Rikhiapeeth Ashram Guide: Events, Calendar & How to Visit

⚡Rikhiapeeth at a glance

🕉️What is Rikhiapeeth ashram?

Rikhiapeeth is a small, remote ashram in the village of Rikhia, roughly 12 km from the temple town of Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham). The Government of Jharkhand’s tourism portal describes Rikhia as a tapobhumi, a place of intense spiritual practice. The ashram follows the teaching of Swami Sivananda Saraswati, summarised as “Serve, Love and Give”, and combines yoga, mantra sadhana, kirtan and seva (selfless service) with village-level community work.

It is not a resort or a drop-in yoga studio. Life follows the rhythm of satsang, chanting, work and rest, and most visitors come for a defined retreat, festival or short stay arranged in advance.

📜History: from Munger to Rikhia

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, born in Almora in 1923 and a disciple of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, founded the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger and spread yoga teaching worldwide. In 1989 he withdrew from public institutional life to Rikhia, where he lived as a kshetra sannyasi, performed the long Vedic austerity of Panchagni (the five fires) and developed the place into a spiritual centre. He left his body at Rikhiapeeth in December 2009.

Since 2007 the ashram has been led by Swami Satyasangananda, who works through Sivananda Math, the charitable organisation her guru founded. Sivananda Math runs medical camps, education and vocational training for neighbouring villages, which is why visiting Rikhia feels as much like a community as a monastery.

💻Rikhiapeeth ashram website: what to find and how to use it

The official ashram website is rikhiapeeth.in. Treat it as the single source of truth, because dates and rules change. Useful sections include:

• Events and calendar – the yearly programme, with a downloadable PDF and a Google Calendar link you can add to your phone.
• Travel guide – directions, office hours and contact numbers.
• Retreat pages – Mantra Sadhana, Karma Sannyasa, Jignasu Sannyasa, Ashram Life and Kriya Yoga retreats, each with its own page.
• Online application form – the 2026 form sits on the events page; submit it well before your dates.

For anything the website does not answer, write to rikhiapeeth@gmail.com or call +91 92414 28125 during office hours (8–11 am and 2–5 pm).

🗓️Rikhiapeeth calendar and events

The ashram publishes a new calendar every January, plus a Google Calendar feed. As an example of the usual pattern, here is the published 2025 calendar. Dates move each year, so always check the current calendar for 2026 and 2027 before booking travel.

Tip: some retreats are taught in English, others mainly in Hindi. Check the language marker beside each programme on the calendar.

🪔Annual festivals and observances

Beyond residential retreats, the ashram marks the major festivals of the Hindu year together with the community. The official site lists, among others:

• Guru Purnima and Guru Purnima Aradhana (July) – the biggest day for disciples.
• Swami Sivananda Janmotsav and Sri Swamiji Sannyasa Diwas (September).
• Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Navaratri, Deepawali, Krishna Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Akshay Tritiya Mantra Sadhana and Sri Radha Krishna Jhoolan.
• Monthly Guru Bhakti Yoga, Bhagavad Gita and Sundarkand chanting sessions.

Expect crowds, simple shared accommodation and long ceremonies during the large festivals. If you want a quieter first visit, choose an ordinary retreat week instead.

🚆How to reach Rikhiapeeth

By air: Deoghar Airport (DGH), also called Baba Baidyanath Airport, is the closest, about 30 minutes by taxi from the ashram. IndiGo has flown it to Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Patna and Bengaluru under the UDAN scheme; schedules change, so check before booking. Kolkata (CCU) and Patna (PAT) are the big alternatives, each about 4–5 hours onward by train.

By train: Jasidih Junction (JSME) on the Howrah–Patna–Delhi main line is the usual railhead, roughly 7 km from Deoghar city and well connected to New Delhi, Kolkata, Patna, Varanasi and Ranchi. Taxis and auto-rickshaws wait outside. Confirm train numbers and times on IRCTC.

By road: Deoghar is reached by state and private buses from Dhanbad (about 132 km), Ranchi (about 278 km) and Giridih (about 70 km). From Deoghar, Rikhia is a short taxi ride.

🌤️Best time to visit Rikhiapeeth

Rikhia has a hot, humid plains climate. The figures below are typical approximate averages, not forecasts.

For most first-time visitors, mid-November to early March is the sweet spot.

🎒Plan your visit: application, etiquette and what to bring

• Apply early. Retreats and festivals are managed through the online application form and confirmed by the office; do not turn up unannounced.
• Dress modestly in loose, comfortable cotton clothes that cover shoulders and knees.
• Follow ashram routine – silence periods, meal times, no alcohol or tobacco, limited phone use. The website does not list a full rulebook, so ask the office for the current guidelines.
• Pack a water bottle, torch, mosquito repellent, sandals that slip off easily, a shawl for mornings, personal medicines and any yoga mat you prefer.
• Cash and connectivity: keep small cash notes; mobile signal can be patchy.
• Foreign visitors should hold a valid Indian visa for the whole stay and check the ashram’s foreign-guest instructions.

🛕Add Deoghar and eastern India to your trip

Rikhia sits next to Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and a major pilgrimage town. The temple is extremely busy during Shravan (July–August), so go early or in another month. From Jasidih you can continue to Varanasi, or build a longer spiritual circuit through Bodh Gaya and the Buddhist sites of Bihar on our Buddha Pathway tour. If you also want yoga in the Himalayan foothills, see Rishikesh and our Yoga & Meditation Retreat in Uttarakhand.

Tour En Inde can arrange flights, trains, a private driver in Jharkhand, onward stays and guided pilgrimages, so you reach the ashram rested and on time.

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