Lover’s Life & The Inner Goddess:
Bhakti Adventures in India

Madan Mohan, Mamta Devi, Vallabhdas & Jenna Faith warmly invite you on our
3rd India tour, a donation-based bhakti yoga retreat in Braj and Rajasthan,
during the holidays of Basant Panchami, Holi, and Valentine's day—
a perfect first-time or return journey to India
for travelers of any age and experience.

Ahimsa- and bhakti-based vinyasa yoga, kirtan, cultural immersion
Holi celebrations, special guests, seva, volunteering, excursions,
exquisite local cuisine, cooking lessons, shopping & sightseeing
with your bhakti guides:

Mamta Devi: Brajvasi, master chef, intuitive healer
Vallabhdas: translator, Sanskrit scholar, fluent Hindi speaker, Shyamdas’s assistant
Jenna Faith: 800-hr Jivamukti certified yoga teacher, vegan chef
Madan Mohan: Brajvasi, master chef, seva wala, Shyamdas’s lifelong friend

Total cost, including fixed expenses and minimum donation: $2500 USD

  • $2000 USD (optionally in two installments of $1000 each, due 9/1/21 and 12/1/21) covers your expenses during the tour, including luxurious accommodations, all meals included (always vegan, with vegetarian options), domestic travel, and entrance fees to heritage sites. Costs are for double occupancy accommodations. Single rooms may be available at variable extra cost, depending on location.

  • Initial donation of $500 (non-refundable unless the tour is cancelled) reserves your spot and covers the expenses of your 4 dedicated tour guides and hosts.

  • If so inspired, increase your donation amount by 5-10% of the tour cost ($108-$252, or more!) to contribute directly, on behalf of our tour group, to these local non-profit charitable organizations in Braj: Food for Life Vrindavan, Care for Cows, and Braj Animal Care.

Daily activities:

  • Optional daily yoga practice led by Jenna Faith, appropriate for all levels, with themes custom tailored to our journey

  • Daily kirtan (devotional singing) and satsang (discussions, study) inspired by Shyamdas’s books and bhakti teachings

  • Prasad—grace filled vegan food (with vegetarian options)

  • Cooking lessons with master chefs Mohan, Mamta Devi, and Jhumkabai

  • Daily excursions to magnificent sites filled with inspiring natural beauty and historical significance

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Itinerary (subject to partial changes):

Fly to Delhi airport and take connecting flight to Udaipur. We recommend flight UK627 (Vistara Airlines). Arrive anytime on Friday February 4, 2022. We will pick you up from the Udaipur airport and bring you to our first overnight location, in Udaipur.

  • Udaipur: Royal, tourist friendly, gorgeous lakeside city in Rajasthan

    • “Bhajan boat” rides on the lake and private island tour

    • City palace tour

    • Fantastic shopping, including local markets, vintage finds, and Anokhi

    • Rituals to honor Basant Panchami, the first day of spring and start of Holi

    • Eklingji: ancient Shiva temple darshan

    • Kumbhalghar: UNESCO World Heritage site with spectacular vistas

  • Nathdwara: Temple town and home of Shri Nathji, one of the most famous Krishna deities of India

    • Experience a day in the life of a Krishna bhakta

    • Temple darshans: Shri Nathji, Shri Navanita Priyaji, Shri Vitthalnathji

    • Rambhola banyan forest

    • Ganesh Tekari

    • Shri Vitthalnathji Goshala

    • Beautiful nature walks

    • Visit nearby town of Kankaroli with its majestic lake and magnificent Dwarkadheesh temple

  • Jaipur: The renowned Pink City of Rajasthan

    • Amber Palace

    • Bhagavad Gita satsang with a special guest

    • Rooftop dinner

    • Shopping at Anokhi and Organic India

  • Vrindavan: Deep excursion into the timeless lands of sacred India in the holy region of Braj

    • Temple darshans (Banke Bihari; Radha Raman; ISKCON; Gopeshwarji)

    • Authentic ashram visits (Neem Karoli Baba; Tattiyasthan)

    • Shopping in local Loi Bazaar

    • Candle lit boat ride down the sacred Yamuna River from Belvan to Vrindavan

    • Seva: offer humble service to the speechless animal residents of Braj, through visits to Braj Animal Care and Care for Cows, and to the remarkable at-risk children being educated and fed by Food for Life Vrindavan

  • Jatipura: Shyamdas’s personal residence by the side of the sacred Govardhan Hill

    • Mystical nature walks by Shri Girirajji, Krishna in the form of the holy Govardhan Hill

    • Wildlife sightings of monkeys, langours, nilgay, peacocks, antelope, kingfishers, and other animal beings

    • Valentine’s Day special Holi play, craft making, and V-day themed special cooking lesson

    • Visit to Kamvan, darshan of deities Shri Gokul Chandramaji and Shri Madan Mohanji

    • Partial or optional full walking pilgrimage circumambulating the sacred Govardhan Hill

    • Darshan of Radha Kund and Shyam Kund

    • Braj Char Dham walk and darshan

    • Kusum Sarovar darshan

    • Govind Kund darshan

    • Magical walk through mustard fields to Shri Radha’s hometown of Barsana

  • Gokul: Birthplace of Shri Krishna

    • Visit to Mohan and Mamta’s home

    • Visit Shyamdas’s personal residence

    • Nature walk

    • Yogipur banyan tree ashram visit

    • Chintaharan temple and Shri Yamunaji darshan

      We provide your travel back to Delhi for your return flight on Friday, February 18th. Please note that the Taj Mahal is not on our itinerary. If you want to go to Agra, which we can help you coordinate, give yourself an extra day or two after the end of our tour.

Included:

  • Our extensive experience guiding westerners safely into sacred India

  • Deep study of bhakti texts by Shyamdas

  • Transformative yoga practice and meditation, appropriate for all levels

  • All accommodations and domestic travel

  • All meals

  • Airport pickup in Udaipur, and dropoff at Delhi international airport

  • Meditative contemplation and kirtan in remote peaceful outdoor locations

  • Ecstatic temple experiences

  • Cultural immersion

  • Cooking lessons

NOT Included:

  • Roundtrip tickets to New Delhi, India

  • One-way ticket from Delhi to Udaipur

  • Optional massages at resorts

  • Traveler’s insurance (~$89 from World Nomads; other options include STA Travel and Travel Guard)

 

Contact us for any inquiries about this retreat

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