Spiritual Library Opens In Bangalore

Geetha Naresh at the opening of Niranjana

My friend and publisher in India, Geetha Naresh, opened her member-only private spiritual library, Niranjana, here in Whitefield, on January 18. For more than 25 years, Geetha has dreamt of creating such a collection.* She has assembled a tremendous variety of books from every religious and spiritual tradition, as well as modern day self help guides and healing handbooks.

It was my pleasure to be one of the two authors invited to read our work. Missouri writer Paige Bryne Shortal (right) and I shared the program, held in the lovely open air reading space at mid day. Paige read several essays that were written for Catholic publications. Arriving in Whitefield a few weeks ago, Paige brought 50 pounds of books, donated by her friends.

Niranjana, meaning River of Knowledge.

I read from my soon to be published (the first book issued by Niranjana!) book, Armchair Yoga, All the Benefits Without the Floor.

The library is housed at Taralaya, the home of my friends (and landlords) Sujata and Ramana Naidu.

Here I am in reading my manuscript, stored in the laptop.

Playing around with Geetha's name one day when we were on a long drive to Ooty (I will post those pictures separately), I rearranged the letters to spell Green Sheath. Like a sheath, defined as, "an enveloping tubular structure, such as the base of a grass leaf that surrounds the stem," Niranjana is a cozy little comfort station for those of us on a journey of self discovery.

One reader who attended our launch sent these comments:

"This is the first time I've attended a book-reading session, and I wasn't sure what to expect, or what was expected of us....like should we applaud, should we comment etc.... But no sooner did the session begin, than all conscious reactions ceased and we were borne into an enticing world where we could just BE! It began with a blessing ... then, after a very short prelude, Bethany began reading from her yet-to-be published book "Armchair Yoga"....we listened spellbound! When I introduced myself and spoke a bit to her before the reading began, though her sincerity and simplicity impressed me, I did not foresee her book would be so good! It's yoga with a lot of simple, straight humor, which distinguishes it from other such books. You can imagine how rivetting it must have been, if someone with such a short concentration span like me could listen through without wandering away into my own world! If Geetha kept this book in her library, I would NOT borrow it....I'd have bought a copy of my own!Paige then read out her published/ unpublished articles...they were short, to the point and incisive. Now, I do not know why I used that last word...it just came to me as I was typing this, so that must have been my subconscious impression. Both Bethany and Paige have an easy, down-to-earth, simple style, and I was tempted to get into it myself!"

For hours and programs, call 9886657432 in Bangalore. *quoting from Geetha's invitation:

Dear Friends, I am very happy to extend my invitation for the opening of my Spiritual Library. ON A SPIRITUAL QUEST....Bangalore's affair with books is quite a legendary story. With several book haunts, libraries, publishing houses and book-clubs, Bangaloreans will be forgiven for thinking "We've seen it all!" But here's something different and inspirational this new year for the denizens of this book-lover's paradise - a library that will transport you to the depths of your soul and fly you for a communion with the cosmos! Niranjana , an exclusive spiritual library tucked away in the midst of mother nature's beauty on a cozy farm in Whitefield boasts of the most exclusive collection of spiritual books and treatises collected from all corners of the globe.
Initially established from the vast personal collection of book-lover and proprieter, Ms Geetha Naresh, it now has a cornucopia of books, some sourced and some generously donated from as far as the US and Malaysia. But what is more exciting about the place is that it is not simply a library. Niranjana has already planned a line of activities that include book-reading sessions, healing courses by renowned spiritual healers, and creative workshops that promise to take you closer to your inner-child!
With an open-air reading space in the lap of nature and a collection of most of the books impossible to find, the library sure promises to live up to its name – Niranjana (meaning the 'river of knowledge', and the river on the banks of which Buddha received his enlightenment!) The Library is a humble beginning in a small cosy 10X10 room and in a serene residential area. Keeping in mind the surroundings and wanting to safe guard the serenity and offer privacy to patrons , I have consciously taken a decision that the Cars will not be allowed to come beyond the gate . While we take a step foward in the spiritual direction, let us also take a step towards respecting our environment, because spirituality is about living in harmony with your environment. Please try to adopt a car-pool system for the inauguration if possible, park cars on the side roads, and enjoy the small walk through the greeen path,down to the library. Considering that most of the cars are Chauffeur driven and the driver equipped with a Mobile phone, I request your co-operation in this matter. Please do not consider this a matter of inconvenience but as a humble beginning of a store of wisdom . I was personally inspired in this direction by a thought- provoking film, "Global Warning, An Inconvenient Truth", and would like to invite you also for a special screening of the film on 19 January, 2008 at 11.00 A.M. Kindly register at the venue on 18th January 2008 for participation.