A Frenchman by birth and an Indian by heart, Pranavananda Brahmendra Avadutta Swamigal is in India for the past 30 years. After many years of practice of Ashtanga Yoga, he was given sannyas dhiksha by his first Guru Vedananda Swamigal under instructions of his true Guru Sarveswara Swamigal in 1988.He intense tapas in Thiruvanamalai, Thiruchengode, Agasthia Malai and finally in Viruduchalam (all these places being in Tamil Nadu, South India) as well as in Kashi (Varanasi) and Rishikesh (both places in North India).

 In one of his intense meditations after a prolonged tapas (penance) Swamiji had a clear vision of Lord Shiva in the form of Jyothirlingeshwara. From that moment onwards he had no rest until he found the perfect place to built a hermitage and a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Jyothirlingeshwar and to devote his time to the practice of Tapas and service to the surrounding tribals inhabiting these beautiful and unspoilt Hills 

Our Ashram (Hermitage) is situated in South West of Tamil Nadu and is located in the District of Nammakkal. The nearest Railway Station is in Salem. Our Ashram is 400 Km by road from Chennai . There are regular buses to Senmedu the main township in Kolli Hills either from Salem or from Nammakkal (60Km from Salem) where the frequency is greater, apart from this there are three direct buses from Namakal to our Koutil.

Our Ashram is far away from human habitations : one village is 3 km away behind a hill to the West and the next one 5 km away Eastward down our Hill. This gives our ashram a feeling of total peace and harmony with Nature, an eternal reminder of Lord Shiva's eternal presence in every aspect of our lives in the form of Mother Nature around us.

 Kolli Hills (Maximmum altitude 1450m - Our Ashram : 1160m) is surrounded with places which are very important to Swamiji : Sendamangalam, where the Samadhi (tomb) of Swayamprakash Brahmendra Avadutta Swamigal and one of the few temples dedicated to Lord Dattatreya (representing the trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva in One), and NERUR (15km) from the very important weaving center of KARUR. Nerur is a small village on the banks of the mighty sacred Cauvery River where the Samadhi of SADASHIVA BRAMENDRA AVADUTTA SWAMIGAL is located. Both places are sacred to Swamiji because of their intense love they had for God and for Nature. During all their lives, both Swamigal where doing the difficult tapas of Avadutta Digambara (Nudity) which Swami Pranavananda is now practicing, except for the time when is away from the ashram.

We try hard to keep the hills devoid of any sort of pollution, no scattering of plastic, no throwing away of paper, No spitting, no Smoking of any sort, no Shouting, no loud talking, no plucking of flowers, No breaking the branches of trees. We have no telephone. However, we are connected to the world with a Satellite Internet Connection which allows us to keep in touch with our far away Shishayas (Students) or well wishers arround the world.