The Ganesha Garden Shrine represents the first of the seven gardens and it is where all visitors will begin their journey down the path of self-transformation at Siva Ashram. We have been working on developing this garden for the last 6 years and it is the most developed of all the gardens because in Hinduism all journeys should start with a prayer for blessings from Lord Ganesha. 

At the entrance to this garden, there are two large silver Bismarkia palms that will dwarf and humble all visitors as they step onto the path. This year we will work to widen the path that leads to Ganesha, plant more shrubs and flowers along the path, and prune the mango trees along the pathway. 

The path will lead people to a circle around Ganesha that is embroidered with Royal Poinciana trees that sheds their leaves in April and May and be replaced by red flowers. Ganesha’s shrine sits in the middle of this circle and will be surrounded by turf and grasses for devotees to sit on while they worship and meditate on this beloved and benevolent deity. 

The Ganesha statue will be carved from Bali Black stone in Bali, Indonesia. This is the traditional stone that has been used for generations in Bali to build Hindu temples and carve statues. The shrine that houses Ganesha will be made of four carved red sandstone pillars, a red-tiled roof with wood rafters and trusses, and a polished cement floor. This will be a serene and uplifting space for people to sit with Ganesha and get blessings for their journey through the gardens of Siva Ashram.

If you are a devotee of Lord Ganesha, or just want to get involved with Siva Ashram, this is a wonderful opportunity to show your support. Small and large donations alike are welcome and deeply appreciated as this is a crowdsourced project. 

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The Ganesha Garden Shrine

The Tree of Reflection is located between the first and second gardens. It serves a very significant purpose on the spiritual path here at Siva Ashram. The first garden is focused on you getting to know Lord Ganesha and what is in your subconscious. 

The Tree of Reflection allows for all those on the path to pause, rest for a while and reflect upon what is in their subconscious. In reflecting upon what is in our subconscious, we must have a great deal of compassion for ourselves as we will see things that we like and things that we are not fond of. But this prepares us for the second garden which gives us an opportunity to work on all the things that we are not fond of. 

Help us build this place of reflection in the garden. It will consist of a Ceiba Speciosa tree, a rock wall that wraps around the base of the tree, and a path that goes around it. 

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The Tree of Reflection

The entrance to this spiritual sanctuary will be made up of a traditional Balinese-style archway and gate.

In Bali, these entrance gateways are called Paduraksha. A majority of the population of Bali are Hindu and their art and traditions are part of the Hindu diaspora that will be celebrated at Siva Ashram.

Our Balinese Entrance Gateway will be made up of intricately carved doors that are framed by a concrete arch with a tiled roof above it. The gateway will be flanked by two statues of temple guards and will be carved out of Balinese black stone. These guards are symbolic of inner world beings that protect sacred temple grounds, warding off negative beings, and welcoming pilgrims. 

Small and large donations alike are welcome and deeply appreciated as this is a crowdsourced project.