Yogis, siddhas, and rishis are similar in that they dedicate their lives to the realization of Truth and God. However, they behave slightly differently and belong to one of the following categories:

Arulananda belongs to the second category of saints. After many years of solitary tapas, He has come back to live among people at shrI lalitAnanda Ashram in a coastal village called vAdarEvu near chiIrAla, prakAsham district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Swamiji was attracted to God from his childhood. He often visited a Vishnu temple with his parents and remained absorbed in prayer for long periods of time. As a child swamiji was suffering from asthma. When he was 7 years old an old saint visited his house. Swamiji was sitting on the veranda at his house. The saint kept him on his lap and applied holy ash (Vibhooti) on his body and asked him to eat the holy ash. The saint preached Ganapati mantra to Swamiji and asked him to chant. The saint left Swamijis house and said he would meet him again. This experience miraculously relieved Swamiji of his childhood asthma. Swamiji developed devotion towards this saint and repeatedly heard the Ganapati mantra without his volition. Swamijis student life continued and he regularly visited the Vishnu temple near his home town.

As days passed, Swamiji secluded himself from the rest of the family. Observing this trend in Swamiji his parents tried to distract him from solitude and sent him overseas for his education. After completing the studies abroad in 1972 at the age of twenty five, Swamiji returned to his native place. According to astrological predictions there was to be a change in his 25th year which soon followed.

After returning home, Swamiji spent more time in the Vishnu temple near his home and developed a detachment to worldly affairs. On a full moon day, in 1973 when Swamiji was sleeping on the veranda at his home, a big black Cobra appeared near Swamiji. An old relative was also sleeping beside Swamiji at that time. The Cobra appeared between them and made a noise at which Swamiji and the old man were woken up. The cobra banged its head against the floor three times in front of Swamiji and disappeared. The family tried to catch the cobra by various means and had no success. The Cobra had disappeared from their house. After this experience Swamijis parents understood that he had some divine pursuits and agreed for him to undertake Sannyasa.

In 1973 January, Swamiji left his home and started going around holy mountains, temples and places of spiritual interest in South India. On a chitra pournami day (full moon day in April), when Swamiji was meditating in front of Papanasam Agastya Kalyana Teertham Sivalingam in the midnight, an old tall saint appeared to Swamiji and held his right palm and wrote some letters which was comprehended as "Chellappa" by Swamiji. The saint preached a mantra to Swamiji and said he would meet him again and advised him to obtain Sannyasa and disappeared. Accordingly, Swamiji went to Kanchi Kamakoti peetam and obtained Sannyasa Deeksha from Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Chandrasekhara Sarasvati (August 1973) and stayed for sometime at the Kanchi Matham.

After the sannyasa deeksha, Chandrasekhara Sarasvati Swami said to Swamiji, "Naangal eruvarum paarpathu oru kannadiyai, nee vekamaha pookirai, mounamaha eru, unakku eraivannin arul kidaikum" (meaning; we are both looking at the same mirror but, you are traveling fast, you need to slow down and be silent. You need to serve the public and you will obtain the full grace of god). Swamiji was told "Arulum paripurana aananthamum kiddaikum" and given the name Arulananda by Chandrasekhara Sarasvati Swamigal. When Swamiji enquired if he could use the suffix of the Shankaracharya guru parampara (Sarasvati) because he obtained sannyasa deeksha from Chandrasekhara Sarasvati Swami, he said there was "no need for such suffix and you will obtain a prefix to your name when the right time comes."

Sannyasa Life

Pothigai hills near Papanasam: Swamiji returned to Papanasam and started meditating in a cave near Agastya maharishis foot print at Kalyana Theertham (Pothigai hills). During this time, Swamiji would visit the natural mountains and temples around. While staying at Pothigai hills, Swamiji attended the daily pooja at the Papanasam Shiva temple about 3 km from his cave. He observed silence most of the time. During the 7 years of tapas (meditation) at Pothigai hills, Swamiji had the experience of Ganapati and Ambal's divine vision at many occasions.

Pothigai hills is a highly divine and spiritual center. The story is that when Shiva and Parvati entered into divine matrimony, mount Kailasha in the north was not balanced because of the number of holy beings witnessing the wedding. Lord Shiva asked Agastya Maharishi to proceed to the South of India to balance the world. Agastya Maharishi proceeded to Pothigai hills and balanced the world. Agastya Maharishi was able to visualise the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati on a Shivalingam that was at Tiru Kalyana Teertham at Pothigai hills. These hills are visited by several saints and sages from Himalayas particularly on a full moon day.

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Swami Arulananda's Ashram - Shivayoga Suruli Arulananda ...

Disturbing details continue to emerge during a royalcommissioninto the sexual abuse of children in the 70s and 80s at a NSW yoga ashram Nine abuse victims have told how former spiritual leader Swami Akhandanandaused them for his sexual gratification The ashram's response to those who came forward were initially just invited to a fire ceremony to help them heal But a lawyer for the victims has sought $1 million in damages for each of his clients Ashram leader Swami Akhandananda died in 1997. He was jailed for sex abuse in 1989

By Emily Crane and Australian Associated Press

Published: 07:11 EST, 10 December 2014 | Updated: 20:41 EST, 10 December 2014

A yoga ashram that initially offered a 'healing' fire ceremony to cleanse people who had been drugged, raped and beaten as children at the retreat say they will now offer compensation to victims years after they were sexually abused.

Disturbing details have emerged at a royal commission into the sexual abuse of children in the 1970s and 1980s at the Mangrove Yoga Ashram on the NSW Central Coast.

The commission has heard from nine abuse victims who have told how the former spiritual leader at the isolated retreat in the foothills of Mangrove Mountain, Swami Akhandananda, used them for his sexual gratification.

Disturbing details have emerged at a royal commission into the sexual abuse of children in the 1970s and 1980s at the Mangrove Yoga Ashram on the NSW Central Coast

One victim revealed last week that she was held down naked at seven years of age and had the skin between her breasts cut during an initiation ceremony, before a swami licked the blood and had sex with her.

Child victims have also given evidence of the second in charge, known as Shishy, allegedly subjecting them to fierce beatings and summoning teenage girls for sex with Akhandananda.

Shishy admitted to slapping the children at the royal commission, but couldn't recall some of the more vicious assaults described by the victims.

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Inside Australia's Mangrove Yoga Ashram where children drugged, raped and beaten

JAIPUR: Bal Ashram of Bachpan Bachao Andolan at Virat Nagar in Jaipur witnessed one of the most memorable evenings on Wednesday since its inception. Celebrations that kicked off from morning reached its zenith when its founder and Nobel peace prize winner Kailash Satyarthi received the award.

The ashram was decorated with flowers and light, while the children were all decked up and were excitedly waited for the proud moment when Satyarthi's name was announced. As soon as he received the Nobel peace prize, everybody cheered with loud applause. The event was later celebrated by a cake cutting ceremony.

"It is a very exciting moment for each one of us. He spoke from his heart and tears rolled from the kids' eyes," said Nipendra Singh, manager at Bal Ashram. "The kids had been waiting for this moment the day Satyarthi's name was announced," he added. Not just Satyarthi, Malala Yousafzai also received the same applause. "Most children could relate to her. They too suffered a great deal to get what they believe is their right" added Singh.

Twenty children from the Ashram received a special invitation from the Norwegian embassy. They witnessed live telecast among other dignitaries and the ambassador in New Delhi.

The only Ashram of Bachpan Bachao Andolan in the country was set up in 1997 and has saved lives of more than 2,000 children so far. Satyarthi started this place for rescued child labourers so that they can be better citizens and can earn livelihoods on their own and not as labourers.

People from nearby villages also gathered in the ashram. Their knowledge on Nobel peace prize would perhaps beat any other common man from cities. "From the day Nobel peace prize was announced, everyone is talking about it. We are proud of Kailashji. It is not just the children of the ashram that are benefited but even our children get moral education here," said Man Singh, resident of Virat Nagar.

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A doctor has denied over-prescribing morphine to children at a NSW yoga ashram where he lived.

An ashram should not be held responsible for abuse inflicted on children by its former spiritual leader and his second-in-command, two yoga devotees have told a royal commission.

Muktimurti, a longtime resident of the Mangrove Yoga Ashram on the NSW Central Coast, said on Tuesday she did not know if physical and sexual abuse as alleged by former child residents had taken place.

Muktimurti said she did not really believe the allegations against ashram leader Swami Akhandananda when he was brought to trial.

She said in her statement to the commission she found it "morally questionable" for victims to now seek financial compensation.

"I don't agree with the ashram being held to ransom for something that none of us in the ashram community have anything to do with," she said.

Muktimurti said she believed compensation would imply the ashram had done something wrong.

Akhandananda, who has since died, was jailed in 1989 for abusing four girls.

The sex abuse royal commission has heard from nine witnesses who have described shocking sexual abuse by the swami and physical abuse by his second in charge, a woman known as Shishy, in the 1970s and 80s.

Muktimurti lived at the ashram from 1978 to 1996 and is back there in an administrative position.

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NSW ashram 'not to blame' for abuse