Kanhangad is a small town in Hosdurg Taluk of Kasargod District in KeralaState. Today Kanhangad is wellknown in other parts of the world for the famous Ashram built by Sadguru Nithyananda.
Long ago, Kanhangad was one of the thirty two Taluk villages in what was then known as Payyannur Kazhagam. The region was ruled over by the Kolathiri or the Raja of Chirakkal. One of his Chieftains, Known as Kanhan ruled over Kanhangad. He built a small fort in the town. In later years a Kanarese Chief, the Raja of Ekkeri conquered Kanhangad and built a new fort. Kanhangad has a name in Kannada “Hosdurg”. Hosdurg means “New Fort”
The Ashram of Sadguru Nithyananda is just 0.30 Km towards south of Kanhangad Railway Station. It is 0.50 Km from Puthiyakotta Junction in
Kanhangad-Kannur Highway. Kushalnagar is very close to Nithyananda Ashram and Guruvan is five kilometers east of Ashram. SwamiNithyanandaPolytechnicCollege is about 3.50 Kilometers from the Ashram in Hosdurga Beach Road.
SADGURU NITHYANANDA
Sadguru Nithyananda has proclaimed in his “Chidakasha Geetha” that there is no greater living creature than “Avadhoota“. ’There is no higher human status than an “Avadhoota”.
Sadguru Nithyananda, one of the greatest Yogis of modern times, belongs to the sacred tradition of Avadhoota Dattatreya Guru. Our Puranas proclaim that Guru Dattatreya was the combination of the Trinity-Brahma, Vishnu and Mahjeshwara . Guru Dattatreya, as the shining light of ‘Parabrahma’ is superior to all Gods. His divine incarnation and teachings have brought forward other Avadhoota ‘Gurus’.
Avadhoota Guru is one who is unaware of his physical body and its needs and other physical attributes, finds bliss of the ultimate by delving deep into the state called ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’. “Avadhoota” is the highest state of spiritual attainment by aspirant of eternal bliss. In an “Avadhoota Guru” the power of Jnana Siddi is complete. He is the man of perfection. Sadaguru Nithyananda, the Avadhoota, emerged as the saviour of the dejected, depressed and the down trodden.
No one knows the birth and early life of Sadguru Nithyananda. Once some ardent devotees of Sadguru Nithyananda asked him about his parentage and his place of birth. His reply was ”People go and bathe in the Ganga to purify themselves. They feel happy when they bathe in the Ganga, the holy river.
They don’t bother to find out the origin of the river and even if they know about it, it is of no special significance to them.” On very rare occasions, a very few of his true devotees have had the privilege of listening to Sadguru Nithyananda mentioning bits of his early life.
One Chathu Nair and his wife Ummamma were working under a well-known lawyer Shri T.R. Ishwar Iyer at Quilandy. Once early morning Ummamma found a beautiful baby boy in nearby AyyappaTemple. She brought the baby to her house and as per the instructions of Shri Ishwar Iyer, the boy was named ‘Rama’. After the death of Ummamma, Ishwar Iyer looked after ‘Rama’.
Shri Ishwar Iyer wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Varanasi. He took his favourite Rama with him. They had a holy dip in Triveni the Sangam. Rama expressed his inclination to visit other holy places. Therefore, Ishwar Iyer returned alone to Quilandy with a promise that he would meet him at the appropriate time. Rama visited Gaya, Akshavathi, Saranath, Budhagaya, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Amarnath. He performed intense tapas deep inside the Himalayan caves and found abundant peace-Sat-Chit-Anand State.
Rama came back to Shri Iyers house as Shri Iyer wished Rama’s presence on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage. After the marriage, Shri Iyer realized that his end was near and he expressed his desire to see the Sun-God(Surya Narayana) in all his splendour. Soon he had a glorious visit of Lord Surya Narayana and his life’s ambition was fulfilled. The old man, in a state of supreme happiness said. “Rama,Rama, you have accorded to me the supreme state of bliss- Ananda- the divine happiness to my very soul and I feel I am one with the Almighty – SAT CHIT ANAND. You are Nithyananda, my own Nithyananda, and may be Nithyananda to all.” And from then onwards, Rama became Nithyananda.
Sadguru Nithyananda left once again for holy Kashi-Varanasi, Tilabhandeshwara and Vandekashi. He had also visited Sri Lanka and Burma. He came back to Quilandy and stayed there for sometime. From there he went to Trichur, Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut, Kanhangad, Kasargod and Kumbla. He built a Mandir at Kumbla. From Kumbla, he went to Manjeshwara, Mangalore, Mulki Udupi, Padubidri, Kollur and Bantwal.
When Sadguru Nithyananda was wandering as an Avadhoota at these places, he performed many miracles. It is well known that great Avathara Purushas, including Sri Rama and Sri Krishna performed miracles beyond the limits of belief. The only reason they performed such miracles was to inculcate the basic and unshakable faith in God, in the glory of the Atman and in the Dharmic way of life. One cannot find any vestige of selfish gain or arrogance or even the attitude of the theatrical magician in the miracles performed by the great Avathara Purushas. They believed only in universal good and service to the needy. Sadguru Nithyananda attributed these miracles to God and the faith of devotees. He used to call the miracles he performed by the name “Sthana Mahima”- “Glory of the State”. Sri Krishna Bhagavan had to say these lines about such grandeur, “Know that what ever being there is, full of grandeur, beauty or strength, it has originated from a spark of my splendour.
