Magic India - 22 February 2018 visit Sai Baba and Kerala
become familiar with the spiritual richness of India by visiting Sai Baba's ashram
become familiar with Ayurveda in a resort on the Indian Ocean coast
take a boat trip along the unique river channels in Kerala
Discover India (and your-Self) by Boyan is a programme intended to explore and become acquainted with the spiritual lifestyle in India. Spirituality, personal transformation, mysticism, miracles, various religions and their mutually exhibited respect and intertwined nature constitute a practical experience. The entire story of Part I of your trip unfolds in the birth place of Sathya Sai Baba and his ashram, Puttaparthi. Even though Sai Baba, who is well-known for plentiful miracles, has already left his worn out and illness-stricken body, his divine energy continues its miraculous presence. Undoubtedly, his greatest miracle lies in his love that circulates freely through the legion of visitors from all over the world, transforming them into better, more amicable and cheerful individuals.
At the beginning of Part II of your journey, reach the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and find yourself in the southern-most point of India, where the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Arab Sea and the Indian Ocean come together. Pay tribute to the great spiritual teacher, Swami Vivekananda. Take a walk along a typical fishing village to be presented with a different, yet unfamiliar India.
The visit is followed by resting and unwinding by one of Kovalam’s beaches. Stay at an Ayurvedic resort where you become better acquainted with this age-old traditional Indian medicine and avail of a variety of truly cheap Ayurvedic massages and therapies. Be pampered with delicious food and be enticed by the warm water of the Indian Ocean or simply watch a number of Indian women in their colourful saris. Become lost in the sheer variety of colours, scents and sounds, observing the magical colours of the setting sun.
A Backwaters trip along the well-known river channels in Kerala constitutes a magical experience of your Indian story for many of you. Slowly sliding along the numerous channels, observe the way of life of the locals sliding past you. You, of course, also make some stops, walk to the nearby villages, chat with the locals and become better acquainted with their lifestyle. With a multitude of palm trees bending in front of your very eyes, learn about the immense number of green hues.
Before returning home, make a stop in one of the most multi-cultural cities in India, best known for its spice trade that the local population has been engaged in for millennia. Kochi is also known for its Chinese fishing nets and the first Christian church on Indian soil.
Itinerary:
Day 1: BANGALORE – PUTTAPARTHI Transfer from the Bangalore airport to Puttaparthi. Check into a hotel in the immediate vicinity of the ashram where you will be based (accommodation at the ashram itself upon request). As soon as everyone is gathered, take an orientation walk around the ashram to become acquainted with the daily activity routine, the location and working hours of self-service restaurants, shops, the bookshop … start off by a refreshing actual coconut.
Day 2 – – Day 7 PUTTAPARTHI You are now in Sai Baba’s ashram, which is one of the largest and best organised ashrams in the world that provides you with ideal conditions and circumstances to work on yourself and to experience inner transformation. Have you been seeking answers to important questions or experiencing any heart’s desires or issues that you cannot seem to solve or have you been on the lookout for inner peace like every other human being on the planet? Do not worry, you have come to the right place. Every morning and afternoon, attend the Samadhi Darshan, during which you experience an exceptionally powerful connection with Sai Baba’s energy at his final resting place. Explore the depths of your essence. Surrender to the sounds of bajans, group chanting, which ends with an arathi. Visit a museum dedicated to Sai Baba, documenting his entire work and life. Yes, including his miracles. Visit a specialist hospital which provides free-of-charge health care services. Visit the Tree of Wishes, Baba’s birth house, the Meditation Tree, the International Sports Centre, Music Academy, elementary school, high school and university and take a ride on a riksha. If you want, you can also experience an Ayurvedic or Tibetan massage. Boyan holds his information 4 transformation programme which includes lectures on current subjects, meditations and more … as well as special guests who share their personal experience with Sai Baba. Ashram nutrition also constitutes a special chapter in the story. Ashram cuisine constitutes a true gastronomic and spiritual experience.
Day 8 PUTTAPARTHI – BANGALORE – TRIVANDRUM – KOVALAM Travel to the Bangalore airport and fly to the capital of Kerala, Trivandrum. Short journey to Kovalam known as a holiday paradise. Taking a walk on the beach while the sun is setting does you a world of good.
Day 9–13 KOVALAM Spend several days being pampered and becoming familiar with Ayurveda in a breathtaking resort right by the beach. Consult your Ayurvedic physician on a daily basis which massage would suit you best. Try out the traditional full-body massage, abyanga, during which you are massaged by two masseurs in sync. Awesome. Boyan is in charge of spiritual exercises and getting you acquainted with the rich historical and spiritual values of India. Let go of all worries and roles you play back at home, surrender to India’s rhythm and customs. Discoveries and answers are often found in a state of complete relaxation. Morning strolls on the beach are truly special. You may even come across an elephant, help the local fishermen pull their nets out of the water and enjoy a dream-like sunset during the evening. The Kovalam beaches are well-known near and far, its seas warm and enticing. You may also swim at your resort with 3 swimming pools at your disposal. A number of shops facilitates the purchase of various souvenirs. The various cultural and entertainment events make the evenings at the resort truly special. Perhaps a kathakali dance, a concert of traditional Indian music, a demonstration of martial arts. Be surprised. Culinary pleasures are beyond words. The spices are to die for. Enjoy yourself immensely.
Special addition to your trip: one-day KOVALAM–KANYAKUMARI–KOVALAM trip
A two-hour adventure-filled ride through small cities and villages and partially also past Cardamom hills to the southernmost point of India, where the warm waters of the Gulf of Bengal meet the waters of the Arab Sea and Indian Ocean. Experience the potency of the ocean, meet locals and pilgrims seeking blessings. The great Indian sage Swami Vivekananda travelled to a nearby island at the end of the 19th century to meditate until he was to learn of his mission on this planet. Follow his example and quietly undertake an exploration of the depths of your soul. Look for footprints of the local goddess, the eternal virgin Kanyakumari, the patron of fishermen. Learn about the history of free India in Gandhi’s museum.
Day 14 KOVALAM – BACKWATERS After breakfast, new adventures await. Kerala is known as a green land of a number of palm trees, fertile fields and numerous churches. In the 15th century, it was the first land to have been reached by Europeans – the Portuguese – looking for the New World. This day is intended to explore and become acquainted with one of the greatest sights of India, the river channels referred to as Backwaters. The 900-kilometre long web of river channels that vary in width from a couple of meters to over 100 metres is a global phenomenon. Travel by bus to the starting point where you board the well-known Kerala house boats which will provide you with perfect comfort. And you are already comfortably floating along the web of river channels, becoming familiar with the life of the locals who live on the shores. Get lost in the sheer variety of green hues, while churches run past you. Small ferries, fishing boats and water taxis abound. On the swaying boat, observe the idyll of Indian countryside and sunset. Lunch, dinner and overnight stay on the house boat.
Day 15–17 BACKWATERS – KOCHI Breakfast. Bid farewell to your floating hotel and continue your journey to Kochi, a trade city with an air of colonialism. Kochi has been renowned for its spice trade with the ancient Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs and Chinese since time immemorial. At the end of the 15th century, it was reached by the first Europeans, the Portuguese, who erected the well-known fortress in 1503, from where they set out to conquer the rest of the Indian subcontinent. The city was well-known for its rich trade, whose remnants can still be found in the present-day Jewish Quarter. Kochi continues to be one of the most multi-cultural cities all over the country where followers of various religions from Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Jainists, Christians to Hindus can be found. Take a walk along the city and discover its rich heritage, take a look at Chinese fishing nets and the fish market. Lunch, perhaps you also end up buying some spices. The visit is followed by dinner where you share your experiences. Overnight stay. The programme is thus completed. Fulfilled, content and filled with energy, new challenges placed in front of you await.
Price per person in a double room: from EUR 1,470
The price includes (min. 15 pax): accommodation, Bangalore – Trivandrum flight, all transportation and visits including entrance fees according to the programme, local English-speaking guide, tips, organisation and programme implementation costs (Kompas).
Accommodation (on bed & breakfast basis): 8 nights with breakfast hotel close to Sai Baba’s ashram, 6 nights 4* hotel
To book, make enquiries about the content of the programme and other matters, please contact:
boyan.gorenc@gmail.com , +386 41 411 290, Contact form.
General Terms and Conditions are an intgral part of the programme. The programme is carried out under the formal auspices of the world-renowned and award-winning Slovenian travel agency Kompas through which all payments are carried out.
Hotels are listed according to local classification.
Programme drawn up on 1 December 2016.
Links
- https://www.saiorg.si/si/sathya_sai_baba/zivljenjepis/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari
- https://www.google.si/search?q=kerala&hl=sl&client=firefox-a&hs=g42&rls=org.mozilla:sl:official&channel=np&prmd=imvnsrl&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=1bcvT5XqCc2n8gPzwcmKDw&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=656&gws_rd=ssl