The Chinmaya International Foundation..
Tucked away in the thriving town of Ernakulam, known as Kochi famously, lies the Chinmaya International Foundation under the aegis of the Chinmaya Mission, South rather famously. It boasts of the Adi Sankara Nilayam, the Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeetham, a deemed International University that excels in the field of Sanskrit Literature and is located in the state of Kerala rather picturesquely.
The University has several courses for all types of students who are interested in studying Advaita and all its allied subjects like the Puja Vidhi course, a course that teaches how to practise Bhakti. Some courses are offered online whereas many others need you to be present physically. It is a place for us Indic scholars to journal, sojourn, write, meditate and teach.
The Chinmaya International Foundation is just a few miles away from the Ernakulam Railway Station as well as from the Kochi Airport and is accessible easily.
It houses a temple, the Adi Sankara Nilayam, a modern housing complex for its students, and a pulsating dining area where the dishes are beyond divine, pleasingly. There is a huge well and a water tank where Sri Sankara used to carry out his ablutions daily. The entire area has not been modernized and has retained its original historical charm ever so beautifully.
A must visit for sight seers alike and also a renowned institution for the advanced studies of Advaita and its allied sciences, placed in the South of India rather scholastically.
The Foundation is close to some of the finest heritage structures within Hinduism like the Brihadeeshwara Temple that was built by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola, the city of Thanjavur and several other temple complexes that are true to the divine spirit of our South Indian legacy.
