India Pilgrimage 2009

May 4th - Chennai

After breakfast, excursion to Kanchipuram to meet (if available) Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswati (head Shankaracharya) or Sri Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, of Kanchi Math. Both of them met with us in 2007.

At 10:30 am, we will attend the daily Shiva Puja done by Sri Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, using a 2500-old lingham and a crystal Sri Chakra Meru, which belonged to Adi (the First) Shankarya. After the puja, we will go to Vedal to see the Photo Gallery of Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamigal, the late 68th Shankaracharya, and also of Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswati and Sri Sri Vijayendra Saraswati. There we will also see information on the entire lineage of Shankaracharyas to date. Nearby is a display of animated tableaux of the great stories of the Bhavatham, including the lives of Rama and Krishna, Adi Shankara, and saints. We will also visit the library at the university of the Math which is preserving the scriptures written on palm leaves in Sanskrit and various local languages. They are being preserved very scrupulously and also scanned into the library website for use by scholars around the world. It was amazing to see and touch them in December 2008!

We did Shiva Puja to Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswati and met again with Sri Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, who had met with us in 2005. It was a tremendous experience for all experiencing their great love, compassion and spiritual power. If one or both of them agree(s) to see us on this trip, we do the Shiva Puja again, sing Kirtan and then receive his/their blessings. This will probably be in the afternoon. Also visit the famous Kamakshi temple near to the Math and a historic Palava Dynasty temple nearby. There will be malas and other items available for purchase in the math.

May 5th - Chennai-Bangalore

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from hotel to the airport in time for:
Leave: Chennai at 1110 hours by 9W-445
Arrive: Bangalore at 1155 hours
Reception upon arrival at the airport and transfer to HOTEL ROYAL ORCHID CENTRAL **** OR SIMILAR.

Bangalore: India's "garden city". As capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore is a delightful mix of the traditional and modern. Housing many fascinating legacies of richly carved temples, imposing mosques and trappings of a royal past. Bangalore today is a major industrial and commercial center and, is also well known for being the "Silicon Valley" of India because of the concentration of major IT companies here.

Lunch at the hotel.

Afternoon visit to the Bangalore Ramakrishna Center, the Naga Shiva Temple and later to the spectacular Hanuman Temple with a 25 foot tall black stone relief of Hanuman. Our tour Manager Kirit Pandya will chant his beautiful rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa. We will also make offerings at the evening arati.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 6th - Bangalore

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to Vishwa Shanti Ashram outside Bangalore. Here everyone will have the rare opportunity to offer puja to a 30 foot murti of Vijaya Vittala (The victorious avatar of Panduranga - Krishna). There are also beautiful temples on the grounds for Durga, Gayatri, and a huge Bhagavad Gita Temple with the entire Gita carved on brass plates in four languages around the hall and a 35 foot tall murti of the universal form of Maha Vishnu. In front of the Vishnu and Gayatri Temples is a huge chariot and horses carrying Krishna and Arjuna.
Lunch at the Ashram. Dinner & overnight at the Hotel.

May 7th -

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer from hotel to the airport in time for:
Leave: Bangalore at 1130 hours by 9W-445
Arrive: Pune at 1250 hours
Reception upon arrival at the airport and transfer to HOTEL SAGAR PLAZA OR SIMILAR.

Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon visit 2 Ganesh Temples.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE GANESHA PILGRIMAGE:
The Ashta (8) Vinayaka Temples Pilgrimage and Darshan. Each of the eight Ganesha shrines visited over the next several days celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with lore and legends. It is said that one must be blessed by Ganesha to even feel a desire to perform a pilgrimage to one or all of these shrines. Together they form a mandala of the sacred cosmos of Ganesha, providing a symbolic expression of his cosmic form on the Earth Plane. The formless omnipresent One is represented so that we may relate to and propitiate divinity, both within and without. If one visits all of the shrines on a single pilgrimage, one is said to have done a circumnambulation of the Divine, participating in the cosmic dance of the universe. The blessings of such a pilgrimage are so immense that words cannot properly convey them.

Sri Varada Vinayaka Temple of Mahad -
From the blessings of Sage Narada, (this is a huge convoluted drama) the shunned Gritsamada had the Darshan of Ganesha and became healed of leprosy. This temple is erected to Varada Vinayaka, who bestows boons.

Sri Balla Leshvara Vinayaka Temple of Pali -
A group of young boys became spontaneously devoted to Ganesha. Going to the forest they forgot family, location and time of day as they worshipped Ganesha. The father of one of the boys was summoned and after searching eventually found them. His rage at the elder boy resulted in a beating and a curse. The boy prayed to Ganesha and received his darshan. Through little Ballal's prayer, Ganesha agreed that those who come to him there will have their miseries removed.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 8th - Pune

Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch enroute.
Full day excursion to Pandharpur to the Panduranga & Rukmini Murtis that blessed Pundalika, Namadeva, Tukaram places and a host of other saints and sages. He appeared to each of them, blessed them in multiple ways and conveyed the highest spiritual blessings. These Panduranga & Rukmini Murtis are said to be a huge radiation point for spiritual energy during this spiritual winter (Kali Yuga) that began over 5,000 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people visit here every year to obtain blessings. We will chant sacred songs to Panduranga-Rukmini composed by Sadguru Sant Keshavadas.

Also visit Tukaram Place in Dehu (30 kms from Pune) is an age-old town on the river Indrayani. The famous poet-saint Tukaram was born and brought up in Dehu. Abhang Gatha, his eternal creation has a proud place in Marathi literature. The old temples of Shiva and Vishnu, Tukaram Vrindavan -- the birth place of Saint Tukaram are places to see.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 9th - Pune

Breakfast at the hotel.
Ashtaka (Eight) Ganesha/ Ganapati Temples Darshan Continues

Lunch enroute.
Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Temple at Siddhatekh. When Lord Vishnu could not defeat two powerful demons, he prayed to Lord Shiva who instructed him to propitiate Lord Ganesha with the mantra Om Sri Ganeshaya Namaha. Maha Vishnu chanted the mantra and was blessed by Ganesha for one hundred years. This aspect is called Siddhi Vinayaka, a form of Ganesha powerfully aiding humanity during this spiritual winter (Kali Yuga). This temple is a place where one can attain the Siddhi (power/perfection) of Lord Ganapati leading to spiritual and material success and eventual perfection. We will also chant together the great and powerful mantra of Ganesha to banish and conquer any evil.

Sri Chintamani Vinakaya Temple at Theur. When Sage Kapila's wish-fulfilling gem, the Chintamani, was stolen by Prince Gana, Ganesha's spouse Siddhi Devi appeared to protect the sage. Ganesha then warned the prince in a dream causing Prince Gana to proceed to destroy Sage Kapila. The divinely protected sage, tired of worldly struggle, asked Ganesha to remain in that place to bless those who come. Ganesha agreed and took the name of the stone as one of his own. We will offer our prayers to the wish-fulfilling aspect of Ganesha here.

Sri Mayueshvara Temple at Morgoan Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi and Surya meditated here to discover who created them. A flame emerged from their meditations that took the form of Ganesha. This is also the place that Brahma was overcome with desire, starting a drama that ended with creation of the Turiya Tirtha River also called the Karha River. Turiya is the Sanskrit term for the highest state of consciousness. Birth of the demon Sindhu (from the Ganesha Purana) led to the incarnation of Gunesha, who rode a peacock is his vehicle. The story of Sindhu and Gunesha will be recounted as part of this trip. We pray and meditate here to attain the Turiya state of consciousness by the grace of God.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 10th - Pune

Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch en route.

Sri Girijamata Vinayaka at Lenyadri "O Ganesha, you dwell in the secret cave, located high above the realm of sense pleasures, which gives divine delight to those who enter therein. You are the lord of the mountain. You are the destroyer of the eight inner demons. Thus I meditate on you, Guru of gurus." This cave is where Parvati did twelve years of discipline to prepare and invoke an incarnation of Ganesha. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana and the Ganesha Purana give variations of this story. To reach this temple on must climb 283 steep steps out the mountain face to a dark temple where Ganesha's murti resides. Beside Ganesha's murti are murthis of Shiva and Hanuman. If you are a spiritual teacher or serve God through humanity in some way, the blessings of this temple are a must for you.

Sri Vighneshvara Temple at Ojhar. The demon Vighna created havoc for all, preventing puja, yajna and other forms of divine sacrifice. When Ganesha was invoked by the celestials, Vighna discovered that he could not defeat Ganesha. He surrendered and asked that his name - Vighna - be taken by Ganesha. Agreeing, the Vighna Raja form of Ganesha came into being with the understanding that remembering or chanting Ganesha's name would remove any obstacles to the beginning activity or enterprise.

Sri Maha Ganapati Temple at Ranjangaon. Here Lord Ganesha appeared to Lord Shiva and gave him a mantra to defeat the seemingly unconquerable demon Tripura. Then Ganesha conveyed to 1,000 names of Ganesha (Ganesha Sahasranama) which we will chant here if possible. We will definitely perform the Ganesha Sahasranama Fire Ceremony in the Himalayas later on this pilgrimage. Ganesha told Shiva that by chanting the 1,000 names one will attain victory in any endeavor, have all obstacles removed and achieve whatever is desired. We will also chant a Ganesha Gayatri Mantra, here, to achieve enlightenment even in this age of darkness.

Also visit Jnaneshwar Cave in Alandi, a town 25 kilometres from Pune, in the Pune District of Maharashtra, is a revered pilgrimage site for a number of reasons, but foremost is the fact of it being the home of the 13th-century Maharashtran saint, Sant Jnaneshwar (Jnanadev).

Dattatreya's temple - Dattatreya is considered by Hindus to be God who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya."

DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 11th - Pune

Breakfast at the hotel.
Day free for Ayurvedic Treatments (at own cost to be paid directly by the clients)

Lunch & dinner at the hotel.
Evening visit Jnaneshwar Temple
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

May 12 - Pune-Delhi -

Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning free for Ayurvedic Treatments (at own cost to be paid directly by the clients.)
Lunch at the hotel

After lunch transfer from hotel to the airport in time for:
Leave: Pune at 1430 hours by IT-803
Arrive: Delhi at 1950 hours
Reception upon arrival at the airport and transfer to HOTEL THE CONNAUGHT **** OR SIMILAR.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.