Meher Spiritual Center
Encyclopedia
The Meher Spiritual Center is a 500 acres (202.3 ha) spiritual retreat nestled in a pine forest along the Atlantic Ocean
between Myrtle Beach
and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
and adjacent to Briarcliffe Acres
. The Center was established by Elizabeth Chapin Patterson and Princess Norina Matchabelli in the early 1940s to provide a place for spiritual renewal to visitors and to provide information about Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba
. Its stated purpose is to exist as a retreat for “rest, meditation, and the renewal of the spiritual life.” The Meher Spiritual Center is also designated as a state wildlife sanctuary with more than 200 species of plants, 100 species of birds and 44 species of animals. The Center has two lakes, many nature trails, and a mile of unspoiled Atlantic shore
line.
The Center has a house built for Meher Baba which is named "Meher Abode" but usually referred to as "Baba's House." Meher Baba stayed there during his three visits to America
in the 1950s. Meher Baba inaugurated the Meher Center in 1952 and also visited in 1956 and 1958.
including California
. But no land met all the requirements. Eventually Elizabeth Patterson's father, Simeon B. Chapin, who was one of the original developers of Myrtle Beach, gave her the land as a gift. He felt that it was not suitable for his resort plans since its lakes obstructed access to the beach.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
between Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
North Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities north of Myrtle Beach, and serves as one of the primary tourist towns along the Grand Strand...
and adjacent to Briarcliffe Acres
Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina
Briarcliffe Acres is a town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States that is between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. The population was 470 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Briarcliffe Acres is located at...
. The Center was established by Elizabeth Chapin Patterson and Princess Norina Matchabelli in the early 1940s to provide a place for spiritual renewal to visitors and to provide information about Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba
Meher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
. Its stated purpose is to exist as a retreat for “rest, meditation, and the renewal of the spiritual life.” The Meher Spiritual Center is also designated as a state wildlife sanctuary with more than 200 species of plants, 100 species of birds and 44 species of animals. The Center has two lakes, many nature trails, and a mile of unspoiled Atlantic shore
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
line.
The Center has a house built for Meher Baba which is named "Meher Abode" but usually referred to as "Baba's House." Meher Baba stayed there during his three visits to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1950s. Meher Baba inaugurated the Meher Center in 1952 and also visited in 1956 and 1958.
History
Meher Baba requested that the land for his center in America meet certain criteria. They were: the place must have equitable climate, virgin soil, ample water, soil that could be made self-sustaining to a large number of people, and the property should be given from the heart. Elizabeth Patterson and Norina Matchabelli originally sought land in other parts of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
including California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. But no land met all the requirements. Eventually Elizabeth Patterson's father, Simeon B. Chapin, who was one of the original developers of Myrtle Beach, gave her the land as a gift. He felt that it was not suitable for his resort plans since its lakes obstructed access to the beach.