Plan your stay
Visiting Shankar Prasad
We are in Bankikodla village, about 5 km from Gokarna. All are welcome to visit, experience, rest, participate and stay; please give us a quick call before you come.
How to reach
Getting to the ashram
Shankar Prasad Ashram is in Bankikodla village, about 5 km from Gokarna on the Karnataka coast, set just behind Anand Ashram High School, on the same roadside.
Goa, Mumbai, Mangalore or Bengaluru
Dabolim (Goa) is about 3 hours by taxi, Manohar (Mopa, Goa) about 5. We can arrange a trusted village taxi: send us your flight details.
Gokarna Road, Kumta or Ankola
Any train on the Konkan line. Gokarna Road is 20 minutes away by auto-rickshaw; Kumta and Ankola then bus or taxi.
Gokarna Cross
Overnight sleeper buses run often from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Gokarna Cross, then an auto or our driver to Bankikodla.
All are welcome to visit, stay, or come for lunch. For a meal, or to meet someone in particular, please call ahead on +91 80953 29129. To stay, book your room here, or WhatsApp the same number if you prefer. Send us your flight or train details and we will have a taxi waiting.
Map of the ashram, Bankikodla
The map is shown by openstreetmap.org. Nothing is loaded from them until you press the button.
Directions in Google MapsOpen on OpenStreetMapAshram lifestyle
Simple living, high thinking
To find your Higher Self, lose yourself in the service of others.
The ashram is a place to work on yourself, inwardly and outwardly. It runs as an open spiritual family, we eat, chant, meditate, sing, work and play together, and every guest is asked to take part in the life of the house.
Come with a genuine interest in spiritual life. You do not need any prior yoga or meditation experience, only a receptive attitude. If you are after a beach holiday, Gokarna is fifteen minutes away and a better base for that.
We live simply on an organic, eco-friendly farm, and we are working towards 100% self-generated power: solar, wind, gobar and a Bengal boiler.
- An open spiritual family: we eat, chant, meditate, work and play together
- No prior yoga or meditation experience is needed; come with an open mind
- Dress modestly: loose, comfortable clothes covering chest, shoulders and knees; men wear a shirt at all times
- A kurta with pyjama pants suits ashram life; please avoid tight or revealing clothing
Accommodation
Where you'll stay
Four kinds of room, across the heritage building and the farm, from a simple mat-and-fan stay to a private sadhana kutir. Every stay includes three vegetarian meals and beverages, chanting, Yoga and Yoga Nidra sessions, the weekly havan, seva, local excursions, and use of the library and Wi-Fi.
Simple ashram stay
Manasa
₹1,200 / night · guest
- For committed long-term volunteers, or simple budget-friendly stays
- 5 private rooms + 1 dorm (Kailash), inside the heritage building
- Mat & bedding, pedestal fan, shared bathrooms downstairs, natural light
- Part-time volunteer ₹800 · Full-time volunteer ₹500
Rooms & dorm
Ganesh Prasad
₹1,800 / night · guest
- For short-term visitors, elderly guests, or those wanting peace and privacy
- 2 private rooms + 1 dorm, near the heritage building
- Comfortable bed, ceiling fan, attached bathroom, veranda; Wi-Fi on request
- Part-time volunteer ₹1,200 · Full-time volunteer ₹1,000
Newly built
Green House
₹3,500 / night · guest
- 4 new rooms, 2 upstairs with kitchenettes & balconies, 2 downstairs with verandas
- Bed, ceiling fan, attached bathroom with hot water, study table, Wi-Fi
- Rooms with hot water and Wi-Fi
- Part-time volunteer ₹3,000 · Full-time volunteer ₹2,000
Private sadhana retreat
Kutir
₹3,500 / night · guest
- A heritage earthen-style room, about 80 m from the main building, near the farm
- Quality mattress, ceiling fan, attached bathroom, study table
- Kitchen space and a veranda, quiet and private for sadhana (spiritual practice)
- Part-time volunteer ₹3,000 · Full-time volunteer ₹2,000
Rates are per person, per night, and may vary slightly with season, occupancy and availability.
Options for staying
Ways to stay
Volunteer, part-time volunteer, guest, working stay, homestay, retreat or long-term. Each is described below.
Karma yoga
Volunteer
Minimum one month, preferably three. About 6 hours of karma yoga (selfless work) a day: the farm, animal care, maintenance, office work, marketing and fundraising.
Karma yoga
Part-time volunteer
About 4 hours of karma yoga a day, across the same kinds of work. More time is left for your own practice.
Guest
Guest in the ashram
One hour of karma yoga (selfless work) a day, with time for your own sadhana.
Remote work
Working stay
Keep your remote job while you are here, contributing as a guest or a part-time volunteer. Internet is limited: about fifteen minutes a day, or two hours once a week. If you need to work online, please talk to Swamiji first.
Homestay
Guest in the homestay
A separate guesthouse residence. Help with light daily cleaning (about half an hour) and meal clean-up; room and board are all-inclusive.
Groups
Retreats
Custom short- and long-term packages for groups, focused on yoga and meditation.
First visit
Soft Landing in India
An introductory program for first-time visitors to India, covering safety, local culture and travel recommendations.
Community
Long-term stay
Minimum three months, for those seeking a lasting role in the community, operations, farming or project management.
Rates for each type of stay are on request. Please write to us.
Happy house rules
House rules
We ask you to read, understand and agree to these Happy House Rules before staying, simple guidelines for smooth community living that support everyone's spiritual practice.
* Visiting from outside India? Please bring your passport and visa. Indian law requires us to report every foreign guest to the authorities on Form C within 24 hours of arrival, so the office will ask for these when you get here.
Gokarna & surrounding
The temple town, five kilometres away
Bankikodla sits just five kilometres from Gokarna, an ancient temple town on the coast. There are scores of temples to explore, gorgeous beaches to laze on, markets to prowl and weekly festivities to enjoy.
Gokarna & Kudle
Gokarna Beach, with Rama Thirtha Mandira at the cliff end, and the quieter sweep of Kudle Beach.
In and around town
Mahabaleshwara, Maha Ganapathi, Koti Thirtha, Venkataramana and Bhadrakali among them, and Ammanavara Temple right here in Bankikodla, near the ashram.
The weekly Sante
The weekly market (Sante) at Melinakeri, near the Check Post. A good morning for fruit and vegetables.
Closest to us: Ammanavara Temple in Bankikodla, the Alladi Mosque opposite the ashram, and the hilltop church at Hannehalli–Gattige with Masti Temple just below. Ask us for directions.
Questions
Where is Shankar Prasad Ashram?
In the village of Bankikodla, near Anand Ashram High School, five kilometres from the temple beach town of Gokarna, in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India.
How do I get there?
The nearest railway station is Gokarna Road. From Gokarna Road station or Gokarna bus stand, take a taxi, auto or bus to Bankikodla, near Anand Ashram High School. Full directions by train, bus, road and air are on the How to Reach page.
Can I stay at the ashram?
Yes. The ashram hosts guests, part-time volunteers and full-time volunteers, in four buildings: Manasa, Ganesh Prasad, Kutir and Green House. Rooms and who may stay in them are listed on the Accommodation and Options for Staying pages.
What does a stay cost?
Rooms run from ₹300 to ₹3,000 a night, depending on the building and whether you come as a guest or a volunteer. Manasa is the simplest and least expensive; Green House is the newest. Current rates for every room are on the Accommodation page.
What is the daily routine?
The bell rings at 5:30 am, chanting and meditation at 5:45 am, free asana class at 7:00 am (Monday to Friday) or personal sadhana, breakfast at 8:30 am, then cleaning and karma yoga from 9:00 am. Chanting before lunch at 12:50 pm, lunch and rest at 1:00 pm, classes or sadhana through the afternoon, dinner at 7:00 pm, and chanting with meditation or satsang at 8:00 pm. Silence is kept after evening chanting until after breakfast the next day. The full timetable is on the Daily Schedule page.
Is there a weekly ceremony?
Yes. Havan, a Vedic fire ceremony for purification and healing, is held on Saturday at 5:30 pm. The mantras used are published on the Havan Mantras page.
Which tradition does the ashram follow?
The Satyananda Yoga tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga. The paramguru is Swami Sivananda. The resident teacher is Swami Yogaratna Saraswati.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, write to the ashram before arriving so a bed can be kept for you. Requests go through the Booking page, and the office confirms whether a bed is held.
I am coming from outside India. What do I need?
Bring your passport and visa. Indian law requires the ashram to report every foreign guest to the authorities on Form C within 24 hours of arrival, so the office will ask for these on arrival.