I had visited Isha Yoga Ashram at Velliangiri, staying over for a night with my family. I have been a keen follower (so is my wife) of Sadhguru's teachings from my days at the Times of India, where he was sort of an official guru. We were on our way from a short holiday in Connoor to Kerala for our annual vacation. I had booked the cottages by sending out a mail, and recieved a very prompt response. We took a taxi from Coimbatore which cost us about 400 rupees. The cottage where we stayed was very clean (it costs 400 rupees for a 24 hour stay) and frugal. The Dhyanalinga was amazing and you could hear a pin drop. My 12 year old daughter hated the idea of sitting still for half an hour. We strolled through the Ashram shop, picked up a book, Mystic and a DVD of a talk by Sadhguru. The Teerthakulam (pond) with its mercury lings was another revelation. The food (as the writer of the article described) was a surprise. There was dosa, rice and fruits, all of which were served by volunteers. What I observed was that a huge part of the devotee crowd was the jeans clad, T shirt topped young girls who seem to be there on a summer camp. There were families, of course and then the usual sprinkling of foriegners. The way the entire concept of Isha Yoga is marketed amazes me. There is nothing wrong in marketing a concept, for the buyer has the final say in selecting the product. I for one liked the place and would recommend it to someone who is looking for a day or two of quiet solace.
