Archive: April 2018

Our next stop to the west was Jaipur, the famed Pink City. Known for its textiles, thriving jewelry industry, and its fast growing population of expats. The group visited on of the last remaining traditional block printing fabric shops, as well as India’s #2 tourist attraction the Amber Fort where a few of our participants got to ride an elephant up the long steep “driveway.”

Pushkar, is another small town, off the normal sight-seeing routes. A tiny lake ringed by temples, it’s home to one of the only Brahma Temples in all of India. Bustling with activity, as the days we were there was the culmination of Navaratri, Indian New year. And when in Pushkar, a sunset camel ride into the desert is always in order.

From the holy lake city of Pushkar, to the City of Lakes Udaipur, or the Venice of the East was our next stop. Visits to the City Palace, where Shambhu had a chat with an international rug dealer from Kashmir. The group watched a cultural program showcasing many of the traditional dances and songs or Rajasthan. And another boat ride at sunset to round out the days.

More to come,
Shambhu

KYI recently sponsored a trip to India to reconnect with the Lineage of Swami Kripalu and see all the wonderful sights, hear all of the sounds, and have all the experiences that only India can offer. With Daylight Savings Time in effect, India is 9.5 hours ahead of the East Coast, making jetlag a very real concern. But all of the tour participants acclimated quickly.

With frequent naps and even more frequent stops for a chai, all things are possible.

After an overnight stay in Delhi, we were off to Vrindavan, childhood home of Krishna, on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River. Accommodations were graciously provided by longtime friend of the Lineage, Babaji Satyanarayana Dasa at his Ashram: Jiva. No trip to Vrindavan would be complete without visiting one of its oldest temples Madan Mohan Mandir, and taking a sunset boat ride on the Yamuna.

You can’t come all the way to India and not see the Taj Mahal. One of the benefits of having friends in the country, is their ability to hire quality tour guides. We were fortunate enough to have such a local guide for our visits to the Red Fort, and the Taj Mahal. The line was long for pictures on the famous “Diana bench” so we improvised.

More to come,
Shambhu