KRIYA YOGA PILGRIMAGE TO SOUTH INDIA

December 31, 2010 to January 17, 2011

with M. G. Satchidananda and Durga Ahlund

Friday December 31: Depart Montreal and fly to Frankfort, on Lufthansa Airlines, then onto Chennai, India. Or, if leaving from Europe, depart January 1, 2011.

Sunday January 2 early a.m. arrive in Chennai: Sunday morning: arrive in Chennai (Madras), south India. Stay at the 4 star Hotel Shelter in Mylapore. Rest till the late afternoon then visit the nearby Ramakrishna Monastery and meditation hall established by Swami Vivekananda.. Also visit Kapaleeswarar Shiva Temple in Mylapore where Saint Thirugnana-sambandar resurrected a young girl by singing a devotional hymn. This area is known to be the prior residence of Thiruvallavar, a disciple of Agastyar, and who authored the widely read and translated Tamil text named Thirukkural. Mylapore takes it's name from the Tamil word for peacock, mayil, as Parvati, in one of her incarnations, lived here as a peacock.

Monday January 3: Travel to Pondicherry, until recently a French colony. In ancient times it was known as Vedapuri, as Agastyar established it as an educational center. Sri Aurobindo came here seeking asylum from the British and established the Aurobindo Ashram. Stay at the Hotel Ananda Inn.

Tuesday January 4: Visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram and samadhi shrine where Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are laid to rest. In the morning visit and meditate in the upstairs rooms where the Mother and Sri Aurobindo lived in seclusion for many years.

Wednesday January 5: Visit the Chidambaram temple of Nataraja (Dancing Shiva). Participate in a special puja conducted especially for us.

Thursday January 6: Visit Auroville. Meditate in the Matri Mandir dome.

Friday January 7: Travel to Tiruvannamalai. Stay 4 nights at the new deluxe Hotel Arunai Anantha. Visit Ramana Maharshi Ashram.

Saturday January 8: Visit Ramana Maharshi Ashram at the base of the mountain of Arunachala and the small hall where Ramana spent many years absorbed in Samadhi. Evening visit to the Tiruvannamalai Shiva temple. This region was sanctified by Shepherd Siddha Idai Kadar who resided here and herded his goats and cows around the mountain. In the evening worship in the Arunachalaswarar Temple where Idai kadar experienced Svarupa Samadhi and Arunagirinathar, a disciple of Agastyar, composed many beautiful songs to Lord Murugan.

Sunday January 9: Ascend Arunachala mountain and explore the ancient meditation cave, Virupaksha Cave, named after a rishi whose body is enshrined within the cave. Meditate at Skanda Ashram where Ramana Maharshi lived for six years. Skanda Ashram was constructed by Kandaswami, a devoted disciple of Ramana. Practice sadhana in the caves.

Monday January 10: Go around the mountain or climb to the summit.

Tuesday January 11: Travel to Tanjore. In the afternoon, visit the Britheeswar temple, dedicated to Shiva, with the tallest temple tower in Asia. Meditate at the shrine of the Siddhar Karuvoorar. Stay one night at Hotel Oriental Towers.

Wednesday January 12: Travel 216 km (130 miles) to Palani. Visit the Palani Murugan shrine for darshan of Lord Dandaswamy, after climbing the 1,008 steps to the top of the hill. Meditate in the Samadhi shrine of Siddhar Boganathar. Visit the ashram of Boganathar’s disciple Pulapani. Boganathar was the guru of Babaji, and he established this temple and Samadhi shrine.

Thursday January 13: Sadhana in Palani Visit the Pulapani ashram, founded by the disciple of Boganathar.

Friday January 14: Travel to Coimbatore and stay at Isha Yoga Ashram for 2 nights. Founded by Satguru Jaggi Vasudev. Visit the unique Dhyana Mandir constructed without cement, do group sadhana and participate in the activities of the ashram.

Saturday January 15: Sadhana at the Isha Yoga Ashram.

Sunday January 16: Travel to Mysore. Stay at a 4 star hotel. Visit the ashram of Sri Ganapathy Satchidananda and the Mysore Palace. Local shopping.

Monday January 17 late morning travel to Bangalore: Pilgrimage ends about 3 pm at the Bangalore airport. Departure to international destinations via Bangalore/Chennai as required. Or stay in Bangalore and visit Kriya Yoga Ashram in Bangalore.

The total cost of the proposed pilgrimage from December 31, 2010 to January 17, 2011 will be CAD$4 500 or US$4,250, up slightly in US$ because of the loss in value of the US dollar, as well as the increase in airfare and fuel cost.. This includes the cost of air and ground transportation and accommodations according to the above itinerary starting in Montreal or in New York City, JFK airport, as well as the flights inside India, and ayurvedic consultation and some therapy or rejuvenation treatments. It does not include the cost of airfare to and from Montreal or NYC. You should make your reservations and purchase your tickets for the connecting flights in Montreal yourself or by contacting our travel agent Nick De Mello, at "Voyages Le Passage” in Toronto at 1-877-279-3920 or 905-279-3920, fax: 905-272-1717, email: aerotours@on.aibn.com (where he usually is) or in Montreal, telephone 1-888-359-2203 or 450-861-5617 or fax 514-861-0267. He can get you cheaper fares.

As we have found that most persons vary in their meal preferences, it does not include most of your meals, which will probably average less than $10 per day. It does not include the fees for obtaining a visa for India. Participants must apply for a visa at the High Commissioner in the capital of respective country. Or, they may obtain the application forms from Nick at "Voyages Le Passage" then return them to him with their passport and two passport size photos and $30.

Those persons who desire to stay longer than January 17, 2009, please let us know and we will have your ticket issued open-ended, unless you specify the date you wish to leave Chennai, in which case we will make your reservations. You may also make arrangements to return for a stay near our ashram in Bangalore.

Persons living inside or outside North America who wish to be a part of this pilgrimage and who wish to make their own plane reservations between their home and Chennai India, may deduct the amount of the airfare between Montreal or NYC and Chennai, which is about US$2, 000, The net cost in that case would be US$4250–2,000 = US$2,250 or its equivalent, for example in Euros: 1, 650€ or CAD$4,500 -2,000 = CAD$2,500. So persons travelling from Europe, who reserve and pay for their own plane tickets, must pay 1, 650€ for the tour to Kriya Yoga Publications. They may meet us in Chennai on the morning of Sunday January 2, 2011 at the Hotel Shelter.

RESERVATIONS

To reserve your place send a letter, fax or email to M. G. Satchidananda at 196 Mountain Road, P.O. Box 90, Eastman, Quebec, Canada J0E 1P0, telephone 450-297-0258 fax 450-297-3957, email : satchidananda@babajiskriyayoga.net, and as soon as possible a deposit of US$400 or CAD$425, or 300€ which you can also pay with your VISA or MasterCard or AMEX card. All checks should be payable to "Babaji's Kriya Yoga", and sent to our Eastman address by check. Or visit our website and go to "Enroll in activity" and pay using your VISA or MasterCard or Amex. In Europe, you may make your payment to "Marshall Govindan" in a transfer to Deutsche Bank, International, BLZ 50070024, account no. 0723106, re. IBAN DE09500700240072310600, BIC/Swift code DEUTDEDBFRA. We must receive the balance of the cost by December 1, 2010. If you require flight insurance, and you are Canadian, you may contact Nick at 1-888-359-2203.