* Sri Swami Satchidananda is also referred to as “Sri Gurudev.”

* The Hindu trinity is: Siva the Destoryer, Brahma the Creator, and Vishnu the Preserver.

* The Lord Siva family consists of Siva and Parvathi (his wife), and their two sons Ganesh and Muruga. Lord Siva has many names and forms, and is often worshipped as a “lingam” or simple obelisk.

* Among the dynasties which governed South India during the past two millenia were the Pandhya, Cheran, Chola, Vijayanagar, and Pallava kingdoms. Their style of architecture or sculpture is often referred to in describing the temples.

* The Mahabharatha, Ramayana and Puranas are all ancient Sanskrit scriptures and stories.

* Mutt, Math and Madam in this booklet do not refer to a dog, a school subject, or a woman. All three words mean ashram.

* An Avatar is a soul incarnated into purity of being: God-realized from birth.

Chennai, the "Gateway to South India," is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the fourth largest city of India. It is only 350 years old (very young for India) and has a population of six million.

The changing chapters of Chennai history are evident in the different styles of architecture:

the Dravidian architecture in the temples, the Indo-Sarcenic architecture in the High Court and University Senate Hall, the Moghul architecture of the Arcot Nawab’s palace at Chepauk, the Victorian era architecture of the museum buildings and lastly the skyscrapers.

POINTS OF INTEREST
Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine dating back to the Vedic period which supposedly originated with Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. Ayurveda is grounded in a metaphysics of the "five great elements" (earth, water, fire, air and ether) and stresses a balance of three elemental energies known as doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. When they are in a balanced state, the body will function to its fullest, and when imbalanced, the body will be affected negatively.

Kapaleeswaran Temple. Kapalam means head and Eeswaran is a name of Siva. The legend is that Brahma failed to do homage to Siva. Taking offense, Siva plucked off one of Brahma’s five heads. By way of penance, Brahma installed the lingam at the site of this temple.
The original temple was built in the 7th century by the ruling Pallavas but was destroyed by the Portuguese. The current temple was built by the Vijayanagar kings during the 16th century.
One of the shrines in the temple commemorates the miracle of Jnana Sambandam who revived a deceased child through song.

Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram was founded in 1976 by TKV Desikachar, the son and student of T. Krishnamacharya. Today, TKV Desikachar is known and respected the world over as an authority on yoga. The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram was founded by him as a tribute to his father and mentor. The focus is not on making profit but rather on spreading the message of yoga and the teachings of T. Krishnamacharya. His teaching method is based on the fundamental principle that yoga must always be adapted to an individual's changing needs in order to derive the therapeutic benefits.
T. Krishnamacharya (1888 – 1989) was a healer, linguist, Vedic scholar, researcher, author and one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. “Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined alignments of BKS Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa of Desikachar, your practice stems from one source: a five-foot, two-inch Brahmin born more than one hundred years ago in a small South Indian Village.”- Fernando Pages Ruiz

Ramakrishna Mutt is to commemorate the lives of three great souls and to propagate their teachings:

Sri Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886) was born to a poor Brahmin family, and he was prone to spiritual experiences as a child. At age 25 he met a female ascetic who taught him ritual and tantra and recognized him as being an avatar. He served as a priest at a Kali Temple in Calcutta. He also practiced with all intensity both Islam and Christianity and became an advocate of religious tolerance. He attracted and guided many students between the years of 1871 and 1885. He regarded his wife, Sarada Devi, as the Divine Mother.

Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902) was born into an aristocratic family in Calcutta. He had an extraordinary intellect and charisma. He embraced agnostic, Western philosophies in his youth, but converted to spirituality through contact with his guru Sri Ramakrishna. He spoke in Chicago at the Parliament of Religions in 1893, and spent 3 years thereafter spreading Vedanta philosophy in America and England. Returning to India he founded the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and awakened India to a new national consciousness. His lectures and writings are compiled into 9 volumes and he is credited with the introduction of Vedanta and Hinduism to the West and with raising interfaith consciousness.

Sri Sarada Devi (1853-1920) was betrothed to her husband Sri Ramakrishna at the age of five. From 1872 Sarada Devi lived at Dakshineswar as a devoted wife and she was the first disciple of her husband Sri Ramakrishna. Their marriage was celibate and unconventional. For Sarada Devi it was a period of intense spiritual practise and service to her husband. She had frequent ecstasies and profound experiences and came to be respected as a Guru in her own right.

St. Thomas Basilica St. Thomas, (“Doubting Thomas”) one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, came to India in AD 52, and died as a martyr in AD 72. The Basilica contains the tomb and relics of St. Thomas. Marco Polo visited the tomb in 1293 and in his travel diaries he recorded the miraculous healing power of the sand taken from the tomb. At the site of the Basilica St. Thomas performed the miracle of causing a huge log to become light (in weight), at the request of the local king.

Mahabalipuram is famous for its miles of unspoiled beach and rock-cut art. The tsunami in 2004 briefly revealed many remarkable carvings and the structures of an ancient port city. Our primary destination in this town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which consists of monolithic sculptures and cave temples built between the 7th and 9th centuries, during the Pallava Dynasty. The sculpture here is particularly interesting because it shows scenes of day-to-day life in contrast with the rest of the state of Tamil Nadu where the carvings generally depict gods and goddesses.

POINTS OF INTEREST

The Pancha Ratha shrines are five monolithic shrines named after the five Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi who were immortalized in the Mahabharata. Each shrine is not assembled from cut rock but carved from one single large piece of pink granite. It is likely their original design traces back to wood constructions.
The Shore Temple dates to the early 8th century, and lays claim to being the earliest stone-built temple.

PONDICHERRY
A recent excavation of a Roman amphitheatre in Pondicherry supports its claim to have been a staging post for the second century maritime trade route between Rome and the Far East. When the Roman empire declined it was ruled by Tamil kings of the Pallava and Chola dynasties and then subsequently by the Portuguese, French, Danes and British.

Pondicherry was the capital of French India for over 300 years (until l954). It exudes a Mediterranean aura, and preserves much of the colonial ambience in its buildings and well-planned French style avenues. Of late, Pondicherry has become an educational hub for southern India, including over 40 colleges.

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Aurobindo Ashram was founded by Sri Aurobindo in the year 1926. After Sri Aurobindo's death, the ashram came under the spiritual leadership of a French lady known as “The Mother,” who ran the ashram until 1973.

Visitors throng to pay homage to the samadhis (final resting place) of these two spiritual companions at the Ashram premises.Ten kilometers away from the Aurobindo Ashram is Auroville, also known as the "City of Dawn." It is an experiment in international living aspiring to harmony among people of different castes, creeds and nationalities.

A day of rest and relaxation on the beach with optional day trips for those who wish.

Auroville is an experiment in human unity through diversity. It received a charter from the Indian Government and UNESCO and was dedicated in l968 with an assembly of 5,000 from 124 nations. All brought soil from their Motherland which was mixed together into the urn now situated in the Amphitheatre. The current population is 2,000 persons from 45 nations.

The Mother of Aurobindo Ashram (1878 – 1973 ) was born in Paris to Turkish and Egyptian parents. She had many psychic and spiritual experiences as a youngster and studied occultism in Algeria as a young woman. She came to India and met Sri Aurobindo in 1914 but departed to Japan during WWI, returning in 1920. In 1926 she founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram with the full support of Sri Aurobindo, and served as its leader until her death. During her last 30 years of life she attempted the transformation of herself into a new type of human individual by opening herself to the Supramental Truth Consciousness.

Sri Aurobindo (1872 – 1950) was born to a privileged family in Calcutta and educated at Cambridge where he distinguished himself as a brilliant scholar. He returned to India and became a leader in the movement to free India of British rule. He was kept in solitary confinement for almost a year on charges of treason and during this time had a number of spiritual experiences. After his release and acquittal, he took refuge in Pondicherry which was then under French rule. There, in collaboration with The Mother, he meditated and wrote intensively, producing 35 volumes of writing. His central theme is the evolution of man into a divine being.

Rajagiri Fort was originally built by the Chola dynasty of the 9th century. In the 13th century it was rebuilt into a citadel to protect the nearby township and to defend against invading armies.
The fortified area is 9 km in circuit, and includes a combination of different defense techniques followed over a period of four hundred years, 1380 to 1780, during which time it changed hands from the Vijayanagara, Nayaka, Maratha, Mughal, Carnatic, Nawab, French and British.
Within the fort are the ruins of a granary, gymnasium, barracks, royal harem quarters, royal audience hall, mosque, marriage hall, and several temples. There is also evidence of a unique fountain system and skillful underground water storage and drainage.

Thiruvannamalai is built around the sacred hill, "Arunachala,” and is the home of many devotees and ashrams: Ramanashram, Seshadri Ashram, Skanda Ashram, and the Yogi Ram Surat Kumar Ashram among others. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the "Sage of Arunachala,” lived in Tiruvannamalai from 1896 to 1950. As a young man, Sri Gurudev studied with this great saint. The Arunachala Temple is dedicated to Tejo Lingam (God incarnate as fire) and is one of the largest temples in the South.

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Ramanashram was founded by Ramana Maharshi(1879–1950) who attained liberation at the age of 16. Though born a Brahmin he declared himself beyond all caste restrictions. He left home for the holy mountain Arunachala and lived there for the rest of his life. He spent days and weeks absorbed in samadhi and unaware of his body. A sadhu, Palaniswami, became his lifelong attendant and attended to his physical well being. Ramana spent seventeen years in Virupaksha Cave, and six years in Skandasramam. Sri Ramana maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence. When asked for advice, he recommended self-enquiry. “Enquire, 'who am I?'”
Annamalaiyar Temple is one of the five main temples to Siva in South India and is famous for its massive gopurams, some as tall as 66 meters, and for its sculpted walls. (Look for the carving of Lord Shiva dancing in an elephant's skin!) It is made up of three nested rectangular walls, each of which was built during different periods. The innermost could have been built as early as the 11th century. It was refurbished by the Vijayanagara empire from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

Yogi Ram Surat Kumar (1918 to 2001) studied with Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramana Maharishi, and Papa Ramdas who initiated him into the mantra OM Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. Post enlightenment, he lived on the streets in Thiruvannamalai and blessed thousands with both his shakti and his example. An eccentric, he referred to himself as “This Beggar” and to the Lord as “My Father.”

Sri Seshadri Swamigal (1870 – 1929 ) was born to a pious family and studied the Vedas from an early age. He renounced the world at age 19 to live as an ascetic and worshipper of Shakti in Thiruvannamalai. He was unpredictable and often acted like a madman, but the townspeople observed that whenever he abused them their businesses flourished. He recognized the attainments of the teen-aged Ramana Maharshi and personally attended to him and protected him.

Arunachala refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai. It is considered to be the most powerful place on earth for people practicing self-enquiry.

Over the centuries, many saints and sages have been drawn to Arunachala. The sage Veda Vyasa describes in great detail the wonder of Arunachala in ancient texts. When asked about the special sanctity of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi said that other holy places such as Kailash and Chidambaram are sacred because they are the abodes of Lord Siva whereas Arunachala is Lord Siva himself. He also referred to Arunachala as the “center of the universe.”

According to the legend, a dispute occurred between Brahma the creator, and Vishnu the preserver, over which of them was superior. In order to settle the argument, Lord Siva manifested first as a column of light, and then He took the form of Arunachala.

The circumambulation of Arunachala is known as Giripradakshina or Girivalam. Performing pradakshina creates a very positive charge within the system. Traditionally, it is done barefoot with the hill on the right. “One should go round in silence or in meditation or with recitation of the Lord's name, or with bhajan and kirtan; and one should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy." - Sri Ramana Maharshi

Coimbatore is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu. It has earned a coveted place in the industrial and agricultural map of modern India as a major textile and engineering center. The Coimbatore district boasts one of South India's finest agrarian economies where millet, paddy, cotton, tea, oilseeds, betel nuts, turmeric, coffee and tobacco are cultivated. In spite of its agricultural wealth and industrial boom, Coimbatore remains a city where age-old customs survive, where family bonds are strong, and where tradition is a way of life.

POINTS OF INTEREST

The Coimbatore Integral Yoga Institute has served the citizens of Coimbatore with Yoga and meditation classes, taught in both Tamil and English since 1989. Classes for children, elders, heart patients and pregnancy are offered, along with classes for both beginner and experienced students.

The IYI is part of the Swami Satchidananda Trust which also administers the school, Satchidananda Jothi Niketan. The Managing Trustee for both facilities is Sri K. Ramaswamy, cousin to our beloved Swami Satchidananda. The “hands-on” administration of the IYI is performed by Mr. O.A. Balu and Dr. Thilakavathy.

Perur Patteeswara Temple was built 1500 years ago and dedicated to Lord Patteeswarar (a name for Lord Siva). Swami Satchidananda served as temple manager at Perur for a few months when he was still a young man. He particularly loved the beautiful Nataraja (the dancing form of Siva) statue and often spent the night decorating and worshipping it after the temple had closed.

Perur Madam was established 400 years ago. The ashram serves the community through quality education, assistance for the poor, and religious services.
Sri Shantalinga Adigalar has presided over the activities of Perur Madam for the past 34 years. This includes the functions of four schools and a college, an orphanage and an old age home. He also oversees free medical camps among many other services to the poor. Swamiji is an active proponent of Tamil culture and language and teaches the traditional rites of Tamil worship all over the world.
Sri Maruthachala Adigalar is the junior swami at Perur Madam. He presided over the burial services and ceremonies of Sri Swami Satchidanandaji in Yogaville in August, 2002. He studied with the renowned sage Vedhatri Maharishi for ten years, and took his vows of monkhood in 1996. He holds graduate degrees in law and Tamil literature, and a PhD in Tamil spiritual studies.

Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1800 meters in the Nilgiri Mountains, and enjoys a mild climate in summer, which the British first discovered in 1819. Attracted by the temperate climate, the British elite lost no time in establishing their summer homes in the hills. With them came tea plantations. Currently the local populace depends almost entirely on the tea trade. Coonoor is a scenic feast, with tea estates on the steep slopes and spectacular views of the valleys below.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Satchidananda Jothi Niketan. The beautiful location, at the base of the magnificent Nilgiri Mountains, was the outcome of a search that lasted for several years. It was dedicated and blessed by Sri Swami Satchidananda in June of l997, opening up with six teachers and 67 students. Now it serves over 700 students (from 4th to 12th grade) and is the recipient of numerous state and national awards.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway In the 1800s the rail track from Chennai ended at Mettupalayam and from there the journey up into the hills had to be undertaken on pony or bullock cart. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was completed in 1908 and still operates by steam locomotive.
Taj Garden Retreat was known as the Hampton Manor when it was built in 1857. It was built as a priory to the All Saints Church but was converted to a hotel in l908. No Indians were allowed, and guests were requested to display their regimental badge.
An eccentric Australian serviceman who overstayed at the hotel refused to vacate his room for a guest. The proprietor said, “If you want the room, buy the place!” – and he did. The money which he paid was acquired by conning a US serviceman into buying a warehouse of damaged mosquito nets in Calcutta. That was in l946, but he ran out of money in 1960 and had to sell the hotel. The Taj has been carefully renovated since that time but still retains much of its old character.

Families For Children (FFC) is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian agency operating homes that care for hundreds of destitute children. FFC was founded in 1978 by Sandra Simpson of Montreal, Canada. Her work for children has received official recognition by the award of the Ontario Medal, and the Order of Canada. The FFC homes are comprised of six houses, including a large Special Care Center for children who are mentally and or physically handicapped. FFC raises money through private donations, special projects, handicraft sales, etc., but their primary source of income is the sponsorship plan.

Satchidananda Alayam was built by Sri Gurudev’s father in 1927, when Sri Gurudev was 13 years old, so technically it is not his birthplace. However, it is the replica of the house where he was born, and it is on the same site but reoriented to accommodate a newly built road. During Sri Gurudev’s lifetime, the courtyard served as a schoolhouse and sometimes as an informal courthouse, as Sri Gurudev’s father was a leader of the Chettipalayam community.

To step into Satchidananda Alayam is to step into another century. It’s very quiet, fragrant and full of Sri Gurudev’s peace.

Swami Vimalanandaji, a disciple of Swami Satchidananda from Sri Lanka, lived at Satchidananda Alayam for 15 years until she passed away in 1996. She is buried in the side yard where there is now a small shrine.

Palani Murugan Temple is a hilltop Shrine at which Sri Gurudev worshipped as a young sadhu, and is a powerful pilgrimage site honored by millions of devotees as one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga. The legend of Palani is that Muruga while still a child, renounced his family, and came to Palani to worship and practice austerity. To renounce such a family is no small thing, as his parents were the Goddess Parvathi and Lord Siva. A chief tradition of this temple is the tonsuring of devotees, in imitation the Lord Muruga's renunciation.

Built on a hilltop, access to the shrine is by 660 stone steps – a stairway built for the passage of ceremonial elephants. The architecture shows influences from both the Cheran and Pandyan dynasties. The walls of the sanctum bear inscriptions in an ancient form of the Tamil script. Surmounting the sanctum is a gopuram (tower) of gold.

The idol is in the shape of a very young recluse dressed in a loincloth and armed with a staff. He has very large ears in order to listen carefully to the devotees' prayers. The idol was reputedly created and consecrated by Sage Bhogar, out of an amalgam of nine poisons. Legend claims that Sage Bhogar continues to meditate and maintain his vigil in a subterranean tunnel in the heart of Palani hill.

February 16 – New Delhi/Agra

Travel day, to Delhi and Agra

February 17 - Agra

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. Built by 20,000 workers who labored for more than 20 years, the Taj Mahal was completed around 1654. A universally admired masterpiece, the Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.

February 18 - Rishikesh

Rishikesh: Gateway to the Himalayas
“In the region of the Himalayas, you very often hear OM chanting. Everything chants OM in the Himalayas. The river says OM. You can hear the OM sound everywhere.” Sri Swami Satchidananda
Rishikesh is situated on the banks of the Holy Mother Ganges River in the foothills of the Himalayas, has immense spiritual shakti and is replete with ashrams and temples and is a destination for travellers and yogis from across the world. Rishikesh was mentioned in the ancient Indian texts as an ideal place for performing penance leading to attainment of salvation.

POINTS OF INTEREST

The Divine Life Society is the spiritual expression of the divine mission of its founder, Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj. It is the headquarters and spiritual focal point of a vast worldwide organization that encompasses more than 300 branches around the world, as well as individual devotees in India and abroad. "Yes, there may be many other places more suited for good spiritual practice. But if it is God-realisation you want, there is no better place than here." - Swami Chidanandaji

Sri Swami Sivananda (1887 – 1963) was born in Tamil Nadu and from an early age he had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind. After a successful career in medicine in Malayasia, he entered a life of renunciation. Settling in Rishikesh in 1924, he practiced intense austerities. In 1932 he founded Sivanandashram and in 1936 the Divine Life Society was born. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. He authored over 300 books and inspired disciples all over the world, including our beloved Swami Satchidanandaji.

Ganges River. Originating in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganga flows for 1550 miles, passing through and giving life to some of the most populous cities of India, including Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Calcutta. Only two rivers, the Amazon and Congo, have a higher discharge.The holiest river of the Hindus, it is believed that a bath in the Holy Ganges washes away one’s sins.

February 19 - Rishikesh

Vasishta Guha. 'Guha’ means cave. Vasishta was one of the seven sages first created by Lord Brahma out of his willpower. The legend is that he spent hundreds of years meditating in Vasishta Guha. It is believed that a number of Himalayan siddhas have been doing austerities in their subtle bodies inside the back of the cave for thousands of years.

“My highest experience, which was not connected with any particular form, was the experience of Adwaita or Oneness or Enlightenment. I had that in 1949, a few months after my sannyas initiation. It was in mid-Winter, when I visited Vasishta Cave. ...I went into the cave, bending down until, after 25 feet, I reached a large room-like place with a seat. As I sat there and meditated, I had the experience of transcending my body and mind, realizing myself as the Omnipresent. I forgot my individuality. It is impossible to explain exactly what this is.” -Sri Swami Satchidanandaji

Modern Delhi has only been India’s capital since 1931, but thanks to its location—a strategic gateway city—it has long played a critical role in shaping the subcontinent’s history. Today, Delhi is one of India’s largest and multifaceted cities, with medieval-flavored bazaars, historic masterpieces like the Red Fort; and temples, shrines, modern government buildings and hotels.


POINTS OF INTEREST

The Baha’i Temple is popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape. It was completed in 1986 (the same year as the Yogaville LOTUS Shrine!) and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and is a House of Worship for the Baha'i.
Raj Ghat (Gandhi Memorial)is the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi and is one of the most visited sites in Delhi. It consists of a simple square black-marble platform which is inscribed with the words 'Hey Ram!', the last words that were spoken by Gandhi, after being shot by Nathuram Godse.

”And then Gandhi came. He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breaths; like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales from our eyes; like a whirlwind that upset many things, but most of all -- the workings of people’s minds. He did not descend from the top; he seemed to emerge from the millions of India, speaking their language and incessantly drawing attention to them and their appalling conditions. 'Get off the backs of these peasants and workers,' he told us, 'all you who live by their exploitation; get rid of the system that produces this poverty and misery!' Political freedom took a new shape then and acquired a new content.” -Jawaharlal Nehru

The Red Fort is a 17th century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan. It served as the capital of Mughals until 1857, when Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled. The British used it as a military camp until 1947. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.