Sri Anandamayi Ashram

The Sri Anandamayi Ashram in Shivala features a quiet, limestone-colored facade tucked against the Ganges. The building holds a simple marble shrine dedicated to Anandamayi Ma, the Bengali saint who lived here during the mid-twentieth century. She often sat on the veranda, surrounded by devotees seeking her counsel. In nineteen thirty-two, she first arrived in Varanasi, and this residence became her permanent home. Her presence drew pilgrims from across India, turning this riverside spot into a space for daily meditation and evening devotional singing.