RETREAT WITH SANTHI
AT THE BANKS OF GANGES AND IN THE GRANDEUR OF THE HIMALAYAS
17 DAYS FROM AUGUST 21 TO SEPTEMBER 6, 2003.
School of Santhi has been conducting this retreat every year since 1998. The retreat offers the possibility to be in close proximity with Master Santhiprasad and travel together with him to ancient spiritual centers in the upper Himalayas.
The retreat starts with a purifying bath - ‘sankalpa snan’ - in the holy waters of the Ganges. After bath the participants will go to Mahim Kutir, a beautiful ashram on the banks of The Ganges at Swargashram in Rishikesh where they will be initiated into meditation.
There will be yoga asana, pranayama and meditation sessions besides talks on Kundalini yoga, Swara yoga and Raja yoga for three days.
TRAVEL AND TREKKING
The group will travel with the Master to Gangotri and trek 19 km to Gomugh, the source of the Ganges. Then we cross the lofty mountains towards Badrinath situated at an altitude of 3130 m. From there we proceed to Kedarnath, which is also one of the ancient spiritual centres located at an altitude of 3580 m. The group will also visit Jyothir Matt, Vasishta Guha, Sri Neelakant and Hardwar.
HARDWAR
Hardwar is the doorway to ancient pilgrim centres in The Himalayas and a place of ashrams and temples. The Manasa Devi temple at the hilltop is beautiful. It is amazing to see thousands of oil lamps with flowers offered by the pilgrims glittering and floating in the waves of The Ganges at sunset.
RISHIKESH
The city of Rishikesh is crowded and polluted. But 2 km inside, towards the mountains, is the serene abode of Indian spirituality. This place is called RamJhula. Not more than an hour walking through the banks of the Ganges will take you to LaksmanJhula. There are innumerable ashrams, big and small, spread over the banks of the Ganges. Here one can feel the sound of the rolling waters of The Ganges harmonizing with the spiritual vibration of an ancient tradition.
GANGOTRI
It takes 12 to 14 hours by car to reach Gangotri from Rishikesh. The altitude is 3200 m. In ancient times Gangotri was considered the source of the Ganges. Nowadays, because of the withdrawal of the Gangotri glacier, one has to trek 19 km further to reach the source. The Ganges temple at Gangotri dates back to the 8th century AD. There are many ashrams and caves where saintly men and women are living in austerity.
GOMUGH
is the source of The Ganges. Since the path to Gomugh is difficult to tread, only very few travellers venture to trek on this route. Horses could be hired to go to the source. On the way we come across the last human habitation in Bhojwasa, a beautiful valley surrounded by lofty mountains. 5 km ahead is Gomugh, the great source.
BADRINATH
The altitude is 3130 m. It takes about 16 hours by car to reach Badrinath from Gangotri. Badari is situated between Nara and the Narayana mountains on the banks of Alakananda, one of the tributaries of The Ganges. The temple there was constructed 1200 years ago by Master Sankara, the proponent of the Advaitha Philosophy. The hot spring in front of the temple is a boon to the pilgrims in that freezing cold.
One of the seven great saints, Bhrugu, lived in Bhrugu Gufa and Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas, lived in Vyasa Gufa. Both are caves situated in Badarinath.
KEDARNATH
Altitude 3580 m. The ancient Siva temple here is beautifully located. Travellers have to trek 14 km to reach Kedarnath. The trip to Kedar is awe-inspiring to look further into the ancient spiritual wisdom of India.
FOOD
Bed, coffee/tea, breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner will be served. Participants can choose Continental and Indian dishes according to availability. Food will be strictly vegetarian.
ACCOMMODATION
The best available accommodation will be provided to the group. Two people will be accommodated in a double room with attached bath. Dormitories is the only way of accommodation available in Bhurjawasa, the last camping place on the way to Gomugh.
CONVEYANCE
Those who are arriving at Delhi International airport, on August 21 early morning, will be picked up there. The journey to the upper Himalayas will be in cars or in minibuses.
The Retreat includes food, lodgings and conveyance and the fee is 7200 SEK, air ticket not included.
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School of Santhi is a spiritual organization inspired and guided by Santhiprasad.
Santhi was born in India in 1948. He has been travelling all over India since the early seventies. In his travels he came across many great and remarkable men from whom he learned the spiritual wisdom of India. In due course he formulated his own system of practice with the blessings and guidance of the late Bhaskara Pillai Swamy. In 1993 he established School of Santhi in India and later on in Italy and Sweden.
School of Santhi offers various programs like Yoga asana sessions, satsang,
meditation sessions, private consultations, workshops in Kundalini yoga etc.
The School also organizes retreats to southern India.
For Santhi relaxation is the base, observation the key, meditation the process. And to go beyond is freedom.
For further details please e-mail us at:
santhischool@yahoo.co.in or schoolofsanthi@tele2.se
You can also telephone: +46 8 560 239 18 or +46 8 560 350 70