Chinmaya Mission New Zealand will be opening a brand-new Wellbeing & Event Centre at 63 McKenzie Road, Mangere on Saturday, July 31.
A small celebratory event is planned to commemorate the occasion and hand-in the new facility to the community, which is expected to witness participation from several community leaders and a few political figures.
Situated in the heart of Mangere Bridge, near the famous Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru or Mangere Mountain is this new wellbeing centre, which is poised as a centre to experience a serene, friendly, and culturally vibrant facility to enhance everyone’s Wellbeing.
The centre has been named ‘Chinmaya Nikunj’ as it is designed as a spiritual garden (Nikunj) for experiencing wellbeing at all levels - mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual.
The new Wellbeing & Event Centre will have key facilities including a community hall of capacity of 240, two Green rooms behind the stage with washroom facilities, one large studio- capacity of 50, three small studios- capacity of 25.
It will also have a fully equipped commercial kitchen, a bookshop, reading and meeting room, and a car park with capacity to accommodate more than fifty cars.
The centre is run by Swamini Amritananda and ably supported by the Board of Trustee, Executive Committee and a team of dedicated volunteers.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender Kishan Raj, President of Chinmaya Mission NZ said, “We are very excited about the new wellbeing centre and welcome all for truly experiencing happiness in a serene and calm environment. It is a great venue for use by the community. We have listened to and involved all stakeholders throughout the process of development and construction. The Wellbeing Centre provides facilities for meditation, yoga, social & community events, quiet reflection, study and more”.
The facilities will be a first of its kind as it caters to the lifestyle and convenience of the communities.
There is a strong emphasis on programs involving children and youth with the aim of giving them the right values of life and making them positive contributors to the community. The hall and rooms are open for hiring by the community for staging social and cultural events. People who hire the place will find it uniquely spiritual and appealing to their aesthetic sensibilities.
The centre is easily accessible as it is near the motorway and a bus route in Mangere and will cater to the community right across Auckland.
“The facility has been fully fund by members and well-wishers of Chinmaya Mission in New Zealand Overseas, charitable foundation & trusts and a bank loan,” Kishan Raj said.
Notably, Chinmaya Mission was established in India in 1953 by devotees of the world renowned Vedanta teacher, Swami Chinmayananda.
Guided by his vision, devotees all around the world formed the nucleus of a spiritual renaissance movement that now encompasses a wide range of spiritual, educational and charitable activities. Swami Swaroopananda is the current Global Head of the worldwide Mission. Under his guidance and inspiration, the Mission has continued to grow across the globe and today it stands at over 300 centres in 45 countries.
Chinmaya Mission New Zealand has been serving the communities for over 2 decades in various parts of New Zealand – Nelson, Auckland, Wellington and Wanganui.
The service offerings are rooted in an inclusive philosophy which offers a vision of One-ness for the wellbeing of everyone. Swamini Amritananda is the Spiritual Teacher of Chinmaya Mission NZ and has been with the Mission for nearly 40 years. Swamini Ji conducts regular yoga classes, meditation sessions & study groups for adults & children. She is also a qualified YOGA teacher trained at Sivananda Yoga Centre, India.
Visitors can drop into the Centre to find out more about our service offerings. For more information visit www.chinmayacentre.org.nz