Kanhangad — Hosdurg, in its older administrative name — is a working town on the Kasaragod coast that happens to be one of the more remarkable spiritual addresses in south India. Within a few kilometres of each other are two entirely separate ashrams founded within roughly a decade of one another, plus a Keladi Nayaka fort and a quiet stretch of coast.
Two ashrams, two founders, two sites
This is the mistake to avoid before anything else. Nithyanandashram is the hillside cave complex associated with Bhagawan Nityananda, who cut the chambers by hand out of a single mass of laterite; the ashram’s own account gives 43 caves, and a temple built above them in 1963. Kerala Tourism and several guides say 45 — we follow the ashram. Anandashram, about three kilometres north-east, was opened on 15 May 1931 by Swami Ramdas and Mother Krishnabai around the ceaseless chanting of the name of Ram, and is open to visitors of every faith under its motto of universal love and service. They are different places with different founders. Do not go looking for one expecting the other.
- These are working ashrams and places of practice, not monuments. Dress modestly and keep quiet around the caves and the chanting hall.
- Mobile phones are prohibited in the cave area at Nithyanandashram, by the ashram’s own instruction.
- Ask before photographing anyone.
- The Nityananda of these caves is Bhagawan Nityananda (c.1897–1961), later of Ganeshpuri and guru of Swami Muktananda — not any later public figure using a similar name.
The fort, and the beach below the town
Hosdurg Fort is a round-bastioned laterite fort built by the Keladi Nayakas, standing above the town beside the cave complex. Kanhangad beach — the shore at Hosdurg Kadappuram, a couple of kilometres west of the town centre — is a quiet, coconut-backed strand rather than a resort beach — no promenade, no stalls, no lifeguard. (It is widely described online as an olive ridley nesting shore; we could find only aggregator sources for that, so we do not repeat it as fact.) Bekal, with its far larger and far busier fort, is a short run north if you want the famous one.
How long, and when to arrive in the day
Half a day sees both ashrams properly; a full day adds Hosdurg Fort, the beach and the Ananthapura lake temple inland. Timing within the day matters more than the season: the ashrams keep devotional hours, with chanting and worship at set times, so arrive in the morning or the evening rather than the middle of the day, and confirm before travelling.
Getting there
Kanhangad is on NH-66 and the coastal railway with its own station (KZE) and a KSRTC depot, about 20 km south of Kasaragod town. October to March is the comfortable window on this coast; the south-west monsoon here is among the heaviest in India.
Frequently asked questions
How many caves are there at Nithyanandashram?
The ashram’s own account says 43, carved by hand out of a single mass of laterite, with a temple built above them in 1963. Several tourism sources say 45; we follow the ashram.
Are Anandashram and Nithyanandashram the same place?
No. They are two separate ashrams with different founders and different sites, a few kilometres apart — Anandashram was opened in May 1931 by Swami Ramdas and Mother Krishnabai; the caves are associated with Bhagawan Nityananda.
Can anyone visit the ashrams at Kanhangad?
Both are open to visitors without charge and Anandashram explicitly welcomes people of every faith. They are places of practice: dress modestly, keep quiet, leave the phone out of the caves and ask before photographing anyone.
How long do you need in Kanhangad?
Half a day for the two ashrams. A full day if you add Hosdurg Fort, the beach at Hosdurg Kadappuram and the Ananthapura lake temple inland.