The land I had bought was barren and deserted. It was covered in thorn bushes and thousands of little rocks and stones. Everyone told me that there was no water there. I was determined to reclaim the land and make it into a lush, green spiritual centre. My dream was to cover it with many varieties of trees and flowering bushes. It should be a beautiful place dedicated to the Divine. Slowly my ideas were realised. The devotees and myself did physical labour for many months. We cleared away the rocks and thorns and planted little trees and flowers. We made simple constructions with traditional thatched roofs just like the Ashrams in the old days.

The Ashram was basically complete by the end of 1989. We had a grand opening ceremony. Many highly placed officials and different saints from various ashrams and holy places came for the ceremony. Messages of encouragement poured in from all over India and the rest of the world. Ministers and Ambassadors from Sri Lanka, the President, Prime Minister and three ex Prime Ministers, High Commissioners and Buddhist and Christian leaders sent inspiring letters and telegrams. Saints sent inspiring texts and satsangs. The Adheenams (monastic leaders) of Tamil Nadu came to open our new Ashram. Thus the Ashram and the spiritual life of those who followed my teachings began to grow and take shape in India.

At first there was a little confusion about what to call the new Ashram. If we had called it Poobalakrishna Ashram in India, then the public would have thought that we worship only Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna. Therefore, the devotees wished to use my own name in the Ashram title. "Sri Premananda Ashram" came into being.