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In the YOGA/SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, we will be
visiting and witnessing religious ceremonies at Mandirs,
Gurudwaras, Mosques, Monasteries, Churches and, in the process,
learn about the histories of Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus,
Christians and Jains. We will be doing Hatha Yoga, Meditation etc.
Our "JOURNEY" will take us to:
Sivananda Yoga Center in Delhi; Golden Sikh Temple/Gurudwara in
Amritsar; Tushita Meditation Center in Dharamsala (in Himachal
Pradesh where we will have an audience with the Dalai Lama);
Rishikesh & Haridwar (where we will do Hatha Yoga and
meditation, bhajan/kirtan and visit several Ashrams, including Ved
Niketan, Omkarnanda, Van Prashth and Triveni Ghat; back again in
Delhi we will be visiting Lal Mandir, Gauri Shanker Temple (aka
Birla Temple), Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid (where we will witness
Sufi rituals, including Qawalli music at the tomb of Hazarat
Nizzamuddin; then to Mathra to visit Krishna temple and on to
Vrindavan and again to AGRA, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur (THIS TIME IN
JAIPUR, WE WILL SEE AKBAR'S MAGNIFICIENTLY ILLUSTRATED RAMAYAN AND
RAZNAMA; then on to PUSHKAR to visit Sri Govinda Deva Temple and
on to SANGANER to visit Kali Temple and Jain Temple; from there we
go to PUSHKAR where we will visit BRAHMA TEMPLE (one of the very
few Brahma Temples in India - amazingly, quite a few Brahma
Temples in Thailand, especially Bangkok (My wife and I were very
surprised to see Brahma Temples a couple of years ago when we were
visiting Thailand - A BRAHMA temple is a rarity among Hindus in
India!); then onto visit a MOSQUE in AJMER, one of the holiest
pilgrimages for Muslims in India; from there on to UDAIPUR and
NAGADA to visit Ekalingji Hindu Temples and Jagdish Mandira
complex; from there on to MT. ABU, visiting RANAKPUR JAIN TEMPLE
enroute. At MT.ABU we will visit the Brahma Kumari's Spiritual
University/Ahram and partake in some education and meditation.
I suggest you read Khushwant Singh`s DELHI, to get a feel of
Delhi of course, and VS Naipaul`s AN AREA OF DARKNESS and A
MILLION MUTINIES, or Jonah Blank`s JOURNEY OF BLUE-SKINNED GODS
for an overview of India, though all of these are now somewhat
dated.
In Jaipur, you will be able to do the elephant ride up the
hills leading to Amber Palace - an experience not to be missed.
Fatehpur Sikri gives you an almost eerie feeling but the emptiness
of the place leaves a lot of room for imagination. Ahmedabad,
Rajkot etc are in the heart of Gujarat; you will find yourself
listening to familiar speech but when you open your mouth to
participate or respond you will find that your tongue does not
quite produce the sounds that are buzzing around in your mind!
That part of the country is where your historic roots are and so
you may feel drawn to it but for me for some reason it is always
Rajasthan that has a special affinity.
Mount Abu - a lovely hill station, and for us it had the added
pull of the Jain temples - hidden beneath solid rocks. Ranakpur
however takes the prize; its temple, with some 1440 pillars, is
most serene and solid, standing against a beautiful mountainous
setting, in the middle of a desert - definitely worth a stop. And
then UDAIPUR, a supremely elegant hilly city, with water and
greenery everywhere. For us the climax of our tour was a three
night stay at the Lake Palace Hotel - truly magnificent. However,
the most romantic and memorable part of our journey in Rajasthan
was Jesailmer - in the far west of the Thar desert, not too far
from the border with Pakistan. Here it was the living fort of the
city, with its lively markets and alleyways, bustling with people
and animals; added to this was our ride into the desert in jeeps
and on camels - to the caravan meeting point on the old silk route
- all of which brought us face to face with an insight into what
life must have been like a thousand years ago perhaps. Another
city in Rajasthan was JOdhpur - with its blue rooftops and forts
and palaces on the surrounding hills - again a beautiful sight
with a touch of class. In many of these places, the hotels we
stayed at also had VIPs, eg. President of Sri Lanka in Jesailmar,
an ex-PM of India at the Lake Palace - but with a most
uncharacteristic discreet presence.
Back to Ahmedabad - to Gandhi`s Ashram - remember the scene in
GANDHI? Rather like that, though the Sabarmati River when we saw
it was a large dried up basin - but otherwise the city is full of
reckless rickshawallahs - beware. And finally Mumbai - always
exciting, exhilarating, energizing.
Makes one envious. You will enjoy it. Part of the fun of
visiting India is the anticipation of it; preparing and planning,
remembering the sights and sounds and smells of the place - in
your case after 11 years - in our case the last time it was after
our first visit some 28 years before - but it was all so fresh.
Wish you a fabulous journey to India. I noticed that you have
Goa on your itinerary. There is much I could say on this most
beautiful state of India, GOA, but I'll keep it short. I was
absolutely fascinated with the remnants to this former Portuguese
colony, when we visited for the first time in 1996.
The Portuguese were in India for close to five hundred years,
they left behind an impressive legacy. Interestingly it was a
Gujarati sailor that guided Vasco Da Gama from Malindi to the
Indian shores. The Portuguese were in India for at least two
hundred years earlier than the British. They were also the last
colonial power to leave India. Those remnants of the Portuguese
are still evident in Goa, particularly the many old churches built
in many villages. Some these churches date four and five hundred
years, Goa was known as "Rome of the East" and
"Queen of the Orient".
A visit to old Goa is a must, visit the Basilica Bom Jesus
where the remains of St. Francis Xavier are sacred. He is the
patron saint of Goa, credited with spreading christianity to this
part of India. Although, it was the 'Inquisition of Goa' that was
large responsible for the mass conversion. The Mangloreans fled
East to avoid the act of force conversion.
Make sure you try some 'Cashew Feni", the local brew that
is absolutely unique in many respects.
If you are heading north of Panjim, try the Fort Aguada resort
for spectacular views and beaches. The sunsets in Goa are also
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