Trip to India: March 2012

Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

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A Dream Come True Vacation For Any Yogi

If ever since your first downward dog you’ve been curious about the place where yoga was born or if you’ve simply been waiting for an opportunity to take a dream vacation to another part of the world, this adventure is for you!!! You will deepen your yoga practice with alignment-based daily yoga classes and touring the most popular pilgrimage spots in the North of India.

This 2 part trip is a rare opportunity to combine an exciting adventure with a peaceful rejuvenation. A week of studying yoga and Vedanta at an authentic ashram with an enlightened yoga and Vedanta teacher will be followed by 9 days of visiting 4 beautiful ancient cities.

You can choose to do both parts or just one of them. Details for each one are below:

Part 1: A Yoga and Vedanta course at Vrindavan ashram

When: March 2 – 10 (leaving US on the 1st)

Do you want to extend the peace, serenity, and sense of well-being you feel after yoga class? What better way to do this than by taking a yoga vacation to a real ashram? What could be a better place to deepen your yoga practice than India, the land of colorful contrast, a land vast in culture, inhabiting an astounding number of philosophical geniuses, sages and great masters.

You’ll experience life in a spiritual community, and awaken to new dimensions of meaning and purpose. You will meet like-minded people, make new friends, and explore enriching spiritual disciplines and teachings. For many people, the journey to a sanctuary where everyone is focused on the pursuit of personal and spiritual growth can be a transforming experience.

What: A vedanta and yoga course led by a living legend Swami Parmanand Ji Maharaj at Vrindavan ashram. Ashram stay will be structured and follow a daily schedule with satsang, asana classes and lectures. You will get to practice yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra on a daily basis. A simple but delicious vegetarian fare will help to detox after the holidays and bring your body back into balanced state. Meditation and lectures on Vedanta and dhyana will be presented by a famous sought after master Swami Parmanand Ji Maharaj.

The entire retreat will promote a healthy and harmonious yogic lifestyle. You will deepen your knowledge on topics such as the benefits of asana, vegetarian diet, stress management and meditation.

A sample day at the ashram: 
5:00AM wake up call
5.30 – 5.55AM meditation
6:00 – 7:00AM yoga
7:00 – 7.30AM lecture or meditation led by Swami Parmanand Ji Maharaj
8:00 – 9:00AM ayurvedic vegetarian breakfast
9:00 – 11:00AM rest/personal time
11:00 – 12.30PM pranayama practice
1:00 – 1:30PM ayurvedic lunch
2:00 – 3:00PM rest/ free time
3:00 – 4:00PM Yoga Nidra practice
4:00 – 5:00PM herbal tea & free time
5:00 – 6:00PM lecture and discussion on Vedanta led by Swami Parmanand Ji Maharaj
6:00 – 7:00PM individual practice.
7:00 – 8:00PM dinner followed by Question Answer session till 8.30 p.m.
8:30 – 9:15PM special meditation

The last day we will have a sacred fire ceremony and an ancient yajna held for the well-being of the participants. All the students will receive a certificate in Vedanta and Basic Ashtanga yoga.

On the 10th of March we come back to Delhi where you can choose to fly home or to stay for another 9 days to travel to Varanasi, Agra, and Jaipur

Part 2: Yoga Pilgrimage Adventure

When: March 11-20 (Leaving the US on 10th)

This action-filled adventure is a perfect alternative for a boring Caribbean beach vacation. It is a perfect present for yourself and the best value-for-money investment in self-development!!!

What: The Yoga Adventure tour is a carefully planned trip of the most interesting sights in Northern India. In 9 days you will see Delhi, explore the magic of the city of gods – Varanasi, visit the famous Taj Mahal in Agra, and complete the tour in gem stone rich Jaipur.

Unlike other tours, this tour is so much more than the sum of it’s parts.  For two weeks you will be surrounded by like-minded people who are looking to expand their horizons and explore the mysteries of the human nature. Aside from daily yoga practice, you will get to mingle with people who live a “yoga” lifestyle, have similar values and interests.

In 10 days you will: 

  • Rest, relax and rejuvenate in a peaceful and beautiful natural setting.
  • Meet people who wish to give a new direction to their life through the teachings of yoga.
  • Have a fun yoga experience.
  • Deepen your knowledge on topics such as the benefits of asana, vegetarian diet, stress management and meditation.

Your soul will be delighted and happy – this is a once in a lifetime experience! Spring is a very special time – time for rejuvenation, purification, and reassessment. It is a perfect time to detoxify from a long holiday season, shed off winter pounds, and refresh with an exciting adventure. There is no better way to achieve all three than with Yoga and a clean organic Indian food. Besides getting deeper into your practice, you will get to learn about an ancient Indian culture and visit famous pilgrimage spots.

Who: The tour is organized by Nadya Andreeva, a Strala Yoga Instructor and an Ayurvedic enthusiast. Nadya fell in love with India while studying yoga and Ayurveda there. Having traveled all over the country she was inspired by India’s culture, traditions, and hospitality. She hopes to share the beauty of India and its people during this retreat. Throughout the retreat Nadya will be teaching daily yoga classes and talking about implementing Ayurveda in daily life.

Detailed schedule:

March 11 – 12: Delhi

Morning yoga will be followed by guided tours of Old and New Delhi. India’s capital and a major gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is a bustling metropolis, which successfully combines in its fold the ancient and the modern. One of the most historic capitals in the world, Delhi is a treasure trove that reveals the ultimate combination of tradition and trends. Visit the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi, bustling streets to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in Asia, Qutab Minar (Tower of Victory), Lotus temple and Birla temple and Laxmi Narayan Temple.

March 13 – 16: Varanasi, the city of Gods. 

Morning Yoga followed by guided tours of Varanasi. Varanasi is told as older than history, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together. Varanasi, the holy city of India. Varanasi is the most popular pilgrimage point for the Hindus. In Hinduism it is believed that those who die and are cremated here get an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births. Considered as the abode of Lord Shiva, Varanasi is situated on the banks of River Ganges, which is believed to have the power of washing away all of one’s sins. Varanasi is more than 3000 years old and is famous as the city of temples. The holy city has been a symbol of spiritualism, philosophy and mysticism for thousands of years and has produced great saints and personalities like Guatama Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Tulsi Das, Shankaracharaya, Ramanuja and Patanjali. Varanasi is not only associated with Hinduism but also with Buddhism and Jainism. Varanasi is also a mirror of the age-old Indian civilization. The rich cultural tradition of Varanasi makes it the cultural capital of India.

March 16-17: Agra

Morning Yoga. Full day for sightseeing of Agra. Visit the Great Fort of Agra, Taj Mahal Agra – globally renowned as the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Taj Mahal. Referred to as one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal in Agra is the epitome of tourism in India and is celebrated for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty.

March 18-19: Jaipur

Morning Yoga. Followed by a visit to Akbar’s abandoned capital, Fatehpur Sikri. Evening visit Chokhi Dhani Art Village to have Dinner in an exclusive ambiance and watch Rajastan cultural performances. Jaipur, the vibrant capital of Rajasthan renowned for its forts and palaces is popularly known as the ‘Pink City’. Visit the ancient capital of Amer and Amber Fort enroute. Stop at Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) and get an elephant ride at the Amber fort. Jantar Mantar Observatory, a stone astrological and astronomical Observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh in the 18th century. End the tour with a visit to the colorful bazaar of the old city.

March 20: Transfer to Delhi and Departure

TOUR COST:
Part 1: $1100 (includes certification in Basic Vedanta and Ashtanga Yoga)
Part 2: $1850
Both Parts: $2950

THE ABOVE COST INCLUDES:

  • accommodation on double/twin sharing basis at hotels and ashram

  • Breakfast at all the hotels and all meals at the ashram

  • Farewell Dinner at Delhi on departure

  • Dinner with  cultural program at Choki Dhani, Jaipur

  • Return Domestic flight ticket Delhi-Varanasi-Delhi (2nd part)

  • Elephant ride at Amber Fort ( subject to conditions noted below)

  • Riksha ride at Jaipur/Agra

  • Service of accompanying English speaking escort for the entire tour except Varanasi.

  • Local English Speaking guide in Varanasi on all days

  • All transfers, excursions and sightseeing tours will be by Air-Conditioned Deluxe Coaches.

  • All road taxes, parking fee, fuel charges, interstate taxes etc.

  • Entrances at all the monuments (01 visit) as per program

  • Cost includes 2 bottle of mineral water per person per day  during sightseeing and on long drives

  • We shall offer 01 tour leader free for land arrangements in India.
  • Assistance on arrival and departure by Kerala Voyages representative.

  • 24 x 7 hospitality assistance throughout India

  • All currently applicable taxes

THE ABOVE COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: –

  • Expense of personal nature like tipping, laundry, and telephone/fax calls, alcoholic beverages, camera/video camera fee at monuments, medical expenses, airport departure tax etc.

  • Meals other than those specified above.

  • Any non alcoholic or alcoholic beverages.

  • Anything, which is not mentioned in the itinerary.

  • Indian Tourist Visa (link will take you directly to Travisa for visa application)

For booking questions and assistance, email Nadya at nadyaand @ gmail dot com, post a comment in the comment section for this post, or call (646)239-6623

Our trip last year was a huge success and everyone loved it! You can read about it here and here. Don’t miss out on the adventure this time!

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