Annapurna

One day, Swami Samarth Maharaj, called His closest disciple, Shree Ballappa Maharaj and gave Him things form His (Swami Samarth Maharaj) personal use. Swami Samarth Maharaj then asked Ballappa Maharaj to form a Guru Peetha (Seat of the Guru and Dharma) in the name of Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj. He also asked Ballappa Maharaj to provide some Food and a Place of residence to all the Devotees who would come to take Swami Samarth Maharajji's Darshan. He asked Ballappa Maharaj to make sure that the work of spreading the message of Swami Samarth Maharaj will go on till the Sun and Moon remain in the sky.

So, on recieving this message from His Guru and Master, Ballappa Maharaj found and Guru Peetha and a Math (Monastery) to do the work. This Math is called Guru Mandir or Ballappa math. He started the tradition of providing all the devotees with Food and Accomodation in the Math.

When Shreeji became the Peethadeesha (The Person In Charge of the Guru Peetha), He continued all the initiatives started by Ballappa Maharaj. He would make sure that no devotee left the Math without getting something to eat. In the early times VahiniSaheb, would herself cook food for all the devotees, who came to take Darshan in the Math.

Shreeji continued this tradition even when He started residing in Shivpuri.

He founded the Sati Chimamata Annapurna Samiti, to make provide Food and Accomodation, to all the devotees coming to Shivpuri. He named it 'Sati Chimamata', after the Holy Mother Chimamata from Rajimwale family. She was a very Pious and Charitable Lady, who devoted all Her life for serving the Lord. She would also give Food everyday, to the people in Her town, as Prasad of the Diety Bhagwan Rajiv Lochan.

Shreeji started the Annapurna, in Her Holy Memory.

Following the tradition of Guru Mandir, Shivpuri, has been engaged in the noble work of providing food and accommodation to visiting pilgrims since almost Four decades.

Building:

Annapurna is housed in a grand building in Shivpuri. It is 5000 Sq Ft large. It has a huge kitchen, where the food for Prasad to be given to the people is cooked. The Food for the Naivedyam of the Dieties is also cooked in Annapurna.

Annapurna has a huge storage room for storing the raw ingredients required for cooking like flour, rice, pulses, etc.

Annapurna has a big hall for people to sit and have their food. There is also a small hall where the daily inmates eat their food.

Annapurna building also has four rooms to act as residences of the inmates working in Annapurna.

Food Materials:

Most of the ingredients that are used for cooking in Annapurna are grown using Agnihotra Farming Methods. Some of them like Wheat, Jowar, Bajra, Pulse's, Groundnut's, etc are grown in the farms of Shivpuri. Some of it is grown by Agnihotra followers in various parts of th Nation. The milk that is required for Tea, Curd's, Buttermilk, etc is used from Shivpuri's own Goshala.

Timing's:

Prasadam is provided to the devotees irrespective of the time of the day. Prasadam continues 24 hours. No devotee must leave without food. To do this the Prasadam is offered round the clock. Sometimes if the devotees come late at night, then fresh food is cooked for them by the Ashram inmates. Nobody is sent back without Prasadam.

Devotees:

Prasadam, is provided to all the people who visit the Shivpuri Ashram everyday. It is a tradition which has been followed for many decades now. Many devotees visit the Ashram and spend longer duration of period with an aim of studying the Vedas and other Indian Sciences like Ayurveda, Yoga, etc or meditating or offering physical Seva. The Ashram operates the Annapurna to provide food for all the visitors who come here everyday from all over the world.