American Hindu monk opens India's first surfing ashram near Mangalore.Byline: ANI Mangalore (Karnataka), Oct.19 (ANI): The world's first surfing swami has set his sights on popularizing the pursuit across the Indian subcontinent Indian subcontinent, region, S central Asia, comprising the countries of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh and the Himalayan states of Nepal, and Bhutan. Sri Lanka, an island off the southeastern tip of the Indian peninsula, is often considered a part of the subcontinent. , a land he claims has waves as attractive as those in the surfing mecca of Hawaii. Swami Bhakti bhakti (bŭk`tē) [Skt.,=devotion], theistic devotion in Hinduism. Bhakti cults seem to have existed from the earliest times, but they gained strength in the first millennium A.D. Gaurava Narasingha, 64, an American Hindu monk who has been living in India for four decades, has opened the country's first surfing ashram ashram or ashrama In Hinduism, any of the four stages of life through which a “twice-born” (see upanayana) Hindu ideally will pass. - religious community - near Mangalore, reports The Times. Set near the beach amid rice paddies and coconut groves, the commune has already attracted a handful of global surfing superstars, hundreds of Western amateurs, and scores of curious villagers. "For some people, surfing is almost a spiritual thing," Swami Narasingha said, explaining the link between the sport and his interpretation of Hinduism. "It's to do with a very mellow connection to the ocean," he added. Life at the ashram does not conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" the all-night party Sporting the slogan, "Get Down, America!", the All-Night Party was a fictional political party created by Steve Gerber. It appeared in Gerber's Howard the Duck series for Marvel Comics during the U.S. culture often associated with surfing, nor does it fit the common preconceptions of monastic life. Swami Narasingha - who also goes by his given name Jack Hebner - does not drink or smoke and is a strict vegetarian. His followers are expected to live similarly abstemious ab·ste·mi·ous adj. 1. Eating and drinking in moderation. 2. a. Sparingly used or consumed: abstemious meals. b. lives. He took a vow of celibacy three decades ago and couples who stay at his ashram are requested to refrain from sex during their stay. The monks who live at the ashram awake at 4 a.m. to chant "Hare Rama, Hare Krishna", but they do not beg for alms. Instead they earn money by doing freelance web-design work through a contractor in San Francisco and by running a local bottled-water company. Swami Narasingha also owns an art gallery in Bangalore. The "Surfin Swamis", as the community has become known, also rent boards and rooms to visitors. Swami Narasingha believes his is the only surfing ashram in existence - a claim that appears credible. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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