What are we ?

  Ashwatham is a national NGO based out of Coimbatore, India with an empowering orientation to assist communities develop a clear understanding of the cultural, social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting their lives. It aims to embolden them by tapping their own latent talents to control and sustain their own lives and environment. Ashwatham is registered as a Trust in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu on 18th January 2008.

  In the search for an apt name, my family decided to go for a rare and appropriate Sanskrit name. Coming from a Chinmaya background we then remembered the 15th Sloka of Bagavath Gita which has a mention of Ashwatham (the Peepul Tree- the tree of knowledge). We decided to have the name of the Trust as Ashwatham which was very apt for the noble purpose the institution is slated to work in the future.

Ashwatham in Sanskrit refers to the Peepul/ Bodhi Tree (Hindi), Arasa-maram (Tamil), and botanically Ficusreligiosa. Also known as the tree of enlightment/ knowledge.

With imagery taken from the Katha Upanishad, Lord Krishna portrays the entire universe as the Ashwatham- the tree, where the Vedas are the leaves. Veda means knowledge.

The Fifteenth Chapter of the Bagavath Gita has a mention about it.

The essence of the 15th stanza is “HE/SHE WHO KNOWS IT, IS A KNOWER OF THE VEDA- he/she alone, who has realised not only the Ashwatham, but also the Higher, from which derives its existence, is the one who has fulfilled the knowledge of the Vedas”.

The etymological meaning of Ashwatha is “constantly changing” or it means “that which does not stay the same tomorrow”. This is much in tune with the concept of ‘change’ in the growth and development of humankind and change is inevitable in development. With change comes in new knowledge which when used judiciously will fuel development.