Osho Gondwana in Australia – a community of friends who are happy to welcome you for a visit
About 200 million years ago, give or take, the huge Pangaea supercontinent then in existence since 500 million years, split into two large segments and in paleogeography, the southernmost part was named Gondwana, after the region in northern India, from the Sanskrit gondavana, ‘forest of the gonds’. The Gond people belong to the former Kingdom of Gond which was abolished by the Marathas and Akbar himself, and with more than 4 million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.
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A big name to live up to and that is exactly what Osho Gondwana is about!
Also called the Gondwana Sanctuary, this sannyas community is located at Tyagarah near Byron Bay, a well-known town on the sub-tropical east coast of Australia. Presently 15 community members who own a house and are also shareholders live on the 40 hectares of land with their average age now over sixty; they’ve come a long way since the roaring seventies in India! However, that figure is being balanced by guests and long-term residents who either live in the community house or in one of the residential dwellings.
Building began in 1987 and they haven’t looked back since. Their home is an active wildlife sanctuary, having restored a former cattle pasture (flashback anyone?) with emphasis on environmental repair and regeneration. The majority of the total land area is being progressively re-vegetated. The marvelous rainforest gives way to hills and mountains; there are many waterfalls, and a gorgeous beach to boot. And they’ve got great wildlife, including koalas, wallabies and flying foxes. Ah yes, snakes too.
They hold meditations (Dynamic and Kundalini regularly), keep bee hives, share community meals and participate in many community events. Focused on personal and spiritual growth, they aim to achieve a harmonious balance between individual and community. Speaking of community, their decisions are usually made by consensus.
Their way of living together is particularly inspired by Osho yet other influences and experiences are welcomed and embraced.
Traveling guests are welcome and they are rooms to rent for A$ 35 per night. A great way to learn more about this community, maybe even on a stopover on the way to the Gold Coast and Northern Territories. Australia is a vast country … should you be inspired to visit, come along with a lot of time to live it out!
Paripurn sent this video created by Manjula, which shows a delightful overview of life at Osho Gondwana:
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