Sacred Journeys - India
In the Footsteps of the Masters - A Spiritual Pilgrimage to Ancient and
Magical India
January 24 – February 3, 2007
Pre-Tour Optional Excursion to Sri Lanka – Pilgrimage to the Garden of Eden
January 18 – 25, 2007
Past Tour
Early Booking Discount!
Book by 6 months before the tour departs, or by July 25, 2006 and save $400 per
person!
Tour Leader: Mark Amaru Pinkham is an author, researcher, popular
lecturer and teacher, and Director of The International Order of Gnostic
Templars (and the associated Mysteries of the Goddess Wisdom School and The
Seven Rays of Healing School). Mark has been involved in the practice and
teaching of Yoga and Meditation for over 25 years and has lived in ashrams in
the U.S. and India, where he traveled widely. He has also been a student and
professional practitioner of Western and Vedic (Hindu) Astrology for the past 20
years. Learn more about Mark on our About Your
Tour Leader page.
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About Your Tour Guide
Mark Amaru Pinkham is an author, researcher, popular lecturer and teacher,
and Director of The International Order of Gnostic Templars (and the associated
Mysteries of the Goddess Wisdom School and The Seven Rays of Healing School).
Mark has been involved in the practice and teaching of Yoga and Meditation for
over 25 years and has lived in ashrams in the U.S. and India, where he traveled
widely. He has also been a student and professional practitioner of Western and
Vedic (Hindu) Astrology for the past 20 years.
Throughout this spiritual pilgrimage, Mark will share leading-edge material from
his current research, as well as fascinating esoteric teachings from his books The
Return of the Serpents of Wisdom, Conversations with the Goddess,
The Truth Behind the Christ Myth, and The Guardians of the Holy Grail.
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Tour Summary
Day 1 Depart your home city
Day 2 Enroute to India
Day 3 Arrive India/To Amritapuri
Day 4 Amritapuri/Ashram stay
Day 5 Amritapuri/Ashram stay
Day 6 To Cochin/Chennai
Day 7 To Tiruvannamailai
Day 8 Tiruvannamailai/Ashram visits
Day 9 Return to Chennai
Day 10 To Varanasi
Day 11 Varanasi
Day 12 Depart India/return home
Sri Lanka Pre-Tour Excursion
Day 1 Depart your home city
Day 2 Arrive Chennai/To Colombo, Sri Lanka
Day 3 Colombo
Day 4 To Adam's Peak and Kataragama
Day 5 In Kataragama
Day 6 Return to Colombo
Day 7 Return to India
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Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Depart your home city
Depart your home city on your international flight to India. (depending on the flight schedule from your home city, you may need to depart on Tue, Jan 23)
Day 2: Arrive India/To Amritapuri (D)
Arrive Mumbai. After clearing Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs, meet our local tour representative to connect with your flight to Trivandrum. Arrive in Trivandrum and meet our local tour representative, and board your motor coach for the drive through the Indian countryside to Amritapuri. Enroute Mark will present the life story and his experiences with Mata Amritanandamayi, the fully enlightened woman saint from Kerala known by millions the world over as the Divine Mother. Lunch on your own enroute. Arrive at the ashram and check into your room; rest and free time until the evening program. Experience the divine bliss of singing bhajans led by Ammachi’s senior disciples. Dinner. Overnight Amritapuri.
Day 3: Amritapuri (B/L/D)
DAILY SCHEDULE: During the days that you are at Amritapuri you will be able to follow the daily ashram schedule; Mark will advise you of the opportunities for seva (selfless service), as well as ashram events that will involve Ammachi and her swamis and swaminis.
MEALS: Ashram meals are included in your tour package. These are traditional Indian food that is eaten by the ashram residents. There is also a Western Café where you can purchase other food if you like, at an additional expense; generally it’s very inexpensive. Mark will advise you how to buy a meal card if you prefer to at the cafe. Note that all proceeds from the profits at the café go to fund Ammachi’s many charities.
Experience the darshan of the Holy Mother, Mata Amritanandamayi, the "Hugging Saint" who showers her Unconditional Love through her darshan (spiritual blessing) of hugs. Overnight Amritapuri.
Day 4: Amritapuri (B/L/D)
Free time. You might want to take a small boat across the nearby backwaters to the traditional village of Vallickavu. Or, take a long, meditative stroll along the shore of the Arabian Sea, next to the ashram. In the evening you will attend a special all-night ceremony, Devi Bhava, during which Ammachi more fully reveals the spiritual energy and wisdom of the Divine Mother Goddess that She embodies. Receive Her spiritual blessings. Overnight Amritapuri.
Day 5: To Cochin/Chennai: Tomb of St. Thomas & Arupadi
Veedu Temple (B/D)
Depart via motor coach to the airport in Cochin. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Check in. Lunch on your own. Depart to visit the Tomb of St. Thomas, the Apostle of India, who preached and traveled the Malabar and Coromandel coasts. Mark Amaru will offer exciting information about his time in India, taken from his book The Truth Behind the Christ Myth. Continue to Arupadi Veedu Temple. This temple compound consists of a group of temples dedicated to Lord Murrugan (Sanat Kumara), who is recognized as Shiva’s son, the Christ of the present cycle of time, and the first Fisher King and Kundalini Master. Here Mark will share with the group the ancient legend of Lord Murrugan. Return to the hotel. Group Dinner. Overnight Chennai.
Day 6: To Tiruvannamalai: Ramana Maharshi Ashram (B)
Depart after breakfast to Tiruvannamalai via motor coach. Enroute Mark will share with the group the legend of sacred Arunachala Mountain in Tiruvannamalai, which is worshipped as an embodiment of Lord Shiva. He will also recount the life story of Ramana Maharshi, the Sage of Arunachala, a spiritual giant of our time who perfectly embodied the ultimate truth of Self-realization, or complete immersion in God. His highest teaching of 'Self-enquiry' was understood in the infinite silence of his presence. Through this silence, countless numbers of devotees and visitors experienced the pure bliss of True Being. Arrive and check into hotel. Lunch on your own. Visit to the magnificent Arunachala Temple in the center of the city to witness Hindu rituals performed by Brahmans just the way they were thousands of years ago. Continue to Ramana Maharshi's ashram for meditation and to visit Ramana’s Tomb. Return to the hotel. Free time. Dinner on your own. Overnight Tiruvannamalai.
Day 7: In Tiruvannamalai: Arunachala, Agasthiar Ashram, the Ashram and
Samadhi Shrine of Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the Ashram of Ma
Shivashakti (B)
Morning visit to the very ancient Skanda Ashram, where Sri Ramana lived for six years and the Virupaksha Meditation Cave where He lived for 17 years. Ample meditation time at both of these places.
Return to the hotel. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon we will visit many of the ashrams, samadhi (tomb) shrines and saints abiding in Tiruvannamalai, including the Agasthiar Ashram, the Ashram and Samadhi Shrine of Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the Ashram of Ma Shivashakti, and the various temples which line the sacred road that encircles Arunachala Mt. Dinner on your own. Try a different local restaurant tonight? Overnight Tiruvannamalai.
Day 8: Return to Chennai (B)
Depart after breakfast for the return by bus to Chennai. Lunch on your own enroute. Afternoon arrival at the hotel. Check in. Free time to explore on your own, or engage in a bit of “Retail Therapy” - SHOPPING! Whether it’s merely to meet and support the local people, to purchase birthday and holiday gifts for friends or family, or to treat yourself, you will have an immensely grand time soaking up the culture as you browse through the local artisan markets and shops. You may even become the Bargaining King or Queen of the tour! Look at what awaits you - ready-made saris and punjabis in all colors and designs. For your spiritual practice, there are a wealth of prayer shawls, malas, incense, murtis (statues) of the various Hindu deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Kali, Krishna and many, many more! Dinner on your own; try one of the many local restaurants for very tasty Indian cuisine, and possibly entertainment. Overnight Chennai.
Day 9: To Varanasi: Visit Temples, Ganges Ritual (B/D)
Morning departure to airport for flight to Varanasi. Enroute from the airport to our hotel in Varanasi Mark will share with the group the histories and legends of India’s most holy city. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon we will explore the labyrinth of temples that Varanasi is famous for. In the evening we will witness the spectacular aarti ritual to Mother Ganga, the Spirit of the Ganges, performed daily on the banks of the river. Group Dinner. Overnight Varanasi.
Day 10: In Varanasi: Ganges, Sarnath, & Baba Kinaram Aghori Ashram,
Farewell Dinner (B/D)
Early morning sunrise boat ride/meditation on the sacred Ganges, during which you will witness the daily sacred rites performed by the local yogis and sadhus. Return to hotel for breakfast.
Depart to visit Sarnath, outside the city, to walk the holy grounds where the Buddha preached his first sermon.
Return to the hotel. Lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to Baba Kinaram Aghori Ashram and meet Satguru Avadhoot Siddharth Gautam Ramji, the current lineage holder of the ancient Aghori lineage of yogis. The Aghoris are a sect of the Shiva Yogis that founded Varanasi. The Aghoris have existed since the time of the first Aghori Master, the Avatar Dattatreya, who lived many thousands of years ago. Evening “Farewell to India Dinner” at the hotel. Overnight Varanasi.
Day 11: Depart India (B)
Morning free. Depart to the airport. Arrive and transfer to day rooms at the nearby airport hotel. Free time to rest. Dinner on your own. Later evening departure to the nearby airport terminal for your international flight. Connect to your home city, arriving the same day.
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
PRE-TOUR OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO SRI LANKA
Pilgrimage to the Garden of Eden
January 18 – 25, 2007
Day 1: Depart your home city
Depart your home city on your international flight to India. (depending on the
flight schedule from your home city, you may need to depart on Thu, Jan 18)
Day 2: Arrive Chennai/To Colombo, Sri Lanka
Arrive in Sri Lanka. Meet our local tour representative and transfer to your hotel. Evening at leisure and dinner on your own. Overnight Colombo.
Day 3: In Colombo: Sightseeing Tour (B)
After breakfast, depart for your sightseeing tour of Colombo, to the busy commercial areas, as well as the tree-lined residential, Cinnamon Gardens. Visit Fort, the former British administrative center and military garrison; Sea Street - the Goldsmith's quarters in the heart of Pettah; the Bazaar area, where there is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings; the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749; the BMICH with a replica of Avukana Buddha; and Independence Square. Lunch on your own at a local restaurant. Time in the afternoon for some Retail Therapy: an exquisite tea boutique, a cashew nut shop, shops for ready made garments at Majestic City; the Lanka Ceramics Center, where you can buy Noritake china and other ceramic items; the Barefoot House of Fashion and Beverly Street garment shop. Return to the Hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight Colombo.
Day 4: To Adam’s Peak and Kataragama (B)
Depart after breakfast for your journey to Kataragama, during which you will drive past Adam's Peak, the most sacred mountain in Sri Lanka, sacred to all four major religions -Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslims and Christians. Buddhists call the mountain Sri Pada ("the sacred footprint") and say it was visited by Gautama Buddha, who placed His Footprint on top of the mountain. To Hindus, the peak is known as Shiva Adipatham, and the sacred footprint is believed to be that of Lord Shiva. Muslims insist it is the place where Adam first set foot on earth when he was expelled from the Garden of Eden. And Roman Catholics say the footprint impressed in the boulder at the summit is that of St. Thomas, the early Christian apostle who preached in South India. Lunch on your own. Continue to Kataragama; check in at the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight Kataragama.
Day 5: In Kataragama: Puja Ceremony (B)
After breakfast, you have free time to explore on your own. Kataragama is a place of worship not only for Hindus, but for Buddhists, Muslims and some Christians as well. For Hindus it is the supreme city of the diety known as Skanda, or Murrugan, the Peacock Angel. The highlight of the day will be the Puja Ceremony to Lord Murrugan. Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight Kataragama.
Day 6: Return to Colombo (B)
After breakfast you transfer back to Colombo. Free time for any individual exploration and/or last minute shopping. Lunch and Dinner on your own. Overnight Colombo.
Day 7: Return to India – India Tour Begins (B)
After breakfast you transfer to the airport for your flight to Mumbai. Join the group for the beginning of the India tour.
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
Tour Inclusions and Price
Your Journey Includes:
Airport/hotel roundtrip transfers
Flights in India
Private air-conditioned tour buses
Hotels, double occupancy, with A/C & private bath
Service charges at hotels
Daily breakfast; other meals per itinerary (vegetarian available)
Ashram accommodations and meals at Amritapuri
English-speaking Guides
Sightseeing as per itinerary, with entrance fees
Pre-Paid Gratuities (quoted separately below)
Special Added Features:
Travel with Speaker Mark Amaru Pinkham and other spirit-minded people
Hatha Yoga, Meditation Instruction, and Sanskrit chanting with Mark Pinkham
Special Lectures on the Yoga Masters and Philosophy
Participation in special rituals and ceremonies
Three days at Amritapuri ashram on the Arabian Sea
Special Welcome and Farewell Dinners
Tour Does Not Include:
International Airfare/departure taxes (ask us for a quote from your home city)
Cancellation & Medical Insurance (as us for a quote)
Meals not included, as indicated on the itinerary
Cost to obtain valid passport and Visa for India
Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks and phone calls.
Any item that is not specifically detailed on our website or in the final itinerary
Tour Price
Tour Price Per Person (Land Only)
USD $2899.00 if you book
before Jul 25
USD $3299.00 for bookings after Jul 25
Single Supplement USD $575.00
Prepaid Gratuities USD $100.00 per person.
Pre-Tour Excursion to Sri Lanka
USD $475.00 Roundtrip airfare Chennai/Colombo
USD $375.00 Land Package, per person, double occupancy
Early Booking Discount!
Book by 6 months before the tour departs, or by July 25, 2006 and save $400 per person!
Note: Pre-paid gratuities to cover guides, drivers, waiters, baggage
handling, etc. Your Tour Escort will carry and disburse these funds so that you
can relax and enjoy your trip, knowing that everyone assisting you is being
taken care of properly.
Note: The single supplement is ONLY for those who would like to secure a
private room throughout the tour, at the indicated additional price. If you are
not traveling with anyone you know and would like to share a room, we will be
happy to work to find you a suitable roommate. Per our Terms and Conditions,
registration for the tour will be held open until two weeks before the departure
date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have
not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to
pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this
process.
Sacred Earth Journeys, Ste 220 - 133 E. 8th Ave. Vancouver,
B.C. V5T 1R8 Canada
Tel: (604) 874-7922, Toll Free 1-877-874-7922 www.sacredearthjourneys.ca