Our history

The building was constructed in 1905 for the Dutch Protestant Association, at a time when IJmuiden was growing rapidly. Fundraising was led by Mrs Johanna Theodora Planteijdt; her husband, C.J. Planteijdt, then owner of IJmuiden's largest fishing fleet, financed the construction through a foundation he established for the purpose.

From 21 February 1909, the Mennonite congregation of IJmuiden used the building as its vermaning. It would continue in that role for just over a century, until 1 January 2010. During the Second World War, the parsonage on what was then Noorderkade was struck by a shell, killing two people. The occupying forces used the church building as a stable for horses.

After liberation, the building was recovered and put back into use. In 1981 a thorough restoration began, followed by a festive reopening on 17 January 1982.

In 2009, the Mennonite congregation transferred the building to a new owner with the explicit wish that it would receive a cultural purpose. We feel called to carry that promise forward.

Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda was born on 26 May 1942 in southern India, in a household where Vedic chanting and music were a daily practice. He was trained by his mother, a yogini, until her passing in 1951, and continued his training under his aunt Venkamma, a master of haṭha yoga.

In 1966, at the age of twenty-four, he founded the ashram in Mysuru that remains his home base today. What began as a small hut on ten acres has grown into a campus with a music hall, a recording studio, a Vedic school, a museum, and one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India.

He is, first and foremost, a musician. He has composed over 3,000 songs in nine languages, released more than 200 albums, and given 366 concerts in 32 countries — at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Kennedy Center and the Dubai Opera House, among others.

He holds thirteen Guinness World Records, including the largest music therapy lesson in the world (Sydney Opera House, 2015, 1,814 participants) and the largest gathering of people chanting together at a single venue (128,918 participants in 2015). His work in music and sound has been recognised with four honorary doctorates.