Shiva Bala Yogi Virtual^* Darshan
* (Virtual: non physical, but being such in essence or in having the power or practical effect)

The Bangalore Ashram
The Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara Temple

On August 7, 1977, Shivabalayogi established what is his largest ashram, which is in the Jaya Pradesh neighborhood (J. P. Nagar) of Bangalore city. Shri Swamiji had a building constructed on the south side which contains a large meditation hall, offices, a library, kitchen, store rooms, and rooms for Swamiji, ashram residents, and visiting devotees. The massive granite complex stands four stories tall, its hall topped by a large aum symbol. Its meditation hall is sixty by seventy feet of marble floor space spanned by vaulted concrete roof and seating 1500 people. Shri Swamiji designed the hall, just as he did all the buildings at his ashrams. Shri Swamiji enjoyed taking an active interest in the design and construction, working closely with engineers and contractors, but often overruling them even in details such as the thickness of the concrete to be poured or the gauge and thickness of reinforcing steel bars.

On the north side of the Bangalore ashram is a large complex constructed between 1982 and 1987. It contains the Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara temple on the north-east corner, a large wedding hall named in honor of Swamiji’s mother, Shrimati Allaka Parvatamma, kitchen facilities and a dining hall for mass feedings, and numerous additional rooms for residents and guests.

The Temple

The temple is controversial for traditional Hindus because the scriptures strictly forbid the worship of Brahma even though he is the creator, one of the three fundamental manifestations of God. Shivabalayogi was warned and threatened, but he ignored the protests of some of the local spiritual leaders and insisted on installing a form of Brahma so that the God could be worshipped as an equal with Shiva and Vishnu. The temple remains one of only two temples in the world with an image of Brahma. (The other in Adjir, Rajastan, is solely to Brahma, and not to the three gods of the Trimurthy).

The origin of the prohibition is Shiva’s curse that Brahma should not be worshipped. Because Shiva is Swamiji’s guru and because Swamiji underwent tapas at Shiva’s direction, the curse was lifted when Shivabalayogi consecrated the idol of Brahma. Swamiji explained that he incarnated to remove that curse.

“Swamiji was not supposed to install the idol of Brahma. The Hindu scriptures [Shastras] prohibit the worship of Brahma. Swamiji installed the idols of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. No human being was supposed to install any idol of Brahma and Brahma is not supposed to be worshipped. Swamiji installed an idol of Brahma and now people are performing puja to him.”