Dargah Swamiji's Ashram falls on the way between Kadapa town and Rayachoti in a small village called Neelakantarao Pet. There are 3 villages on the way being Guvvala Cheruvu, Neelakantha Rao Pet, Ramapuram. You will have to take a normal bus(not express) in order to be able to request the driver to stop at Neelakantaraopet. From Kadapa the bus takes about 35-40min to reach Neelakantha Rao pet. There is a big welcome arch on the main road to indicate the way to the Neelakantaraopet village and the Sai baba temple. It reads Darbar Sai Temple (don't be misled but that is where we want to go b'coz Sri Sadguru Darga Swami's Ashram contains the Sai temple too. The ashram location on google maps is 14.236827,78.73631 (Sri Sadguru Darga Swamiji Ashramam, darbar nagar, Andhra Pradesh, India).
Once you get down at Neelakantaraopet you can wait 10-15min max to catch a 7 seater auto to take you to Ashram or you can opt to walk about 2kms via fields.
If you intend to go there by bus, remember to start back by 6-7pm max after which you will face difficulty heading back to Kadapa or other towns.
One strategy to head back is to catch an auto from the main road and head to the next biggest village (either side to Ramapuram or Guvvala Cheruvu or to Rayachoti) and then catch a bus than waiting at Neelakantaraopet itself.
Sri Sadguru Dargah Swamiji speaks Telugu and Hindi. but his words have a lot of power to touch one's heart. He is very humble, saintly and shows more by actions than by words.
Life at Ashram:
A)Accomodation:
If you intend to stay at the Ashram overnight, please carry some towels, mugs, soaps, floor rugs and blankets. You will have to take Swamiji's permission to stay overnight (usually it is given). There are primitive facilities for stay. Be prepared to sleep on the floor either in the neighbouring school without fans or lights (or if you are lucky then inside the Ashram with fans and lights and mats). There are small rooms within the main ashram which are also given to devotees coming with families (with Swamiji's permission) and the rooms I think have fans, lights and power plugs but no beds).
There are public toilets built adjacent to the ashram (about 3 bathrooms and 3 toilets with Indian commodes only). There is no hot water provision obviously this being an Ashram.
B) Food:
Free and simple vegetarian food is provided for all. Breakfast (between 9:30 & 10am), lunch (around 1-2pm) and Dinner (8-9:30pm). I was lucky to have good pongal for breakfast. For Dinner we devotees had a chutney, curry, rasam and buttermilk. Food is served in a big Annadanam hall built by Swamiji. Devotees must wash their own plates and glasses.
There are no shops,mineral water, medicine, tea shops or snacks at Ashram. You will have to go the village(about a km away) to get any of those.
C) Darshan:
Sri Sadguru Darga Swamiji gives darshan once in the morning from 10am
to around noon (depending on the crowd) and again in the evening from about 5pm to 6pm or so. During the darshan times devotees can ask philosophical questions or any personal problems that they have and Sri. Darga Swamiji answers them.
He prefers devotees to ask their problems/issues clearly, consisely and to the point. You have to tell your name, place you come from and the problem for Swamiji to be able to predict.
D) Ashram Life:
Morning Arati & Prayer: 5am to 6am (you must have bath to sit in Sai Temple and participate. Sri Dargah Swamiji also participates in this activity. When Arati is offered to God and then circulated to devotees to take blessings, DO NOT take it more than once else Swamiji gets upset (looks like on some previous occasions the fire was put off by some over anxious devotees and others did not get a chance to take the blessing). After Arati there is Nama Japam and Bhajan chanting for some time. The entire activity takes about an hour. There are no chairs. Be prepared to sit on floor or carry your own cushions, if need be.
Morning Dargah Prayer: 10am - The Dargah is located right outside the Ashram. Devotees can go and do pradakshina at the Dargah anytime but maintain calm and silence there. It is a very serene place and highly conducive to prayer and meditation. Swamiji's disciple offers prayers, given tirtham to all devotees there. After that all devotees are asked to do pradakshina (circumambulation) of the Ashwattha tree close to the ashram.
Morning Darshan - 11am to 12 noon
All devotees go inside the main building where Swamiji sits right outside the Holy Mother's temple door and gives Darshan. He also encourages devotees to ask about personal problems/issues to which Swamiji responds with answers.
Evening Darshan - 4:30pm to 6pm
All devotees go inside the main building where Swamiji sits right outside the Holy Mother's temple door and gives Darshan. He also encourages devotees to ask about personal problems/issues to which Swamiji responds with answers.
Evening Dargah Prayer: 6:30pm (Pardon me I forgot the exact timing) but I think this is it.
Evening Sai Arati (8pm to 9pm)
Swamiji participates in this Arati. After Arati there is Nama smaran, Bhajans, Spiritual text reading and holy words from Swamiji. It takes about an hour for the whole activity.
Dinner: 9pm to 10pm
Night Sai Arati (10pm) - I did not participate in this activity so I may be wrong about the timing here.
Devotees are encouraged to participate in as many activities as possible but there is no compulsion on which activities.
D) Offerings:
Devotees can bring fruits or eatables. These are not directly accepted by Sri Darga Swamiji but can be used to serve it to other devotees who come to Ashram.
Money offerings can be made in the Hundi kept in the Darshan hall or in Sai Temple. Devotees can also take Swamiji's permission to contribute in kind or sponsor any other construction or development activity happening in Ashram.
E) School:
Sri Darga Swamiji's ashram runs a high school for the neighbouring village students. All students receive good education and food from the Ashram. Swamiji encourages any one willing to sponsor cost of education in the school. I was really impressed that a high school was being run in such a remote place. The school has no benches or seats. In my opinion willing donors should come forward to sponsor these as well as contribute to its corpus fund for ongoing maintenance.
F) Gosala (cow shed) - Ashram has a lot of cows to provide for the dairy needs of the ashram.
G) Monkey menace - There are close to 20-30 monkeys near the ashram. They will come to you and even snatch fruits/food from you which is visible in polythene covers. They are present in ashram and also near Dargah. Do not leave any food, bags, your travel bags in the open unattended during the day. (They even tried to open the zip of my duffelbag and I had to chase them away with a big stick). So beware!!!
May you receive Swamiji's blessings. Om Sri Sai Ram.
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