Castellane

Castellane (; Provençal Occitan: Castelana) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. With a population of 1,470 (2019), it has the distinction of being France's least populated subprefecture, ahead of Largentière in Ardèche.

canton of France

thumb|Mandarom, seen from the other side of Lac de Castillon|Castillon LakeAumism is a minor religious sect founded in 1969 by Gilbert Bourdin (1923–1998). Centered on the "holy city" of Mandarom, near Castellane in the French Alps, it has approximately 400 members, down from 1200 at its peak. It is a synthesis of a number of religions, most prominently Hinduism. Its name derives from the mystical "aum" sound used in Hindu meditation, which is said to be the sound that gave birth to all other sounds. There is debate about whether Bourdin's founding of the Ashram (Holy City) of Mandarom in 1969