Select Page

In the Footsteps of Autobiography of a Yogi

Rishikesh, Varanasi, Calcutta and Puri.

‘A real pilgrimage which will take us closer to our inner Light.’

DATES TO BE DEFINED

This tour ‘In the Footsteps of the Autobiography of a Yogi’ is more than a simple voyage through India, but a real pilgrimage – a journey which brings us together towards the light. Pilgrimages offer the opportunity to release old and outdated viewpoints, to discover new perspectives, like a fresh and inspiring wind which fills the wings of our life. They can transform us at a very deep level and have an important impact on how we live our lives.

This pilgrimage will be especially profound as we follow the main places of the Autobiography and visit many sacred places and enjoy satsang with living saints. Together, we’ll absorb the luminous vibrations and support our journey with chanting, praying, meditating and listening to the fascinating stories.

We will open our hearts, enjoying our friendship and recharging our spiritual batteries in one of the most blessed places on earth!

Arrival in Delhi around 2:30 am and depart soon to Rishikesh

Rishikesh

(Vasundhara Palace Hotel)

At the feet of the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges river, Rishikesh is blessed with the holy atmosphere of many ashrams, saints and sadhus. We will meditate along the Ganges and in various ashrams and caves, including the powerful Vashistha Guha, whose intense inner stillness has attracted saints and sages for more than 5,000 years. We will meditate in Swami Sivananda’s kutir and on the ghat where he meditated for hours each morning and visit his tomb at the Divine Life Society. There will be free time for walking, shopping and meditating on your own.

Haridwar

The ‘Gateway to the Gods’, this holy city is the gateway for pilgrims to the higher Himalayas, and stands on the right bank of the Ganges at the foot of the Shivalik mountains. It was known as Mayapuri in ancient days and has been a sacred place of pilgrimage from time immemorial. It is one of the four pilgrim centres in India where the Kumbha Mela is held every twelve years. We will visit the tomb of Anandamoyi Ma and have lunch along the banks of the Ganges.

Varanasi 

(Hotel Haveli)

Varanasi is blessed by the holy river Ganges, along whose banks 80 bathing ghats can be found, where residents and pilgrims come for their daily devotions. All of India’s great saints, including Sankaracharya, Buddha and Babaji have lived here. This is where Yoganandaji saw his guru, Sri Yukteswar, for the first time, and where Lahiri Mahasaya lived and taught Kriya Yoga to thousands of devotees. Our hotel is right on the Ganges, which permits us to easily meditate and walk along the ghats. We will visit the ashrams of Lahiri Mahasaya, Ananda Moyi Ma, Trailanga Swami, Dasashvamedh Ghat where Babaji appeared, as well as Sarnath, the birthplace of Buddhism. Varanasi is also known for its elegant silk fabrics, and we will have time to visit and enjoy the colourful markets.

Calcutta

(Hotel Kenilworth)

This is the highlight of our pilgrimage, where we will visit Yogananda’s family home on numerous occassions; the home where he spent his early years of spiritual seeking. In his small attic meditation room Yogananda had visions of the Divine Mother and Lord Krishna. We will be permitted to meditate on this very spot. Yogananda’s father and Sri Yukteswar were brother disciples, and Sri Yukteswar regularly came to this house to meditate with the family. Before Yogananda’s departure for the United States, Babaji came to bless him at the doorway to his room, which is now reserved as a shrine for silent meditation. We will visit Serampore, 40 km. outside of Calcutta, where Yogananda went almost every day for ten years to be with his guru, Sri Yukteswar. We will chant and meditate under the banyan tree where Babaji appeared to bless Sri Yukteswar upon the completion of his book, The Holy Science; meditate in the very room where these two great souls met and where Yogananda often slept; we will visit Sri Yukteswar’s first ashram, founded in Serampore in 1900 by his disciple Sri Motilala Thakur, and visit the Serampore branch of Yogananda’s family – the descendants of his brother, Ananta Lal Ghosh. Calcutta is also the home of Mother Teresa’s charitable work and we will visit her tomb and orphanage. We will go to the famous Kali temple in Dakshineshwar, where Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the great Bengali saint of the 19th century, lived and worshipped the Goddess who came alive for Yogananda and enabled him to convert his skeptical brother-in-law. There will be ample time to shop for Indian clothes and gifts.

Puri 

(Hotel Coco Palms)

Puri is one the four principal pilgrimage sites of Hinduism, home to the Jaganath Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is also the place where Sri Yukteswar established his seaside ashram facing the Indian Ocean where Yogananda spent his school holidays. The humorous ‘cauliflower robbery’ incident in Autobiography of a Yogi took place in this ashram. In later years, when Yogananda returned to India in 1935 he visited Sri Yukteswar here, where the ‘tiger of Bengal’ left his body in 1936. Yogananda buried his beloved guru on the ashram grounds and constructed his mahasamadhi mandir on that spot where we will meditate each day. There will be optional excursions to see the art and architecture of Orissa, along with some charitable works supported by Ananda. This part of our pilgrimage will serve as quiet time to relax on the beach, recharge and absorb our experiences.

Flight for Delhi and departure

All of the hotels, restaurants and menus have been personally inspected and approved by Ananda. We will be staying in very fine hotels with Indian charm. In New Delhi we will be staying at a simpler guest-house near the Ananda Ashram. Buffet-style breakfasts and dinners include a wide variety of Indian, Western, and Asian dishes.

Fees are given for double occupancy with single rooms available for an additional supplement. If you do not have a roommate we will try to connect you with another single pilgrim. However, we cannot guarantee a double occupancy fee: if a roommate cannot be found, or if you choose not to stay with the roommate available, your fee will be for single occupancy.

Jayadev and Sahaja will be your main guides during this pilgrimage. They are longtime members of the Ananda community, teachers and spiritual counsellors. They are also very experienced in travelling in India. As with every year, we will be accompanied by our Indian guides from the Discover Tours Agency. The Indian guides will speak English but there will be always Italian translation provided.

The following fees are a close approximation, based on the information we have at hand. Due to possible fluctuations in the exchange rate (based on €1 = Rs80) and in the cost of oil, which affect costs of flights and other transportation, as well as hotel accommodations, these fees might change slightly.

Rishikesh, Varanasi, Calcutta  (February 7th – 23rd, the pilgrimage ends in Delhi):
Double occupancy: about € 2195; Single room supplement: about € 625

Rishikesh, Varanasi, Kolkata and Puri  (February 7th – 27th, the pilgrimage ends in Delhi):
Double occupancy: about € 2695
Single room supplement: about € 900

If you do not have a roommate we will try to connect you with another single pilgrim. However we cannot guarantee a double occupancy fee. If a roommate cannot be found, or if you choose not to stay with the roommate available, your fee will be for single occupancy.

Payments

50% of the total amount is due by 2019 November 30th. Payment balance is due by 2019 December 20th. Please contact us for banking information.

Il contributo di partecipazione comprende:

  • vitto e alloggio a mezza pensione (2 pasti al giorno);
  • tutti i trasporti sul territorio indiano in aereo, autobus privato;
  • l’assicurazione medica e per gli infortuni (valida esclusivamente sul territorio indiano);
  • l’acqua in bottiglia;
  • le mance per i facchini e gli autisti degli autobus, ecc.;
  • le guide di Ananda e le guide indiane;
  • i programmi culturali e spirituali.

Il contributo di partecipazione non comprende:

  • Il volo internazionale;
  • Il costo del visto;
  • i pasti e le bevande extra;
  • le donazioni agli ashram, templi, organizzazioni caritatevoli ecc.;
  • le mance extra ai taxi e ai rickshaw;
  • i viaggi personali con taxi e rickshaw;
  • le spese personali come la lavanderia, le telefonate, internet, ecc.;
  • l’assicurazione di annullamento viaggio (consigliata) medica aggiuntiva
  • le mance per servizi eccezionali (guide indiane, autisti, ecc.)
If you wish to travel with the Ananda group there will be flights available from Rome and Milan to Delhi with return from Calcutta (or with return from Delhi on the Puri option). If you wish to participate in the group flight please let us know

Registration

If you would like more information contact us at india@ananda.it or contact Arjuna on  +39 393 9650534

PRICE AND REGISTRATION

Learn more about the price and registration for this pilgrimage. 

ASK FOR INFORMATION

Ask for more information on this pilgrimage.

EXTRA INFORMATION

On pilgrimage with Ananda in India

A short introductory video of this pilgrimage with Jayadev and Sahaja.

Ananda Pilgrimage in 2018
We invite to watch also this video-slideshow from a pilgrimage a few years back. 

OTHER TOURS

INDIA, SPAIN, ITALY, THE HOLY LAND, ...

Explore all of our pilgrimages and journeys around the world!


Travel with Ananda

CONTACT US

For more information about our pilgrimages, call:
Arjuna +39 393 9650534 or Gopala +39 328 9033995

or write to us on:

Ask for more information

To sign up or for further information please fill out the contact form below:



I authorize the treatment of my personal data according to the privacy policy *

Travel with us on Facebook

Find updated information of our recent pilgrimages on our Facebook page 'In viaggio con Ananda' with pictures, reviews, videos and news!

Technical Organisation

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This