Samadhi refers to an indescribable state of consciousness which Shivabalayogi sometimes had translated as "enlightenment."
Samadhi has another meaning: a place where the physical presence of a yogi, avatar or great saint is anchored, typically the tomb where the physical body is buried.
There are three places where Shivabalayogi's physical presence is anchored in a samadhi: Adivarapupeta, Bangalore and Dodballapur.
Left: Inside the Samadhi in Adivarapupeta.
Below: The Adivarapupeta ashram in 1994. The taller building on the left is the Dhyana Mandir, now the site of the new temple. On the right, the blue building, is where Shivabalayogi stayed and gave darshan, and now is site of his Samadhi tomb.
Adivarapupeta
Adivarapupeta is the first ashram from where Shivabalayogi's presence radiates throughout the world.
Shri Swamiji's sacred body is buried in the Samadhi in Adivarapupeta, the ashram on the site of where he sat for almost all of his twelve year tapas. The Samadhi is in the same place where he used to give public darshan.
The original ashram building was small and its foundation weak, so the Adivarapupeta trustees commissioned plans for a new structure consisting of two parts, an inner Samadhi building over Swamiji's tomb, and a large hall in front. The inner Samadhi building was inaugurated on March 6, 2008.
A large hall will be constructed in front of the Samadhi, to its north, large enough to accommodate devotees gathered for bhajans, meditation, and various functions celebrated at the ashram. Like the Samadhi itself, this large hall will have a circular building footprint.
Below left: Adivarapupeta, 2010. The new Samadhi shrine and laid out on the ground to the right, the outline of the meditation hall to be built. Below right: Architect's drawing of the completed Samadhi complex in Adivarapupeta. The tower is over the actual tomb. In front is a large, circular meditation hall.
Bangalore
The Bangalore Samadhi was consecrated on April 10, 1994. A pit was dug in the middle of the garden, as Swamiji had wished, and carefully lined with stone. After a homa fire ceremony and purnahuti (offerings), a small portion of his matted hair (jata), the cloth he was wearing in Adivarapupeta just before his mahasamadhi, a Shivalinga made from the earth in which his holy body was buried, and some personal effects were laid on a bed of vibhuti. That same night, heavy rain fell on Bangalore, an auspicious reminder of the presence of a great yogi.
Granite slabs and a large Shivalinga have been installed over the Bangalore Samadhi and an open, temple-like structure has been built so that the rudraksha trees that are sacred to Shiva and which Shri Swamiji wanted planted would not be disturbed.
Below left: The main entrance to the Samadhi in Bangalore. Below right: The Samadhi at the ashram in J. P. Nagar, Bangalore.
Dodballapur
At the same time the Samadhi was consecrated at the Bangalore ashram, a Samadhi was consecrated at Shri Swamiji's ashram in Dodballapur, a small town less than fifty kilometers north of Bangalore. Dodballapur was the second ashram dedicated to Swamiji. As at the main Bangalore ashram, the Samadhi at Dodballapur contains a small piece of Swamiji's hair, blessed vibhuti, a shawl that Swamiji used to wear, and some other personal effects.
Those who did not have the opportunity to have darshan of Shivabalayogi in
his own physical body, and those devotees who did, can experience the same
physical presence at his Samadhi.
The experiences are many. This one is a sample: "I was sitting in meditation next to the Samadhi in the middle of the Bangalore ashram garden. Although my eyes were closed, I saw Swamiji come up to me from the left and I felt Swamiji touch my left ear. I got up from my meditation, then shortly resumed it. This time I saw Swamiji come up from my right side and, like before, I could very definitely feel His touch, this time on my right ear."
Left: The Samadhi of Shri Swamiji's mother, Parvatamma Allaka, at the original Bangalore ashram on Bannerghatta Road, near the main ashram in J.P. Nagar.