Our Story

Founded in India in 1995, the community first lived in another location before moving in 2009 to Kunnambetta. The lush and peaceful setting of Wayanad offers a natural home for silence, liturgical prayer, meditation, manual work, sustainable agriculture, and monastic hospitality.

Following the Rule of Saint Benedict, the sisters seek God through a balanced rhythm of prayer, work, silence, and community life. Hospitality is an integral part of this vocation, welcoming guests who come in search of peace, retreat, and spiritual renewal.

The Cistercian presence in India includes Kurisumala Ashram, of the Syro-Malankara rite, and Ananda Matha, of the Latin rite under the Diocese of Calicut. On 7 October 2024, Ananda Matha was formally recognized as a priory, an important step toward autonomy within the Order.

The recognition of Ananda Matha as a priory on 7 October 2024 marks an important stage in the community's journey toward greater autonomy and responsibility within the Cistercian Order.

Around nine sisters from diverse backgrounds live here under the guidance of a prioress. The Sanskrit name Ananda means “deep joy” and expresses their desire to live in God’s presence, in peace, communion with creation, and fidelity to the Cistercian spirit.

Coming from diverse backgrounds, the sisters share a common vocation rooted in contemplation, simplicity, and communion with one another and with all creation.

The founding house is Soleilmont Abbey in Fleurus, Belgium. The community remains spiritually accompanied through the Father Immediate, the Abbot of Scourmont. Like all Cistercian monasteries, Ananda Matha is dedicated to Our Lady and celebrates its patronal feast on 15 August, the Assumption.

This enduring relationship expresses the communion that unites Cistercian monasteries throughout the world while allowing each community to grow according to its own history and local culture.

Like all Cistercian communities, Ananda Matha places its life under the protection of Our Lady, whose Assumption is celebrated as the monastery's patronal feast on 15 August.