RETREAT TRIPS:
CHARDHAM PILGRIMAGE:
A Sacred Trip to India, Land of the Veda
May 15 - 30, 2010
Chardham Pilgrimage Cost:$2,995/person*.
Includes accommodations, most meals, and all transportation in A/C equipped vehicles for the 17 day period. Airfare is extra and not included in the Pilgrimage price.
|
Pilgrimage is a sacred journey in which you shed an old way of life and step into a space of animated suspension – a place in which past and future don’t exist – the present moment.
In all spiritual traditions, pilgrimage is a practice of transformation. It's not merely going to see a place as a tourist. Instead, it's a meditation-in-motion that affords you the rare opportunity to look deeply into your heart and mind without the distractions and routines of your everyday life.
 AND … the added power and grace of pilgrimage is that it happens in a place where millions of other seekers have experienced their own spiritual transformation for thousands of years.
This May 2010 during the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima (the radiant Full Moon of Enlightenment), we invite you to join Shruti Institute's co-founders Dr. Katyayani Poole and Sri Jeff as we retrace the holy steps of countless Vedic saints, yogis, and enlightened masters who've made the pilgrim's journey for centuries.
Experts on Vedic traditions and experienced travelers throughout India, Dr. Poole and Sri Jeff will guide a small fortunate group of sincere and adventurous seekers on what's revered as the "Chardham Pilgrimage" - the most holy journey that all yogis undertake to inspire and empower their spiritual path. It's believed that having the darshan (the divine vision) of these sacred places conveys a profound blessing on your life and renews the connection to your own inner sacred source.
 Chardham means the four sacred places: the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, and the sacred temples of Kedarnath and Badrinath. Following this ancient circular route through the magnificent Garhwal hills at the base of the holy Himalayas, we will bring the spiritual significance of the journey to life by leading the group in the traditional pilgrimage practices.
We'll awake at sunrise with morning asanas, silent meditation, and Sri Gayatri chanting. Following breakfast, we'll travel by A/C cars to our daily destinations driven by trusted local experts from the Sikh community. At some of the places, we'll need to trek on foot to the temples or river sources, so being in good physical shape offers certain advantages. (There will also be ponies for an easier source of transportation.)
In the evening, we'll participate in the local pujas and sacred offerings. And we'll meditate, chant evening Vedas chants, and share our experiences of the day's adventures.
This is a rare and special opportunity to experience the sacred heart of India, deepen your spiritual practices, and expand your understanding of the profound source of the Veda & Yoga.
The schedule of the trip is intense as we'll be covering a lot of terrain in a limited period of time. It's important to remember that pilgrimage is a spiritual practice and not a tourist vacation. Pilgrimage is meant to challenge you and leave you transformed, but it's not always easy.
We recommend everyone fly into New Delhi, India and rest for two days before we begin the journey. This will give you the opportunity to recover from jetlag, get acclimated to India, and do some shopping. Then we’ll begin the first day of the journey by driving up to Mussorie, which is a hill station at the foot of the pilgrimage. (Please note: this is an estimation of what & where we’ll go each day. Along the way to these sites are numerous possibilities for group interests such as out of the way temples, meetings with local yogis, babas, and sadhus (holy people), and the list goes on...)
Chardham Pilgrimage Itinerary
DAY 1 |
Then we’ll begin the first day of the journey by driving up to Mussorie, which is a hill station at the foot of the pilgrimage. (Please note that this is an estimation of what where we’ll go on each day. Along the way to these sites, there are numerous possibilities of group interest such as out of the way temples, meetings with local yogis, babas, and sadhus (holy people), and so on.) |
DAY 2 |
Mussorie to the sacred sites of Hanuman & Janaki Chatti (involves a trek of 4 kilometers. Note: all sites are available by pony for an additional charge.) |
DAY 3 |
Janaki Chatti to the source of the Yamuna River (one of the 7 sacred rivers in India). (6 kilometer trek) |
DAY 4 |
Rana Chatti to Gangotri (source of the Ganges River). |
DAY 5 |
Visit to several sacred sites around Gangotri, including Gomukh (the original source of the Ganges) for the adventurous. It’s a bit of a climb! |
DAY 6 |
Siyalsaur to Kedarnath Temple which houses one of the 12 rare Jyotir Lingams (sacred embodiments of Shiva, the lord of yogis) installed by Adi Shankara in the 9th century. It is also where the Samadhi site of Shankara lies. (Shankara is one of the most important Vedic masters in the history of the tradition, and is the head of the lineage that our work at Shruti originates from.) |
DAY 7 |
Kedarnath to Ukhimath – temple which houses the Kedarnath deities in the winter. (14 km trek) |
DAY 8 |
Ukhimath to Jyotirmath: one of four sacred seats of the Shankaracarya lineage. (We hope to have audience with the presiding Shankaracarya – the head of the lineage!) |
DAY 9 |
Jyotirmath to Badrinath – temple sacred to Visnu and Laksmi on the banks of the Alakananda River. (14 km trek) |
DAY 10 |
Badrinath to Rudraprayag – the confluence of the Alakananda and Mandakini rivers and Rudranath and Camunda Devi temples. |
DAY 11 |
Rudraprayag to Rishikesh & Haridwar. |
DAY 12 |
Haridwar to New Delhi. |
DAY 13 |
Rest in New Delhi for two nights. |
Trip Schedule
- Arrive in New Delhi from USA: May 15th.
- Stay in New Delhi: May 15-16th.
- Depart for Mussorie and Chardham Pilgrimage: May 17th.
- Return to New Delhi: May 29th. Stay in New Delhi: May 29-30th.
Trip Includes:
- 4 nights accommodation in a 4 star hotel in New Delhi:
- 2 nights prior to pilgrimage
- 2 nights upon return from pilgrimage
- Transportation in A/C car for entire pilgrimage
- Accommodations in government bungalows (the best available) on a twin sharing basis
- And all vegetarian meals
(Also for all attendees, we’ll be holding a series of special orientation meetings prior to the trip -- that will be recorded and available online for those outside of Boulder/Denver). Dr. Poole will lead the meetings to educate everyone on the traditions behind these sacred places, how to respect local practices and customs, the most important things to know about Indian culture, how to eat in India without getting sick, and so on.)
Trip Investment & Other Details
First come first served. First 20 applicants to be accepted for the pilgrimage will comprise the tour group of the trip. Total Trip Investment: $2,950 (based on double-occupancy). That’s approximately $170.00 per day all inclusive. Non-refundable deposit will be required within 5 days of tour acceptance. Final payment for entire trip will be due 30-days prior to departure.
Trip Does Not Include:
- Airfare
- Indian Tourist Visa
- Any additional nights in Delhi or elsewhere
- Meals in Delhi
- Taxis in Delhi
- Snacks & Water (when we arrive, we’ll purchase cases of water as a group)
- Trip Insurance (highly recommended!)
To Hold Your Space:
- $150 non-refundable deposit, guarantees your participation once your application is accepted.
Payment Schedule:
- Final payment of remaining trip costs due 30-days prior to trip departure to India.
Refund Policy:
- Full refund (sans non-refundable deposit) available until 60 days prior to trip departure.
|
