The premises and systems provide an authentic experience of an ashram-life. More emphasis is placed on comfort rather than luxury. Extraordinary care has been taken not to use plastics and chemical-batteries. Natural products like wood instead of particle-board planks have been used. All drapery, curtains, upholstery, bedding, bed etc have used hand-spun hand-loom fabrics, made mostly by rural women. Most of the materials are made by local artisans within Haridwar.
Bed-rooms, studios, and common facilities are all present under one roof at AZIMVTH.
Furnished bed-rooms and lodging facilities are available within AZIMVTH. There are several options of sharing or having a private en-suite room. There are other common facilities like lounge-area, small library shelves containing curated author signed books, laundry facility, refrigerator, cooking facility, etc.
For pictures of the interiors, please see the image galleries, listed below, to the right or at the end of this page. For more images, please view the photo-gallery titled ‘Residency Interiors’ at the right hand side.
‘Residency Interiors’ – This contains pictures of the current interiors.
‘Residency – More pictures’ – Contains more current pictures of the interiors.
‘Old is Marigold’ – These are just representational of the older interiors. more renovations are anticipated.
DESCRIPTION OF ROOMS
A description of typical personal quarters of an artist at 365 Haridwar is given below.
Bed room
- One window with 5 layers – Mosquito iron-wire-mesh, protective iron roads, half
area cotton sheer curtain, wooden door, thick cotton curtain - One door opening inside with 4 layers – all of the above, except iron-rods.
- One ventilator with 3 layers – all of the above, except wooden doors, thick curtain
- Marble chip cemented floor, painted walls
Fixtures
- Ceiling fan with variable speed
- Electrical plug points (3)
- LED lamp (1), tube-light (1) – white and day-light
- Insect repellent electrical device with fluid
Furniture
- Ethnic bed
- Iron frame 6.25 x 4 feet, with no board / plank. Instead a single length (dozens of feet long 2 inch wide) of strong cotton strip manually arranged in warp and weft making a sort of strong flat hammock.
- Table (1), side table (1)
- Chairs (2)
- Small wooden rack (2 feet high, 3 shelves) (1)
- Wooden / brick almirah with 4 iron / wooden hangers
Others
- Earthen frankincense burning lamp with holder
- Agarbatti holder
- Small aluminium lamp with wax
- Earthen wax lamp holder
- Small wicker basket, replenished with fresh flowers every day
- Earthen flower vase
- Hand fan made of wicker/bamboo kind
- Wicker carpet
- Wicker table mat
- Coconut-coir door mats (2)
- Stainless steel dustbin – dry waste
- Indian calendar with horoscope
Bedding and linen
- Mattress (1)
- Hand block printed / handmade pure cotton cloth containing raw field cotton.
- Bed sheet (1)
- Hand block printed hand-loom made, pure cotton
- Saffron cloth / throw (1)
- Handmade, hand dyed, thin multipurpose pure cotton fabric, almost bed sized
- White cloth / throw (1)
- Handmade thin multipurpose pure cotton fabric, almost bed sized
- Kerchief (1)
- Hand-made pure cotton
- Pillow (1)
- Same description as mattress
- Thick cotton blanket (1)
- Handmade, pure cotton
- Thick woollen blanket (1)
- Handmade, pure wool
- Thick duvet cover (1)
- Hand block printed hand-loom made, pure cotton
Attached bathroom
- Entrance door (with curtained window) from bed room
- Small high barred window with unopenable translucent glass
- Exhaust fan in a separate slot
- Ceramic tiles on complete floor and walls
- Internal back up water tank
- All plumbing of ceramic, brass and stainless steel. No plastic used, except for water tank
- Ceramic tiles on floor and walls
- Electrical plug points (2)
Fixtures
- Wash basin – 2 taps for hot and cold water
- Geyser for running hot water
- Wooden cabinet (2 x 1 feet) with 4 compartments, having mirror on the cabinet door
- Removable mirror
- 1 LED lamp, 2 night glow LED lights
- English toilet-seat
- Toilet paper holder
- Toilet (bidet kind) inbuilt water-jet
- Toilet (bidet kind) hand held shower
- Small tap – normal water, back-up tank
- 1 large tap – hot water
- 1 large tap – normal water
- Ceiling hot/cold shower
- Hand-held hot/cold shower
- 2 water faucets, back up tank
- Internal back up water tank
- Stainless steel shelf
Towels – hand made
- Bath towel
- Hand towel
Consumables – Replenished complimentary
- Mosquito repellent fluid
- Indian frankincense (1 chunk)
- Agarbatti (few pieces), the long thin Indian incense stick
- Hand washing liquid soap
- ‘Bisleri’ brand bottled drinking water
Consumables – second supply at cost
- Natural body perfume / fragrances / essential oils in small bottles (3)
- Toilet-paper
- Tooth brush
Available for in-room use
Vintage Indian wrist watch – hand winding mechanical
The rooms are consciously designed and furnished in such a way that they are comfortable but not luxurious. This goes with the AZIMVTH objectives of being engaged with sincere artworks in the spiritual spirit. No plastic materials are used in the rooms. Most of the things are hand-made from natural materials.
COMMON FACILITIES
Besides these there are a number of common facilities for use by the artists-in-residence. Some of these are –
- Lounge area – at the ground level
- Dining area – at the ground level
- Book shelves – containing author signed books relating to arts and spirituality
- Washing machine
- Full kitchen – attended by in-house cook, artists get access for specific purpose when they want to learn making an Indian dish. Small pantry area with electric kettle etc is accessible to artists 24 x 7.
FOOD
It is prohibited by law to trade in any kind of meat or non-vegetarian food in Haridwar. Local vegetables and fruits are served. A professional cook makes meals at AZIMVTH. Grains, spices, etc. are locally processed. Packaged snacks like biscuits are avoided but if at used then those ones that are made in Haridwar are served. Vegan and gluten-free meals are available.
AZIMVTH Ashram 