Our Story
The Foundation
Shantiniketan Sadhna Kendra was founded by Pujya Bandhutriputi Maharaj in the coastal village of Tithal, Valsad, Gujarat, in 1983, as a gyan, yoga and dhyaan sadhna kendra — a residential centre where Patanjali's yog sadhna and Jain philosophy and practice are both taught, practiced and lived.
It is open to any seeker, without discrimination, who comes looking for a way into meditation and self-inquiry that is practical enough for an ordinary week and deep enough for a lifetime. Known to many as an abode of knowledge, wisdom and bhakti of Jaina philosophy, it remains, at heart, a quiet place to sit.
Purpose
To make timeless meditation and philosophical wisdom accessible, practical, and relevant for everyday life.
Mission
To support individuals on their journey of self-discovery through meditation, philosophical inquiry, community learning, and lived practice.
Promise
To offer every visitor — restless or seasoned — a practical way into meditation and self-inquiry, held in a setting of scholarship, devotion and natural calm.
The Founders
The Kendra was established in 1983 under the intellectual, affectionate and joyous guidance of the Bandhutriputi — the revered trio of Param Pujya Munichandraji Maharaj, Param Pujya Kirtichandraji Maharaj and Param Pujya Jinchandraji Maharaj. Their vision was a residential centre where Patanjali's yog and Jain philosophy could be studied and practiced side by side, without one being folded into the other.
Under their humanitarian and welcoming approach, Shantiniketan became a modern hub for spiritual seekers where even the most restless being can find mindful peace. Today, Yoga-Dhyana Sadhna Shibirs continue under the holy guidance of Pujya Kirtichandraji Maharaj Saheb.
“Everything here should feel reverent, warm and unhurried — an invitation from an elder, never a marketing push.”The spirit of the Kendra
The Campus
When you enter Shantiniketan, you are welcomed by the sight of the Shri Chintamani Parshvanath Bhagwan Derasar at the centre — with Shri Adinath Bhagwan's pratimaji on the left and Shri Shantinath Bhagwan's on the right in the Rang Mandap. Around it lie the spaces that make a life of practice possible — for sitting, for study, for rest.
Who we are
Tithal, the derasar, the palm, 1983 — and two lineages held with equal seriousness.
Golden-hour light, sandstone, welcome. An open door to any seeker.
Generous space, slow motion, long-form thought. Nothing rushed.
No hype, no manufactured urgency — plain language, plainly offered.
People doing the work — sitting, studying, listening. Practice is the subject.
Stewardship
The Trust is named after Pujya Shri Gunbhadravijayji Maharaj Saheb — the worldly father of the Bandhutriputi Maharaj Sahebs, later initiated into Jain monkhood. It cares for the campus and the teachings, and makes them freely available to all who come. You are welcome to visit, to study, or to support the work.