About

Anthony and Yolanda De Andrade came to Holy Arunachala for a visit in 1996 and fell in love with the Presence in the ashram of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. It drew them regularly in the coming years from California and Hawaii where they lived and worked until finally they decided to have another home constructed here.  For a while it was a house without a name until they asked friends to help them find one.  Already Anthony and Yolanda were attracting people into their orbit like bees to honey and it was becoming a gathering place for loving friends to share their heart and thoughts on the journey to realization.  One friend said, “this is a confluence of so many people, thoughts, approaches and paths. ‘Sangam’ is the perfect name for what is happening here!”  The name stuck and ‘Sangam House’ came into being. 

Anthony, originally from Mumbai, spent most of his life in the U.S., after studying at MIT in Massachusetts.  He had a small software business with a unique niche product for patent and trademark firms which he sold in 2021.  From then he has had the time to pursue other interests. 

Yolanda, originally from the Netherlands, was a teacher in the Diamond Heart Approach and an Ambassador of the Gene Keys.  In 2021, after a diagnosis of lung cancer, within 4 months she passed away to everyone’s deep sadness.  She was loved, admired, appreciated and deeply respected by many friends and students.  One can feel her loving Presence and love of Beauty in every part of this house.  Her influence continues in the conversion of the house into a retreat center.

The dramatic changes in Anthony’s life circumstances in 2021, led him to question the role of Sangam House. Very quickly it became clear to him that the original intention to welcome friends to this sacred area could be expanded to include a lot more people.