Bodhananda Seva Society & Bodhananda Kendram

Bodhananda Kendram, the ashram and office of the Bodhananda Seva Society (BSS), stands on the banks of the Karamana river in the holy town of Kalady, Thiruvananthapuram — at a point where the river bends from north to east, considered a rare and auspicious sign.

Fringed by coconut palms, only five kilometres from the city centre, the Kendram offers the seeker quiet time beside the gently flowing river, with a full-fledged guest house, halls and classrooms. It was started by the disciples of Swami Bodhananda, with his blessings, in 1988; BSS was registered as a charitable organisation in 1990.

BSS is guided by the teachings of Swami Bodhananda. Its programmes are inspired by our Guru's vision, based on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta and Indian philosophical traditions, in the context of the challenges of life in society today.

History

Ashram activities began in the late eighties with regular classes and satsangs in Kalady, led by Bhavani Amma — a respected school headmistress loved by the local community for her social commitment, who later received sannyasa from Gurudev as Ma Ananda Chinmayi.

In those early years the Society ran regular Vedanta classes for children (Balabodhini), youth (Yuvabodhini), adults (Vijnana Bodhini) and women (Mathrubodhini), along with Gita Jnana Yajnas, Bhagavata and Narayaneeya Saptaha discourses, seminars and classes for prison inmates, and the publication of books, cassettes and newsletters. Its plans included the Vrindavan vanaprastha project and a training centre for brahmacharis and sadhakas.

A three-storied building was later raised, with a spacious auditorium on the ground floor and residential rooms above, along with a conference hall and dining hall. On the eastern side, facing the river, stands a temple to the presiding deity Siddhi Vinayaka, which also has a Shivalinga and a Tamra Kalpavriksha. The idol of Maha Ganesa was installed, with the Sahasra Kalasa Abhisheka, in December 2000.

The temple and buildings were financed by a unique project envisioned by Swami Bodhananda — the Siddhi Vinayaka Dharma Kalasa — implemented by his disciples over fifteen years. It continues today, joining micro-charity with the spiritual benefit of chanting the Ganesa Gayatri mantra. Another project, the Sahasra Suvarna Pushpa Archana Yajna, was inaugurated by Union Minister O. Rajagopal in March 2004.

Landmark events

Every year, during Swami Bodhananda's visit to Kerala, lectures on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, Upanishads and Yoga Sutras are held under the banner Rishi Vision. In 1989 BSS organised the Siva Sakti Archana, a congregational worship of the Divine Mother with over 1,500 participants, designed on a vision of Pujya Swamiji. The Dakshina Ganga Puja, for environmental awareness, included boat journeys, worship of the river and tree planting.

From 20 January to 5 February 2011, BRF-ML and Sambodh Foundation held a study camp at the Kendram on the Tarka-Samgraha, a primer of Indian logic, taught by Prof. V N Jha and Prof. Ujjwala Jha of the Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, University of Pune, with evening classes by Swami Bodhananda on the Vedantasara. In April 2012 the ashram held Poonthenaruvi, a holiday camp for children.

In December 2000 Gurudev spoke at Gita International, a seminar on the Bhagavad Gita and modern problems in Thiruvananthapuram, organised by Bharateeya Vichara Kendram and the Gita Swadhyaya Samithi.

Regular programmes

• Annual Gita Jnana Yajna, Bhagavata Satram, spiritual retreats and training programmes
• Youth camps on science, technology, culture, literature and the arts
• Yoga classes and camps
• Gayatri Archana for children's cultural and spiritual orientation
• Siva Shakti Archana, Ishta Siddhi Pooja, Ganesa Archana and Vriksha Gayatri Archana
• Free medical camps, allopathic and Ayurvedic, for the poor
• Food and living support and educational assistance under the Loka Seva programme

The Society's work also includes youth camps for self-confidence; Sthree Shaktheekaranam (women's empowerment) seminars; counselling; Mathru Pooja; support for women's enterprises; yoga and health care; medical camps; educational assistance; and help for the aged and the sick.

Silver Jubilee, 2015–2016

Bodhananda Seva Society completed 25 years of spiritual service in 2016, with year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations from 2015 to 2016. The celebrations were inaugurated on 11 July 2015. They included Vishala Bodhasangamam, a public meeting at the Karthika Tirunal theatre; the Swami Chinmayananda Memorial Lecture by Swami Bodhananda at Bharatiya Vichara Kendram (10 January 2016); an evening lecture series on the Seven Spiritual Laws (30 December – 2 January), inaugurated by Princess Aswathy Thirunal of Travancore; a management seminar on 5 January 2016; and an exhibition on India's space programme with ISRO, with a photo exhibition of 25 years of BSS. P N Subramanian was the chief organiser.

On the occasion of the
Silver Jubilee of Bodhananda Seva Society,
Paramacharya Swami Bodhananda
blesses us with the following message

“We all have been tirelessly working as a well-integrated and motivated team for the last twenty-five years without any pause or taking any break. Our motto was inner spiritual awakening through serving the outer community, based on the rishi vision ‘sarvam khalu idam brahma’. We made great strides with innovative ideas and programmes in some areas and remained mediocre and lacklustre in others. Today our ashram is a full-fledged facility, teeming with activities, and Bodhananda Seva Society is a well-recognised presence in the cultural and spiritual life of the city of Thiruvananthapuram.

I thank P N Subramanian and my other friends for conceiving this Silver Jubilee celebration as a yearlong grand thanksgiving programme with many enriching and meaningful functions. I wish total success for the programme and request all our volunteers, well-wishers and patrons to come forward wholeheartedly and liberally and make the yearlong Silver Jubilee celebration a fruitful and memorable bouquet of events. I expect the programmes to be subtle, frugal, inclusive, graceful and solemn.

Jai, Jai, Jai Siddhi Vinayaka! Varada Vinayaka!
Sri Gurubhyo Namah!”

Swami Bodhananda
Sambodh Center for Human Excellence
Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
7 July 2015

Gurudev's Message for BSS Silver Jubilee Celebration

See photographs · Photo album on Facebook

By the river

A path through bamboo and tall trees leads from the Kendram down to steps on the riverbank, a quiet place to sit by the water.

Pictures

See all the photos

Travels with a Master

Visit Bodhananda Kendram

Administration

Ma Ananda Chinmayi — formerly Bhavani Amma, the school headmistress who organised Gurudev's early Vedanta classes in Trivandrum — played a key role in starting Bodhananda Kendram at Kalady. As the long-serving President of Bodhananda Seva Society, she oversaw its spiritual and administrative work.

Prof. (Dr) M N Sreedharan Nair, former Principal of NSS College, was a foundational pillar of the institution, serving in core executive roles across the Kendram's bodies — as Secretary and Working President of Bodhananda Seva Society, and as Treasurer Trustee of BRF-ML.

Sri P N Subramanian, formerly Deputy Director at ISRO, was a key founding coordinator, serving as Treasurer of Bodhananda Seva Society and as Chief Executive of BRF-ML.

BSS Committee, 2026

• Chief PatronDr Raj Kumar

Patrons

• Sri P N Subramanian
• Smt. Ramani Gopakumar
• Sri D Balachandran Nair
• Smt. Savithri Amma
• Smt. Premalatha B
• Prof. Radhamoni

Committee members

• PresidentHH Swami Bodhananda Sarasvati
• Mukhya AcharyaSwami Adhyatmananda
• Resident AcharyaYogini Mataji Sivasankariyamba
• Working PresidentSmt. M P Kunhilakshmi
• Vice-PresidentsSri T K Rajendran, Smt. Hema Ravikumar, Dr Meera, Smt. B Lalitha Rajan, Sri Somasekharan Nair
• SecretarySmt. Rani V Nair
• TreasurerSmt. Sarada Menon