PEACE PARK

Peace Park - A place to experience Peace.

The Brahma Kumaris Peace Park is both lovely and serene, It is the realisation of a dream, a natural environment where silence and recreation co-exist, The Peace Park is nestled between two famous peaks of the Aravall hills - the well known spiritual pilgrimage destinations of Guru Shikhar and Achal Garh.

The Park Is an oasis of natural beauty found only 8 kms from the Brahma Kumaris Headquarters in Mount Abu. Part of the charm of the park is that it is lovingly cared for by dedicated Brahma Kumars and Kumaris who delight in welcoming thousands of tourists to the park every day.

In addition to offering guided tours to fully appreciate the natural beauty of the environs, visitors are also introduced to the innate beauty of the Human soul, A short video presentation is available for visitors, which highlights concepts of interest within the teachings of Rajyoga. After the video, visitors are invited to experience the practical effects of Rajyoga Meditation in a choice of venues the open air grass hut, the stone cave, the bamboo meditation hut or if they choose they may simply find a quiet place in the naturally peaceful atmosphere of the park's gardens.

The park offers a perfect recreation retreat, with playing fields, picnic areas, swings, and nature walks, When you enter the park grounds, you find the unique Rock Gardens which play host to a wide variety of Succulents, The Park is landscaped to house an orchard area and citrus corner as well as floral displays which include ornamental shrubs, coleus, geraniums, hibiscus, climbers and creepers with the speciality of the park being rose garden.

SHANTIVAN

Shantivan - The Sprawling Campuses (Forest of Peace)

As you drive from Abu Road towards Mount Abu, you find to your left- just six kilometers away a magnificent Complex - known as Shantivan (Forest of Peace). The new Complex was in response to the ever-growing world-transforming activities of the Brahma Kumaris through spiritual education and training. Equally important is the role of the Complex to provide an excellent venue for holding such programmes as conferences, spiritual congregations and educational and other retreats.

The main attraction of Shantivan is its awe-inspiringly massive Diamond Jubilee Hall, built in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the institution. Majestic in art, architecture and equipment, it has the distinction of having a very high seating capacity. It can accommodate about twenty thousand people!

In addition to this gigantic structure, Shantivan has one main conference hall and six smaller halls. The seating capacity of the conference hall is 1200 with facility for simultaneous translation in six languages. Each of the smaller halls can accommodate three hundred fifty for conducting lectures, seminars, workshops, etc.

There are two intensive meditation halls and a spiritual museum which instantly inspire inner peace and are a source of super-sensuous joy, which is nowhere to be found in this mundane world.

Residential buildings in the Complex have a capacity of lodging about fifteen thousand people . Some of them have very significant names: Vardani Bhawan(The house of Blessings), Vishwa Kalyani Bhawan (World Benefactor House) and Farishta Bhawan ( House of Angels) - to mention only a few.

Gyanamrit Bhawan ( House of the Nectar of Knowledge) houses the printing department. It is responsible for meeting the printing needs of the Institution. It is here that two of the monthly magazines of the institution - Gyanamrit and World Renewal - are published.

Shantivan has in it all modern means of communication, transport, well-laid-out roads, electricity, and solar energy.

No account of a complex, providing lodging can be complete without making a reference to the arrangements for preparing and serving food. Shantivan has very big kitchens and dining halls with modern gadgets and equipments.

Gyan Sarovar

Gyan Sarovar (Lake of Knowledge)

In 1991, to provide a training facility for the institution's outreach into all areas of society, Brahma Kumaris started building the campus for “The Academy for a Better World” over an area of 28 acres of land near it’s headquarters, Madhuban . Within a few years a relatively barren patch of land was transformed into a modern village complex in a quiet rural setting. In addition to the spiritual environment, the academic atmosphere of this campus equals that of many institutions of higher learning.

The Academy offers residential programmes and courses on the development and practical implementation of human, moral and spiritual values and principles.

The campus includes :

• Universal Harmony Hall, an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,600 people with simultaneous translation equipment for 16 languages.
• An International Spiritual Art Gallery, housing sculptures, morals, audio-visual and laser displays, and other artwork from around the world.
• An International Centre for Higher Learning comprising 13 seminar and training rooms.
• Spiritual Application & Research Centre (SpARC).
• Accommodation for up to 1,500 people.

• Kitchen and dining facilities capable of serving 1,200 people at a time.
• The recycled water of 3 man-made lakes which irrigate the 15,000 trees planted to provide fruits and vegetables and maintain the rural retreat atmosphere.
• Solar water heater for cooking; the telephone exchange, computer and emergency lighting systems are powered by solar and wind energy.
• There is also a unique waste treatment plant capable of treating 200,000 liters of washing, kitchen and bathroom waste water a day, of which nearly 80% is available for re-use.

In 1996, the Academy was presented to Habitat II, the second UN Conference on Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey. It was recognized as part of the Best Practice Initiative for Human Settlements.