga Classes : As a concession to popular demand, the ashram conducts classes on the physical practices of yoga three days a week at 6.30 am and 5 pm. But the activity unique to the ashram is a series of courses based on the integral yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Through a combination of theory and practical classes, group activities and individual counseling, these courses make hackneyed expressions such as ‘yoga is more than asanas’, ‘yoga is a way of life’, ‘yoga is not only for the body but also for the mind’ and ‘yoga is a discipline aimed at spiritual growth’ come alive. The timings and content are tailor-made to suit different categories such as students, working people and housewives. Although most participants join these courses to feel physically more fit, they end up getting motivated for a psycho spiritual transformation – something far more radical, which reduces physical health to a mere fringe benefit. For details of forthcoming courses, please contact the ashram reception through phone at 2656 7863 or e-mail
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or look up our notice board.
Ashram Kitchen & Bakery :
We have a well-organised kitchen with modern gadgets, where simple nutritious food is cooked under hygienic conditions for the residents and guests and served in the Ashram dining room.
The bakery produces high quality brown bread and a variety of nutritious biscuits and cakes without eggs.
Fruit Centre : The fruit centre functions from June to August every year with fruit from Mountain Paradise, the Ashram orchard at Ramgarh (Kumaon Himalayas). The fruit is grown without using chemicals and pesticides. A lot of fruit is converted into juices and jams and bottled.
Flour and Spices Mill:
We also grind our own flour and spices. These high quality products are also available at the Matri Servcie Store. Ashram Gardens & Nursery: Apart from maintaining the gardens and greenery over the campus, the Garden Wing grows flowers for worship and vegetables for the Ashram kitchen organically. Many varieties of garden plants and vegetables are available for sale to the public through the Matri Service Store.
Handmade Paper Unit :
The Ashram runs a small handmade paper unit which utilizes waste-paper and natural substances to produce high quality paper in a large variety, board, fancy stationery, greeting cards, decorative items etc. The products can be purchased from SABDA. Bookbinding and screen printing are also done in this unit, which take care of the needs of the Ashram and the schools. ‘SKILL IN WORKS’ : The Ashram has a workshop complex called ‘Skill in Works’. It takes care of construction and maintenance works. ‘Care of Materials’ : It is a store of paints and hardware for construction and repair works. ‘Works in Iron’ has a welding machine, a drill press, a tool grinding machine and miscellaneous hand tools. It handles fabrication jobs, repairs of iron components and machinery. ‘Electrical Works’ : It looks after the maintenance of the electrical fittings and also executes new wiring jobs. ‘Works in Wood’ : Carpentry workshop is always busy with repairs of furniture of the schools and the Ashram and making of new furniture, doors and windows etc. School children also get training in practical wood craft under the guidance of skilled carpenters. Photo Lamination : This unit carries out quality lamination of photographs of all sizes. The facility can be availed of through SABDA.
The Ashram departments also impart training to youth under vocational training and to students under ‘S.U.P.W.’
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