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By Root 2429 0

around a variety of gorgeous gardens with rock pools, waterfalls, and gleaming courtyards, while various pyramidal structures (including the massive Osho Auditorium, where most meditations take place) lend a real sense of dignified otherworldliness to the place. A small boutique, Osho Galleria, sells robes (plain maroon ones are worn throughout the day, while white ones are worn for the main evening meditation; Rs 480 each), meditation chairs, mats, eye-masks, and other meditation paraphernalia, and there’s a bookstore packed with Osho readings. Whatever you do, don’t miss at least one meditation session in the sensationally beautiful mirrored Chuang Tzu Auditorium, the meditation room in the house where Osho lived—as you traipse in for your meditation (wearing white socks to protect the untreated marble floors), you pass thousands of books that fill Osho’s private library, and file into an exquisite, mirrored room that seems like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie. There’s also a very smart guesthouse (right next to the main auditorium)—your best accommodation choice if you’re serious about your time here (see “Where to Stay,” below).

Declaring him to be one of “1,000 Makers of the Twentieth Century,” the U.K.’s Sunday Times wrote that Osho’s “teachings are uncompromisingly radical, antirational, and capricious. They invite the individual to free him- or herself from all the social conditioning: The only commitment is to be open and honest, to enjoy life, love oneself.” Indeed, any time spent at the resort will clue you in to Osho’s crusade against social conditioning. A basic tenet of Osho’s philosophy is that social norms, regulations, strictures, and rules need to be broken down completely and that an entirely new way of life needs to be forged—the resort is about “deprogramming” and old hands here will tell you that it is we who carry the “asylum” of the socialized world around with us. These are unsettling concepts if you’re in any way nervous about looking beyond the conventional, but there’s really nothing much to fear, and there are no unreasonable demands placed on anyone who attends. If nothing else, you’re likely to have a good time, meet interesting people from all walks of life, and discover at least a hint of inner peace.

By all accounts, if you speak to some of the devotees who work at the resort and who knew him before he left his body, Osho thrived on controversy and went out of his way to challenge convention—worth knowing if you’re expecting to find religion, or some goodie-two-shoes, happy clappy hippie colony (although some devotees do tend to smile a lot, hug one another, and break into spontaneous dancing). It’d also be worth your while to read some of Osho’s discourses before committing to time at the resort—he delivers compelling evidence of his desire to change the very essence of human thinking. At every turn he encouraged humanity to become more human—a profound challenge, but one that we all have a stake in. At this Meditation Resort, you may just have an opportunity to face that challenge. It might well be the start of a personal revolution.

Note: During the quieter summer and monsoon months, the resort runs a 2- night, 3-day “Amazing Weekends” package (Rs 14,600 double, including accommodation, meals, robes, HIV test, and your daily meditation pass)—it’s an excellent deal, and great value if your time is limited or you need to test the waters before committing to a longer stay. However, it’s worth noting that 2 days is really just enough time to find your feet—if you want to experience a profound shift, you’d do well to make a longer commitment.

17 Koregaon Park. 020/6601-9999.www.osho.com. Daily meditation pass Rs 550. Entry to the resort is dependent on obtaining a negative result on an HIV test conducted at the Resort’s Visitor Centre during the registration process.

WHERE TO STAY

Pune has a vast selection of hotels, including several newly built upscale properties aimed at the burgeoning business market. Many of these are very conveniently located within walking distance