Let's Go To India!!

Pilgrimage to the Origins of the Gange

Presentation

For the Hindu, a pilgrimage to the Himalayan mountain town Gangotri and the origins of the Gange represents a meeting with the Mother Goddess, there where all things began. In the Indian tradition, the Gange is seen as having a feminine, maternal nature and believed to be the sacred river of Paradise capable of purifying one of sins. According to the millennial vision of Yoga, the Gange also flows symbolically together with two other rivers, the Jamuna and the Saraswati, inside of the human body by way of an intricate system of invisible canals called Nadi that carry Prana, “life force” or “cosmic energy”, throughout the body. For the passionate of India and it’s philosophies, the Himalaya and the origins of the Gange make up part of that magical, almost dreamlike, world that surrounds the life and teachings of numerous Indian masters and that has been reinforced over the decades by literature half imaginative half truthful.

From Hell to Paradise and back
One who departs in the late Spring with Gangotri as their destination, leaves behind the suffocating heat of the Indian flatlands where the Monsoon rains are anxiously awaited. On the way, one usually stops at the densely populated mountain village of Uttarkashi. As the overcrowded and swaying buses struggle along the steep climb and around endless turnabouts towards Gangotri, the pilgrims aboard repeatedly sing devotional chants, off-key and in a sort of collective delirium, with increasing volume as they get closer and closer to Gangotri. Upon arriving, one hears a persistent roar that vibrates in the fresh crisp mountain air and notices how even the forest trees seem to bow towards the foaming and rumbling Garurikund waterfall that drops off into the depths of the Himalaya valley.

Somewhere between Nature and mythology
At dawn, pilgrims and hiking enthusiasts alike begin along the easy, wide mountain trail that hugs the Bhaagirathi Torrent, the principal source of the Gange that was named after a wise man who is believed to have once meditated, prayed and lived in poverty along it’s shores for thousands of years so as to redeem his ancestors who had been incinerated by the glare of ascetic divinity Kapil. Legend has it that the god Brahma, struck by the perseverance of Bhaagirathi, thereby consented that the purifying waters of the Gange descend upon the Earth and cleanse the souls of the sage and his ancestors. The legend goes on to say that, in order to avoid that the world be destroyed by the destructive force of the powerful billows of the Gange, the god Shiva dammed them with his thick head of hair thus reducing their deletory power. Eighteen kilometers of trail, at times level and at others slightly climbing, penetrate a narrow, suggestive valley offering many an occasion of crossing characteristic and sometimes even extraordinary personages; those devoted to the divinity Shiva, distinguished by the three white lines painted on their foreheads, while those inspired by the divinity Vishnu with a sort of “U” or “V” drawn just above their nose.

The “Gange Maa” Cult
Chirabasa is the ideal location where to catch one’s breath. Proceeding along the trail, after many hours of hiking, the grayish glacier Gangotri suddenly appears, almost as if a mirage. Inside of a kind of ice-cave called Gaumukh, or “Cow’s Mouth”, the dark capricious waters of the Gange Ma, the “Mother Gange”, are born. At a higher altitude, another trail snakes over the glacier’s moraine leading to Tapovan, a small plain at the base of the pointed mountain Shivling that pops out of the ethereal mist that continually surrounds Gangotri. The sacred mountain of Shivling is worshipped by the Hindu who consider it a phallic symbol representing Shiva. In India, the god Shiva is adored both in it’s anthromorpomorphic aspect as in the form of linga, a stone carved into a phallic symbol and placed on a circular base thereby graphically reproducing the symbolic union between the male and female genital organs.

(Article written by Andrea Alborno and published by the Yoga Journal; translated in English by Kathleen DerDerian)
Pilgrimage to the Origins of the Gange

Itinerary

Departure from Italy is scheduled for Monday, the 25th of May, 2008 with return on the 7th of June. Roundtrip airfare was deliberately excluded from the trip cost in order to enable participants to lengthen their stay in Indian if desired. For who plans on traveling independently to India, the meeting is planned in Delhi on May 27th. It is possible to request that Hari-Om take care of the flight arrangements upon payment of the communicated cost. Since ticket prices tend to increase the closer one books to the departure date, we advise the interested participants to book their flights as soon as possible.

The trip itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: Departure from Italy.

Day 2: Arrival in Delhi. Visit to the Hare Krishna temple. Overnight stay in Delhi.*

Day 3: Bus transfer from Delhi to Rishikesh. Evening and overnight stay in Rishikesh.*

Day 4: Visits to the temples and Ashram of Rishikesh. Overnight stay in Rishikesh.*

Day 5: Bus transfer from Rishikesh to Utterkashi. Day in Uttekashi with visit to the famous temple Vishwanath. Overnight stay in Uttrekashi.

Day 6: Bus trasfer from Utterkashi to Gangotri. Visit to the Gangotri Temple with evening prayer
dedicated to the Goddess Ganga. Overnight stay at Gangotri.

Day 7: After breakfast, visit to the Gangotri Temple. Hike from Gangotri along the Bhagirathi
River to Bhojwasa (4-5 hours). Reservation at Guest House. Afternoon free to explore the
area and to enjoy a suggestive sunset among the Himalayan mountain tops.

Day 8: Hike towards Gomukh and the origins of the Gange (3-4 hours). Return to Bhojwasa in the
evening.

Day 9: Hike to Tapowan and the origins of the Gange (2-3 hours). Return to Bhojwasa in the
evening.

Day 10: Hike from Bhojwasa to Gangotri (2-3 hours). Bus transfer to Utterkashi. Overnight stay.

Day 11: After breakfast, bus transfer to Haridwar. Participation in devotional rituals on the shore
the Gange. Overnight stay in Haridwar.

Day 12: Bus transfer to Delhi. Visit of the Delhi markets. Dinner and overnight stay in Delhi.

Day 13: Return to Italy/USA



THE ITINERARY MAY BE MODIFIED AS THE RESULT OF
UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS OR OTHER UNFORSEEN FACTORS.


Pilgrimage to the Origins of the Gange

Trip Cost
The total trip cost comes to $780 and includes the following:
> Tour guide;
> All noted bus transfers in rented tourist coaches (not on public transportation);
> Hotel accommodation, with breakfast included, in double rooms except for the nights in Bhojwasa where only dormitory accomodation is available.**

**Considering that the trip takes place during the Pilgrimage season, interested participants should keep in mind the available sleeping accommodations will be modest.

Additional expenses that are excluded from the total trip cost:
> Overnight accommodations on the days starred with an asterisk (*);
> Roundtrip airfare to and from India.***

***Roundtrip airfare from Italy usually costs around 700 euros. Hari-Om is willing to make flight reservations upon request.
***Roundtrip airfare from USA usually costs about $1,800.00 US dollars. Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi is willing to make flight arrangements upon request and payment.

********Payment of $780.oo U.S. Dollars must be made to The Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi before February 28th, 2009******************* This is non-refundable and you are responsible for your own flight and flight arrangements. Be sure you arrive in New Delhi by very early morning on May 27th in order to be on the tour bus with the group. (I had to change my flight once because I booked the arrival time too late about 11 a.m. This is why I am getting there a day ahead and it will afford me a chance to rest before our journey). Just a little F.Y.I.

TRIP GUIDES
Marco Mandrino was born and raised in northern Italy where he runs his own yoga insitute “Hari-Om” located in Alessandria in the state of Piemonte. Yoga “Master” and trained in Ayurveda and aroma-therapy, Marco is the principal instructor of numerous teacher-training courses of Tantra Yoga; is a regular contributor of articles for various Yoga magazines; has published his own works on Yoga; and attempts to encourage personal growth in others by way of his yoga seminars and retreats organized in Italy, the United States and Australia. Marco’s personal sadhana includes pilgrimages to sacred sights belonging to different spiritual traditions throughout the world. Marco has his point of reference in the Tantric tradition and thereby promotes an integral approach to Yoga combining Hatha, Bhakti and Jnana Yoga in his practice and teaching during his retreats and travels.

Michelle Acebo has been practicing yoga since 2001. She has completed two R.Y.T. 200 courses and a Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training @ 300 hours. Michelle has had the honor to study with numerous yoga masters of various traditions. She has studied, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Power Vinyasa, Vinyasa Krama, Anusara and was certified in Jivamukti Yoga with it's creators Sharon Gannon and David Life. She has served as a personal assistant to Sharon Gannon and David Life at the 2008 Southwest Yoga Conference in Austin, Texas. Michelle is one of only two teachers in Texas to be Jivamukti Yoga Certified. Michelle opened The Yoga Studio of Corpus Christi in January of 2005. This was the first and largest yoga studio and boutique in South Texas. The studio has evolved to "the yoga hub" of South Texas which is dedicated to education, improving the understanding of what yoga is and making sure that yoga is available for all to study.

Here are Michelle's travel arrangements from the U.S. I suggest you book your flight as early as possible. This is a peak travel time for tourist and the flights will more than likely get very expensive. I used expedia.com to book this. Total for flight with insurance was $1593.40. This was the best price available. As you can see, I have to change planes often but it saved me a lot of money!

Traveling to Delhi
Sun 24-May-09
Corpus Christi (CRP)Depart 2:50 pm
to
Dallas (DFW)Arrive 4:10 pm
355 mi(571 km)Duration: 1hr 20mn
AA Flight: 3702 Operated by: AMERICAN EAGLE
3Economy/Coach Class

Dallas (DFW)Depart 5:30 pm
to
London (LHR)Arrive 8:35 am
"Flight arrives on Mon 25-May"
"The arrival date for this flight is one day after the departure date."

+1 day
4,747 mi(7,640 km)Duration: 9hr 5mn
BA Flight: 192
3Economy/Coach Class Boeing 777
Mon 25-May-09
London (LHR)Depart 9:55 am
to
Delhi (DEL)Arrive 11:00 pm
4,169 mi(6,709 km)Duration: 8hr 35mn
BA Flight: 143
3Economy/Coach Class Boeing 777
Total distance: 9,271 mi (14,920 km)
Total duration: 19hr 0mn (21hr 40mn with connections)

Traveling to Chicago
Sun 7-Jun-09
Delhi (DEL)Depart 8:15 am
to
London (LHR)Arrive 1:10 pm
4,169 mi(6,709 km)Duration: 9hr 25mn
BA Flight: 256
3Economy/Coach Class Boeing 777
London (LHR)Depart 3:35 pm
to
Chicago (ORD)Arrive 6:05 pm
3,953 mi(6,362 km)Duration: 8hr 30mn
BA Flight: 297
3Economy/Coach Class Boeing 777
Total distance: 8,122 mi (13,071 km)
Total duration: 17hr 55mn (20hr 20mn with connections)
Mon 8-Jun-09
Chicago (ORD)Depart 6:00 am
to
Dallas (DFW)Arrive 8:20 am
799 mi(1,286 km)Duration: 2hr 20mn
AA Flight: 2301

Dallas (DFW)Depart 9:05 am
to
Corpus Christi (CRP)Arrive 10:20 am
355 mi(571 km)Duration: 1hr 15mn
AA Flight: 3565 Operated by: AMERICAN EAGLE