Itinerary

February 4th – February 17th, 2019

note: flights should be made to arrive in Chennai no later than 9 am Monday morning, Feb 4 and to leave no earlier than 5 pm on Sunday, Feb 17. 

Our shared pilgrimage begins at noon on a Monday. However, we highly recommend that — if possible — participants give themselves time to adjust by arriving in India up to three days prior.

The closest International Airport is Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Included lodging begins at check into our resort in Mamalapuram on Monday morning.  For people arriving in Chennai, in the early morning hours of that Monday, we suggest you confirm a hotel reservation near the airport in Chennai. Transportation will be provided from a central location in Chennai to the resort on Monday at 10am in the form of a single group trip. Participants wishing to take advantage of this offer will have to meet at a single central location to be decided by the organizers, based on students needing transportation from Chennai.

Day 1: Monday

-Our tour, officially,  starts at noon on Monday when we will meet to discuss our travels and plans for the next day. We will share a centering meditation to ground and relax following travel. The rest of Monday will be a day of rest and relaxation. We will try to be out on the beaches in the sun to get our biological clocks to adjust to the new cycle.

-Meals: Lunch

–Overnight in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu,India

 

Day 2: Tuesday

-Mahabalipuram After breakfast, we will leave the hotel to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site monuments in Mahabalipuram that were built in the 7th Century AD. At Arjuna’s Penance nothing can prepare you for the wonderful bas-reliefs covering two huge boulders. The exquisite detail, dating from the 7th century, depicts the flow of the Ganges down from the Himalayan mountains as well as scenes from Indian daily life. The Five Rathas shrines are carved whole from an outcrop of rock. Each of the five temples is dedicated to heroes from the great epic of the Mahabharata. We will spend time admiring the detail of the carvings which include gods, humans and elephants and wonder why the temples are incomplete and were never consecrated. We will also visit the Shore Temple which and its delightful seaside location, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, with landscaped gardens, a popular place for the locals to visit. Dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva, the decorative beauty of the temple, built in Dravidian style, has suffered erosion by its proximity to the sea. Late afternoon, we will visit children at a local orphanage, bringing simple toys, food and school supplies. Evening is free for you to relax at the beaches or explore on your own.

-Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

–Overnight in Mahabalipuram    

 

Day 3: Wednesday

-Mahabalipuram temples and relaxation

-Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

–Overnight in Mahabalipuram

 

Day 4: Thursday

-Leave for Pondicherry After breakfast at 8 we will go out to explore Pondicherry. Pondicherry was designed based on the French grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The town is divided into two sections: the French Quarter and the Indian quarter. Many streets still retain their French names, and French style villas are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. Afternoon/evening in Pondicherry

-Meals: Breakfast & lunch

–Overnight in Pondicherry

 

Day 5:  Friday

-After Breakfast at 7 we will drive to Chidambaram at 8 in the morning to visit the famous Nataraja (Dancing Shiva) temple. There are references to this temple in literature from over 2000 years back. Around 11 we will head to visit the 1000 year old Airateeswara temple. After lunch we will head for Tanjore to visit the Brahadeeswara temple that was completed in 1035 and is another UNESCO World Heritage site. We will then head to Trichy arriving in the evening.

-Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

-Overnight in Trichy  

 

Day 6: Saturday

-Visit the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, the largest functional temple complex in the world. From there we will head to the Brahmaputreswara temple which houses the maha samadhi of Patanjali. In the evening we will visit the Rockfort for a view of the city at night.

-Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

-Overnight in Trichy  

 

Day 7: Sunday

-Travel to Isha Ashram

-Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

–Overnight at Isha Ashram

 

Day 8: Monday

-Isha Ashram

-Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

–Overnight at Isha Ashram.  

 

Day 9: Tuesday

-Isha Ashram

-Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

–Overnight at Isha Ashram.  

 

Day 10: Wednesday

-Travel over the Western Ghats to Fort Kochi.

-Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

–Overnight in Fort Kochi

 

Day 11: Thursday

-Ernakulum – Ayurvedic Readings

–Overnight in Fort Kochi

 

Day 12: Friday

-Explore Fort Kochi

–Overnight in Fort Kochi 

Day 13: Saturday

-Exploring the backwaters of Kerala – On traditional houseboats

-Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

–Overnight on the water!

 

Day 14: Sunday

-Fly out of Kochi

 

Your Guides

-Molly is an experienced traveler to India. She is not only an incredibly knowledgeable spiritual guide in matters of raja and bhakti yoga, she is deeply steeped in comparative mysticism and an extensive world traveler who has led hundreds of students on unforgettable spiritual journeys both near and far.

Molly will make sure that you are cared for and lovingly contained. Her morning yoga classes, kirtans, spontaneous discussions and ability to connect instantly and meaningfully with all kinds of people will keep you steady, uplifted, inspired and joyous in what can be a challenging journey.

 

-Sasha has been an avid traveler for decades. Living in the Netherlands, Mexico, Costa Rica and Goa for extended periods of time, as well as roaming all the spaces in between, has stoked the fires of wonder and awe at all the amazing and sublime people, places and cultures in this world. Always one to really delve into a place and its inhabitants, in all the wonder or weirdness it and they may hold, Sasha gets to the heart of “being here now.” He loves sharing adventures with other willing souls, and is here to help make your journey smooth, comfortable and as full as possible.

Molly and Sasha enjoy relationships with many folks in India developed over years of previous journey, making the experience an intimate one that allows for access to places and people not usually accessible to many travelers.

 

 

Costs and Policies 

 

This journey is limited to a maximum of 12 people, so please secure your spot as soon as you can.

As detailed below, you can secure your spot with a non-refundable $250 deposit. However, you will lose your spot if you do not pay in full by December 4, 2018. For early registration discount pricing, you must pay in full by Oct 4, 2018.

 

Payment

Included: Full payment includes accommodations, some meals, daily optional yoga/meditation/dharma talk gathering and arranged excursions.

NOT included: Payment does NOT include airfare or transportation to or from India

You can pay online or save $100 by paying with a check. See the “Register Now!” tab for more details.

Doubles are available to couples, friends and family members coming as a “unit.” Some doubles are available for solo travelers wishing to save costs by doubling up. In this case, please mark that you would like a double, and we will try to place you with another solo traveler. Before the trip, we will facilitate a discussion about expectations, privacy, sleeping, etc. to make sure that you both feel you have made a good choice. Accommodations are very difficult to change once we have arrived in India. Should one part of the double wish to move to a single room (based on availability) they will have to pay the cost of the change for both themselves and their roommate.

 

Refund Policy