(This hub is published on 8 May 2009)

Shrimad Rajchandra was a spiritual Guru who lived in this earth for only 33 years between 1868 and 1901. He was an enlightened person and contemporary to Swami Vivekanand.

Mahatma Gandhi accepted him as his spiritual Guru. Mahatma Gandhi followed path of Ahimsa (Non-violence) and Satya (Truth) throughout his life inspired by Shrimad Rajchandra.

Shrimad Rajchandra, being enlightened, taught people eternal peace and love, as way to salvation. He declined to obey mere rituals in the name of religion and spirituality. He did not believe in role of cast and creed in spirituality. He told that spiritual path is open for all who wants to join the same.  He was true follower of Jainism as preached by the Arihant Parameshthi. Many non Jain people  also followed his path especially Patels of that region .

He did not become a Jain Monk and lived as layman. However, his spiritual level was much higher than many of the so called Monks and Nuns. Some of the Jain Monks of his era understood the fact about his spiritual level and started following him.

Shree Laghuraj Swami alias Lallu shree ji was one of them. He was a great devotee of Shrimad Rajchandra.

Once Shrimad Rajchandra visited Agas and told that the land of Agas is very sacred and has ability to be converted into a spiritual place. Shree Laghuraj Swami (Lallu shree ji) remembered his words even after his death and established a shrine (Ashram) Later on. He did it in Agas under a Public trust.

He also made rules and regulations including daily routine of prayer for the Ashram. Devotees still follow the same routine. Nothing in routine prayer is changed during last sixty seventy years. Prayer starts early in the morning and continues till nine o'clock in the night. There are short breaks for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. Eating in the night is not allowed inside the Ashram and one has to finish his or her dinner before sun set.

Ashram authorities do not allow Radio, Television, News Papers etc. inside the Ashram to maintain strict discipline and peaceful spiritual environment. It is a holy place and even mobile phones are not allowed in the inner parts of the Ashram campus.

The Ashram administration provides facilities of comfortable stay and marvelous food (Lunch, dinner and tea) at highly subsidized rate. One has to spend almost nothing for food and lodging.

The ashram is built in a huge campus with green belt. There are thousands of Banyan, Margosa, Ashoka, Gulmohar, Mango and other varieties trees in the campus. This provides Agas ashram with peaceful, healthy and natural environment.

Some devotee families live their permanently. Hundreds of thousands devotees come there round the year and live for some time. They follow rules, regulation and routine religiously.

There are Shwetambar and Digambar Jain temples, Shrimad Rajchandra Guru Mandir, Laghuraj Swami Samadhi Mandir and huge prayer halls in the Ashram campus. The ashram administration also runs a library and a publication center that prints and distributes Jain holy books at subsidized rate.

Agas is situated near Anand (Amul fame) in Gujrat. India. It is well connected with train, bus and other moods of transportation. Ahmedabad and Baroda are nearest airports.

I had been there recently and taken some photographs of the Asram. Please view the picture gallery.