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10 top reasons to visit India

Mariellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:07:36 +0000

Taj Mahal, Agra, India 2006

[Note: Originally published on Bootsnall as 10 Reasons to visit India now.]

1. The Taj Mahal. Yup, it is. The world’s most beautiful building. This is one of those rare times in life when all of your expectations will be blown away, no matter how much hyperbole you’ve been exposed to about it; no matter how many pictures you’ve seen; no matter how much poetry you’ve read. Tagore had it right when he wrote the Taj Mahal is, “a teardrop on the face of eternity.” See it at sunrise, put up with Agra, do whatever you can, but make sure the Taj Mahal is on your itinerary or you will kick yourself for eternity.

2. Sensory overload. India is a place to be experienced not visited, and the culture shock that jolts your system – often into a heightened sense of awareness and perspective – is part of the fun. So, throw yourself into the mayhem and learn as quickly as you can to enjoy it. You may find that there’s a lot to be said for chaos – and a lot to be said for learning to let go and go with the flow. At the very least, life back home will seem a lot easier to handle.

Photo of Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar, India during aarti, Kumbh Mela 2010

3. Yoga. There are many yoga teachers, schools and ashrams in India to choose from, but you don’t actually need to study yoga to absorb its essential teachings about flow, oneness and finding your inner stillness. Just about everything that happens when you’re traveling in India is an exercise in yoga. Train delay? Perfect time for meditation. Aggressive touts after you? Practise accessing your inner witness and not reacting. Dose of Delhi-belly? Go with the flow (literally) and remember this too shall pass.

4. Festivals. There’s a festival just about every day in India. You name it, and there’s a festival for it: elephants, camels, unmarried women, kites, the nectar of immortality, Krishna’s birthday, Rama’s return, etc., etc. Holi is a favourite of locals and visitors alike. Also called the Festival of Colour, people throw coloured powder at each other and eat sweets in a frenzied celebration of spring. Another favourite is Diwali. Called the Festival of Lights, it takes place in the fall. On the big night, the sky lights up in a blitz of fireworks that last hours and hours and hours and hours ….

Photo of Kanchendzonga at sunrise from Tiger Hill, Darjeeling 2010

5. The Himalayas. Many of the world’s highest mountains – including the top three, Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga – are part of this vast range that runs along India’s eastern border for more than 2,400 kilometres. These are also some of the world’s most sacred mountains. A visit to India is not complete without a stop at a touristy hill station like Simla or Darjeeling, or a sacred city in the foothills, like Rishikesh.

6. Spicy food. If you don’t like spicy food, don’t go to India. It’s not that you can’t avoid it …. But what’s the point?! Opinion is divided as to whether the state of Rajasthan or the southern city of Hyderabad has the hottest food, but you can find hot and spicy dishes all over the country. If you’re worried, order some dahi or curd (yogurt) or a sweet or salty lassi (yogurt drink). The yogurt quenches the fire in your mouth.

7. Shopping in a bazaar or market. In India, a trip to the market (or bazaar) is much more than a shopping expedition: it’s full-on cultural immersion. The markets are incredibly lively, full of colourful merchandise and even more colourful characters. And some of them, like the medieval lanes of Old Delhi, are like a journey into India’s storied past. Go with the unhurried zeal of an explorer, enjoy the process of finding a treasure and get into the spirit of the place by haggling over the price. In India, the fine art of bargaining is part custom, part relationship building exercise and part spectator sport. Don’t let shyness or misplaced ethics keep you from partaking in India’s favourite pastime.

8. Beaches. India has 7,500 kilometres of coastline, and though not all of it is pristine, there are some wonderful stretches, especially in Goa (which tends to be touristy) and Kerala. Most tourists flock to the well-known beaches, which means it’s easy to get far from the madding crowd. Try Gokarna in Karnataka, the beaches of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Tarkarli in Maharastha or Puri in Orissa. Wherever you go, you can find options at each end of the budgetary scale, from tiny beach shacks for $2 per night to seven-star luxury resorts that provide you with your own butler.

9. The caves of Ellora and Ajanta. Ajanta is older and full of Buddhist paintings; Ellora is bigger and features carvings and rock-cut architecture. They’re both within an easy drive of Aurangabad, a nondescript city about a nine-hour train ride inland from Mumbai. But the mere facts do not prepare you for the magnificence of these UNESCO World Heritage sites, second only to the Taj Mahal. The entire two days I spent exploring them I kept thinking, why don’t more people know about these!?

Buddhist cave at Ellora, near Aurangabad, India

10. A long train ride. Preferably overnight. Indian Railways is the world’s largest employer, and the train system in India is extensive to say the least. There are several grades of trains – the best are Shatabdis and Rajdhanis – and three main classes: first, second and third. Second class is usually a good choice with four bunks per compartment, each separated by a curtain; but an overnight train ride in first class on a Rajdhani train is a nice treat (though don’t expect luxury, especially in the bathroom).

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Yoga as a window into Indian culture

Mariellen — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:35:01 +0000

Outdoor yoga class at temple, Varanasi

India hits most foreign visitors with sensorial overload, especially during the first few weeks after arrival. It takes time to become acclimatized to the crowds, noise, pollution, language, culture, religious practises and the way people relate to each other, and to foreigners.

When you visit or move to any new country, there are so many things to get used to. This is especially true if the new culture is extremely different from what you’re used to. And India is about as far from orderly, efficient, sparsely populated, wealthy and cold Canada as you can get.

However, one of India’s most popular cultural exports, yoga, was readily available in my hometown (Toronto) and I practiced and studied it for well over 10 years before I set foot in India for the first time.

Shiva, Rishikesh

On my first trip to India, I was lucky enough to stay with family friends in Delhi and was somewhat shielded from the inevitable culture shock first time-visitors to the subcontinent experience. But I will never forget the first time I traveled by car.

My friend drove me to one of his favourite restaurants, and I felt like I was on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. A simple drive to a restaurant a few kilometres away left me feeling lucky to be alive! As we careened in and out of traffic, cars and trucks honked noisily around us, motorcycles carrying entire families zipped by, cows strolled lazily along and no one was paying any attention to their lane … it was madness.

Yoga helped me feel more at home

Knowing yoga seemed to pave the way for me to gain a quicker understanding of India’s culture. It made my adaptation easier and my stay (12 months in total) much more satisfying. As I traveled throughout the country, I visited several yoga ashrams and studied with several teachers. I felt calm and confident in these environments and the experience gave me a deeper insight into the country’s spiritual life than I might have had.

Top floor yoga hall at Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, Rishikesh

Yoga is one of the six schools of Hinduism, and India is a predominantly Hindu country (85% of the population is Hindu). Through yoga, I was introduced to the spiritual philosophy of Hinduism, which is very different from the Judeo-Christian worldview I was brought up with.

Through my yoga studies, I arrived in India already familiar with many spiritual and religious practices. I was very familiar with the om symbol, which is both the symbol for Hinduism and yoga; and I knew the Gayatri Mantra, which is one of the primary prayers in Hinduism. I also knew some common chants, and was familiar with Hindu imagery, some of the more popular gods, such as Shiva, and the “bible” of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita – which is also one of the most important books in yoga.

Yoga hall at Aurovalley Ashram, Rishidwar

Yoga also gave me some familiarity with the language. Many of the terms used are in Sanskrit, the language Hindi derives from. For example, surya namaskar (sun salutation) is a common yoga practice, which taught me the words for sun (surya) and hello (namaskar).

Without my yoga studies, I would have had a much harder time understanding the behaviour of people who are not as achievement-oriented as we are in the west. Many people who go to India cannot understand why a shopkeeper would rather go home and have tea with his family than sell you something. India’s systems often seem archaic, inefficient and slow to us – but it is because they run on different values.

Yogi Vishvketu, cow, Ganges, Rishikesh

There is a big difference in the mindset and culture of a people who believe that you only live once, as compared to people who believe that you live again and again. Such an expansive view of time and opportunity seems to make people much more relaxed about things!

Yoga gave me a window into India’s culture. But I believe that studying dance, a musical instrument, history or some other aspect of the culture could have provided a similar window.

Finding something specific in a new culture and studying it before you arrive is a bit like creating your own welcome committee. And it can work with any culture.

Where to go for yoga in India

Yoga students from the west are extremely well received in India and there are lots of programs developed specifically for them. Sincerity is the only requirement; experience is not necessary. There are an unaccountable number of yoga ashrams in India, but many of them cater to Indians and would therefore be unsuitable to most foreigners. Listed below are some of the best ashrams and organizations for foreign students.

Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, Risikesh

Rishikesh is the yoga capital of the world and foreign students flock there all year ‘round. There are many, many ashrams, courses and programs available – some are more suitable for foreigners than others. I stay at Anand Prakash, which was founded by an Indian yogi and his Canadian wife. Best of both worlds!

Aurovalley Ashram, Rishidwar

This is my “home” ashram. Situated between Rishikesh and Haridwar, the ashram is a garden, surrounded by meadows and ringed by a national park. Founder Swami Brahmdev teaches the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother: all life is yoga. There are no programs or courses here, and it is in a somewhat isolated location: it is an ashram best suited to people who do not need structure.

Art of Living Foundation, Bengaluru

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is one of the leading spiritual figures in India and his Art of Living courses are highly regarded. Headquarters is in Bengaluru (Bangalore), but there are courses in many places.

Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore

K. Pattabhi Jois developed Ashtanga Yoga, which became a world-wide phenomenon. The highly venerated teacher passed away recently, but his yoga shala is still going strong. It is situated in beautiful Mysore, which is also a yoga centre. You will have to sign up in advance for courses as they fill up.

Auroville, Tamil Nadu

Sri Aurobindo and his spiritual partner, The Mother, are considered leading spiritual figures of the 20^th century in India. The Mother established Auroville as an experimental, world community. Set among lush palm groves and white sand beaches north of Pondicherry, there are many accommodation options and courses available.

Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar

One of the leading schools of yoga in India for locals and foreigners alike. It is a very well-regarded school, but it is in a remote and poor region of the country. Students tend to go for extended courses.

BKS Iyengar Yoga, Pune

BKS Iyengar is probably one of the world’s most famous yoga teachers. His centre in Pune, near Mumbai, attracts students from all over the world.

International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, Kerala

Sivananda is world-wide organization that specializes in yoga teacher training. Their ashram in Kerala is very popular, and is situated in a lovely, lush area of beautiful Kerala.

Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai

Krishnamacharya was considered to be the teacher of teachers (Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois were among his students). This teaching centre is highly regarded and is perhaps the best place to learn therapeutic yoga. It is located in a very urban area of Chennai, India’s fourth largest city (formerly called Madras).

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Memories of Rishidwar and saying goodbye to India (for now)

Mariellen — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:34:09 +0000

Front gate of "the Beatles ashram," Rishikesh

All you need is love

This blog is dedicated to my older brother Matthew. If it wasn’t for his Beatles obsession in the late 60s and early 70s, I might never have come to India. I used to follow him around when we were children, which meant listening to a lot of Beatles music. I remember looking intently at the pictures of the Beatles — especially George Harrison, my fave — wearing long hair, flowing shirts and marigold garlands. I had always loved anything “Oriental, exotic and mystical,” and when the Beatles went to India, I was entranced. I secretly wished I was old enough to be a “hippie” and join them.

Charming Bengali sadhu at Beatles ashram gate

And this year for the first time, I actually made it to the “Beatles ashram” — the former ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — on the outskirts of Rishikesh. It was a very hot day and I was stupidly not carrying water or a hat, but I was determined to go. When I got there, a very enganging Bengali sadhu was sitting at the entrance with two middle aged German men, also Beatles pilgrims. The gate was closed and the gatekeeper was not going to let me in until I waved my magic talisman at him — my letter of introduction from the Ministry of Tourism.

So I went in alone, and walked up the path towards the main building with the gatekeeper’s warnings about wild animals foremost in my mind. The ashram has been abandoned for many years and is overgrown by jungle and very creepy. But you can tell it must have been a beautiful spot and it still commands one of the best locations in Rishikesh.

Beatles ashram, pathway with "beehive" meditation huts

However, after only a few minutes of picture snapping, I noticed a tree nearby waving ominously and thought: “It’s either monkeys or an elephant and in either case, I’m outta here!” But in those brief moments I think I closed a loop, opened when I was a child. So much of my India experience has been about living my dreams, many of them first conceived when I was a “pensive” girl. I still really love so many of those India-inspired Beatles songs, such as Within You, Without You, Dear Prudence and Across the Universe (apparently the Beatles were extremely prolific during the weeks they spent in Rishikesh, writing more than 20 songs). So it was fun to connect to the spirit of the music through the place.

Shiva, god of yoga, seated in meditative bliss, Rishikesh

In the abode of Shiva

I actually spent only one night in Rishikesh this year, camping out on the floor of my friend and teacher’s living room. His ashram, Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, was full, but as it turned out, I think I had the best room in the place as its big picture windows faced towards the mountains. All night I felt the rush of wind coming down from the foothills of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are the abode of Shiva and I really felt his presence in this scintillating wind, unlike any other wind I have ever felt.

Normally I love the peace of Rishikesh, and the natural beauty of its setting at the top of the valley, where the green Ganga river tumbles out of the mountains. It’s a gorgeous place, and at the top end of the town (Tapovan and Lakshman Jhula) are white sand beaches lining the fresh, clean, cool river. But this year, the entire area was overrun with Kumbh Mela pilgrims and I couldn’t wait to get to peaceful Aurovalley Ashram. So after walking through town and taking pictures of the Beatles ashram and the alabaster-white statue of Shiva, I was ready to leave.

The quiet end of Rishikesh

Going to Rishikesh was part of the “loop-closing” nature of this trip to India. I have come to realize the theme for this trip is “coming down to earth.” I fell in love with India on my first trip (2005-2006), and on this trip, my fourth, the honeymoon ended and the relationship began. It has been a bit of a bumpy landing, but I am open and accepting of this stage in the process as I know it will lead to a more balanced and realistiic view and experience of India; more clarity; and more reasonable expectations. Just like in any relationship, when the stardust evaporates from your eyes and you see the person as they really are.

Okay India bye bye

At sunrise on the Ganga near Aurovalley ashram

I’m writing this in Delhi, during my final week in India on this trip. I’ve been here for about three months this time, and in some ways it feels like a lifetime. I’ve been to Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Kolkata, Darjeeling and Sikkim; and more recently I spent almost a month at Aurovalley Ashram, which lies halfway between Rishikesh and Haridwar — home of this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela. This blog is not about my whole trip, but about the time I spent in Rishidwar (Rishikesh-Haridwar), and the realizations I gleaned from my meditative time there.

Beautiful Gopi lives at the ashram

I deliberately scheduled my introspective time for the end of my trip, to try and process everything I saw, felt, learned and experienced. Whenever I spend time at Aurovalley Ashram, I always feel that I have healed some part of myself; and I always feel my consciousness has grown. It’s hard to explain, but I always feel different. Last year for example, I realized that I had become vegetarian. It wasn’t a conscious choice; I had just evolved into being pure veg. It just felt right. This year, I turned my attention to my digestive problems and by eating slowly and consciously, I did a lot of deep healing work. And I also spent a lot of time just being with myself, and getting back in contact with my Self. This is probably the most important — and most underrated — activity of life.

Writing India

In future, I think I will be much more discerning about how I spend my time and money in India. I have now been to almost all of India’s big cities and I don’t need to go again unless there is a good reason (except for my home base in Delhi). I also don’t need to go to big tourist attractions again, like the Taj Mahal, the forts of Jaipur and Jodhpur, the Victoria Memorial, the Gateway to India, etc.

Bridges lights over the Ganga, Haridwar

My interests are in rural/traditional and wilderness areas (especially protecting the tiger), spiritual India, culture (music, dance, books, film) and the welfare of women and children. I am always looking for real people, places and projects in these areas for my blog or print articles, and I will continue to do so; especially off the beaten path (I am setting my sights on Gujurat, Madya Pradesh and Orissa for future trips). I want to refine and focus my travel in India, and my writing topics — and of course I will continue on my mission to share the beauty of India’s wisdom and culture with the world.

Govinda Baba is originally from Toronto. I met him in Benares in 2009 and bumped into him this year at the Kumbh Mela.

As ususal, I met a lot of amazing people on this trip. My community in India is growing and strengthening all the time, and my sense of having a second home is becoming more substantial. I am working in India for the first time (writing for several Indian magazines), which also helps to bring the experience of being here down to earth.

I am ending this trip with a stay at the Haveli Hari Ganga in Haridwar, living in the family home in Delhi, and an upper respiratory tract infection — which was exactly how I began my first trip to India in December 2005. It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another: my introductory or honeymoon period to India has ended and the real relationship has begun.

So thank you to India, to the people of India, for making my trip relatively problem-free, and full of memorable and magical moments that I will never forget. Enjoy the pictures. India is a photographer’s — and artist’s — paradise. It even turns amatuers like me into enthusiasts.

Cleansing the Ganga with milk during aarti in Haridwar

Upcoming on BreatheDreamGo

I will be publishing lots more India travel blogs after I return to Canada. I have lots of material — photos, interviews, adventures — that I haven’t written about yet. You will meet the director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the King of Darjeeling tea; you will have tours of some wonderful places to stay in India, such as Haveli Hari Ganga and the Windamere Hotel; you will be able to enjoy my interviews with several spiritual masters, including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; and you will find out about some magical nights I spent in Delhi attending a Sufi music festival (where the star performer reminded me of Janis Joplin) and an intimate night of music and dance hosted by Pandit Ravi Shankar in honour of George Harrison’s birthday. Yes, that George Harrison.

Sign on terrace in Haridwar

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Alone, and at home, at the Kumbh Mela

Mariellen — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:37:51 +0000

Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar during Maha Kumbh Mela

A sea of humanity, an ocean of bliss

April 14, 2010 was the highly auspicious final Royal Bathing Day at the Maha Kumbh Mela – the biggest and perhaps most important spiritual festival in the Hindu world, and the largest gathering of humanity on earth. As I was staying at my spiritual home, Aurovalley Ashram, just about 10 kilometres upstream from Haridwar, I found myself caught up in the excitement. And on the morning of the big day itself, I found myself alone, smack in the centre of the Kumbh Mela, at the extremely sacred Har-ki-Pauri ghat in Haridwar, surrounded by millions, probably tens of millions, of pilgrims, devotees, tourists, naga sadhus, babas, sunnyasis, pandits, swamis, VIPs and god knows who else. All the roads into and out of Haridwar in every direction were closed for miles around, the sun was climbing and the temperature was starting to soar to above 40 C. It was one of the peak experiences of my life: In that moment, I had to face my fears.

A drop in the ocean…

The morning of the Royal Bath, I had walked the 10 kms into Haridwar with Swami Brahmdev (Swamiji), my teacher and a group from the ashram. We left at 5 am and walked along the Ganga River at dawn, then through a stretch of ashrams, a sadhus enclave, a village and a lovely area of natural beauty before passing several huge temples and the flat, barren areas on the outskirts of Haridwar that were filled with camps. Huge billboards plastered with garishly coloured pictures of swamis and babas lined the way, with seas of khaki tents for their followers billowing behind.

Swamiji leading us through the forest

We started with just about 12 people, alone on a small forest path, but as the sun came up and we got closer to Haridwar, we were joined by an increasing number of people until we were surrounded by thousands, and then, perhaps, millions. If you have never seen or experienced anything like this, imagine the film Gandhi. An enormous mass of people were streaming into Haridwar to take a dip on the sacred ghats (steps down to the river) at this extremely auspicious moment.

According to Hindu belief, at the time of creation, the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) churned the ocean until the kumbh (pot) of amrita, the nectar of immortality, appeared. A fierce battle for the kumbh ensued, between the devas and asuras. During the 12 days (12 years in human life) struggle over the kumbh, four drops fell on earth, in four different places, and every 12 years there is a mela (festival) at one of these places to commemorate the devas’ victory in wresting the kumbh from the asuras. It is a victory of light over dark; truth over ignorance; positivity over negativity. One of the four drops fell where the sacred city of Haridwar is located in north India

Evening aarti to honour Ganga during Maha Kumbh Mela

This year the Maha Kumbh Mela took place in Haridwar over a period of about four months – with the final culmination of the mela taking place when the sun entered Aries and Jupiter entered Aquarius on the new moon, April 14, 2010. (Someone told me this happens once in 5,000 years.) This was the moment of the Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) – the most auspicious time to bathe in the Ganga (Ganges River). I read that 10-12 million people bathed in Haridwar on April 14.

At play in the river

The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity on earth. Millions of people gather from all over India, some walking for many days and weeks, to have a bath in the Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri, a very small, narrow stretch of ghats that run alongside the river as it wends its way through Haridwar. It is astonishing in so many ways and for so many reasons. In this cynical day and age, to find so many people of such powerful faith is astonishing. To have many millions of people living together in tents and camps, and taking turns bathing along a small stretch of river, largely without incident is astonishing. To achieve the kind of order and organization that such an event takes in INDIA, of all places, is astonishing! And just to be there, to be part of it, to see the people – the naga sadhus (naked holy men), swamis, babas, sunnyasis, pilgrims – is astonishing.

At a ceremony to inaugurate a naga sadhu

I had asked Swamiji about the Kumbh, and why people go, what is the purpose and the best attitude to take. He said that an event like the Kumbh helps put people in direct contact with the Divine. No mediators are needed. I know now what he meant.

A pilgrim brushing his teeth

After about two-and-a-half hours of walking we passed the enormous statue of Shiva that greets visitors to Haridwar arriving from the Rishikesh side, and soon after we reached the start of the ghats that line the river into Haridwar. I was never so happy to see Shiva in all my life! The first ghat was closed to the public – only VIPs allowed. I had a media pass, and another ashramite had an all-access pass, and between the two of use, we got the whole group into the VIP enclosure (after the usual round of argument and negotiation with the guards, of course). This was a lovely place to be, well-located, spacious and calm – the perfect place to bathe, and I am so grateful to Swamiji for leading us directly there.

After taking my dip in the Ganga

I entered the chilly water at about 7:30 am, fully clothed, propelled along by excitement, energy and the full knowledge of how incredibly lucky and privileged I was to have had such an experience. It was more than once-in-a-lifetime; it was once in several lifetimes! I did puja, reciting the mantra Jai Ganga Mataji, held onto the rail (the current is very swift) and dipped three times in the water. Afterwards I stood up, hands in prayer, and just took some time to feel the blessings and the energy, and savour the momentousness. I felt pure joy and exhilaration. I was riding a wave of bliss that was running through the entire Kumbh Mela and uniting the millions. I felt my feet on the ghat, the water up to my waist, and a current running through me, through the water.

Swamiji taking his dip

All around me, the other people bathing were also expressing happiness and joy. Families bathing together, friends, my fellow ashramites. And across from us, a sea of people heading towards the river, or in it, or walking away from it – everyone united in the desire to honour Ganga Mataji, the mother river of India, and receive the highest blessings from her as the stars aligned above our heads.

Afterwards, I had the presence of mind to get out my camera and I documented Swamiji’s bath with both photos and video. He waited to bathe until we were almost finished, watching over us. I felt completely protected. When everyone was ready to go back to the ashram, I was torn – should I go with them or take my chances and try to make it to the media platform in the centre of Har-ki-pauri. I was afraid to go alone, but I didn’t want to miss the chance; and I had made a decision to at least live one day in full faith of the Divine. The group went left, towards the ashram, and I went right, into the heart of the mela.

Woman on the road to Haridwar

I reached the media platform by walking with the river of pilgrims into Har-ki-pauri, but the guards wouldn’t let me up. The platform was completely full – a very small space for the world’s journalists – and no amount of cajoling could move them. I saw my friends from the ashram on the platform (one Colombian group was there making a documentary about the Ganga, and two men from Pondicherry were there taking photographs). They were the people I hoped to attach myself to, and return to the ashram with (in their vehicle). But when the guards wouldn’t let me up, I knew I was on my own. With nowhere to go, and no way to get back to the ashram except by walking, I had to think fast as the sun was climbing and the heat was building. This was a peak moment for me, a moment of facing just about every fear I have ever had. I had to find my way back to the ashram through an unknown route, alone amidst crowds of millions coming the other way as the sun climbed in the sky.

Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar, on April 14

And I decided to go. To take my chances and walk back, and let the Divine guide me. I went with confidence, positivity and purpose. I remembered that even when Gandhi was an old man, he was still a very good and very fast walker. I thought about how I had on top-quality walking sandals, and, in my backpack, a bottle of water, a bag of peanuts , two oranges, a hat and sunscreen. I was fit and healthy. So many of the people around me were old, frail, bent, poor, shoeless. So I went. I walked all the way back to the ashram, somehow finding the route, and I was back in time for satsang, at about noon. The bottoms of my feet were covered in blisters, but aside from that, I was completely well, exhilarated from my experience and my achievement. I felt I would never be the same – and realized that this is the entire point.

Swamiji talks about how we are here to learn, grow and change. Each experience gives us a drop of knowledge, and the more we use our knowledge – LIVE our knowledge – the more we grow our consciousness. The more conscious we are, the more we realize our truth, who we really are: part of the Divine. In ignorance we think in terms of duality; in truth, we are One. On the Kumbh Mela day, I definitely grew in terms of my faith in my own strength and my faith in the Divine. I feel I have already benefited from the blessings of bathing in the Ganga at that auspicious time; and I hope I am contributing to the increased consciousness of all.

Flowing with the current

The sweetest naga sadhu I met at he Kumbh mela

To be honest, I came to Aurovalley Ashram without the thought of the Kumbh Mela in my head. I knew it was taking place, but I did not plan to go. I needed the peace and solitude of Aurovalley to recover from fatigue, stress and chronic digestive problems – and, generally, to recover my equilibrium and reconnect to myself and my spiritual path. The past year has been a tough one – among other things, I was really focused on launching my travel writing career and my blog, and I have never worked so hard in all my life – and it really left me feeling depleted. I did not think I would find the strength to face the Kumbh Mela’s crowds, chaos and massive amount of energy. Also, I have been in Haridwar several times before and I have always found the energy there quite disturbing. It’s a Shiva city, and Shiva is the destroyer – the destroyer of the unneeded – and while that energy is cleansing, it is turbulent too.

Lalit: The heart of the Kumbh Mela

However, after about two weeks at the ashram I was feeling like a new person – calm, happy, healthy, energized – and then Lalit appeared. Lalit is a 6’ 3” Punjabi man from Pondicherry who has the exuberance of an entire class of school boys, the strength of an elephant, the positivity of a guru and the charm of a Bollywood star. He and his friend Jean-Pierre, a tall, suave, enthusiastic French man, arrived to go to the Kumbh Mela and take photos, and they did it with an infectious spirit that swept me up. Before you know it, I was with these two characters, in the camp of the naga sadhus (naked holy men), meeting men covered in ashes and mala beads and very little else.

A very handsome naga sadhu from Rajasthan

Lalit and Jean-Pierre just dove in, talking to the naga sadhus, taking their pictures. We spent about four hours in their camp, spending a lot of time in particular with two independent sadhus and one group. I felt especially calm and comfortable with the group, who had their guru, their baba, with them. One of the men spoke some English and we talked a little. When we were leaving, he told me he was my brother and gave me a topaz. I gave him a bracelet I was wearing. Another young man was very friendly towards me and enjoyed getting his picture taken. Although it was very hot, I had an enjoyable time. The camp we were in was actually in town, in a maze of alleys. Temporary tents and enclosures had been erected for them, which included electricity and water taps. Most of the tents had some fans running, and some even had TVs and DVD players.

Naga sadhu demonstrating his yoga prowess

The two independent sadhus we spent time with both showed us how they can wrap their penises around a pole and then move or exert pressure on the pole in some way. One had a man stand on the pole as he held it horizontally behind him! I really didn’t know what to think. It seems like a waste of time and effort to me. How does it benefit anyone? But I politely watched and tried to take some pictures, which didn’t really turn out that well. I mean, I just wasn’t prepared. I don’t remember any photography instructor covering this particular situation.

Some of the naga sadhus spend a lot of time doing this

I really don’t know how holy these men are: they seem to spend a lot of time on their “look” – their hair, make-up, jewelry. They spend a lot more time than me, I am sure! I don’t mean to judge them; honestly, I just don’t get it. One of my Indian friends said that many become sadhus due to a lack of options and opportunities. I guess it is like everything else: there are genuine and sincere naga sadhus and those who are just passing time. Another of the sadhus we spent time with was very taken with me – no doubt the blonde hair and fair skin – and spoke to my friend in Hindi, at length, about how excited he felt looking at me, and how he wanted me to come back and spend time with him. He even tried to get my phone number!

By about 3 p.m. we were very hot and tired and Lalit lead us to a beautiful, private bathing ghat in a huge home on the river that was occupied by people from the Aurobindo organization. We went down some stairs and came out into a gorgeous garden and a small, private ghat where only the three of us bathed. It was cool and heavenly. I felt very lucky.

This man has held up his arm for many years

Afterwards, we tried to make our way toward Har-ki-pauri for the aarti, the evening puja to honour the Ganga. I was tired and found the crowds of people too intense, so I stopped at the Haveli Hari Ganga, a beautiful hotel on the river. I have stayed there before, so I asked if I could wait there while Lalit and Jean-Pierre went to the aarti. I sat on a lovely upstairs balcony and sipped tea, and even had a reflexology treatment in the top-floor spa while my friends were battling for a spot to take pictures. They were exhausted and frazzled when they returned, while I was cool, calm and refreshed.

I was sorry I missed the aarti, but it turns out I really did make the right choice. Two days later I went to the Media Centre and was pleasantly surprised to discover I qualified for a media pass. With that in hand, I went to the media platform in Har-ki-Pauri, directly across from the aarti, and had the best view possible. This was just two days before the BIG DAY and there was only a handful of media on the platform. In fact, most of them were staying at Aurovalley Ashram!

Naga sadhu smoking

Aside from myself, Lalit and Jean-Pierre were there, and a group of seven wonderful young Colombian people making a documentary about the Ganga. So I was able to get a comfortable ride back to the ashram, and was very grateful for the smoothness of my day.

Even getting the media pass took only an hour, and I didn’t even have my passport with me. Apparently it’s not possible to get a media pass without a passport. It’s also not possible to take a train from Delhi to Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela without a ticket, but I did that too … (I was number 48 on the waiting list and thought I had seat 48! An amazingly kind train superintendent actually gave me his seat, just two minutes before the train left.) So, I really do feel the Divine’s grace, guidance and protection.

In the end, I went to the Kumbh Mela three times from Aurovalley Ashram, in the days before the Royal Bath, with rest days in between at this peaceful haven. It took a lot of energy, and I felt a lot of energy when I was there – in fact, I could feel my spine tingling as electrical currents surged up and down. I am very glad I went; it was a great experience. But I still prefer the peaceful, nature-imbued Aurovalley Ashram and the beautiful natural setting of Rishikesh. I am better at feeling the Divine’s presence in nature than in man-made structures and events. But of course the Divine is everywhere and in everything …

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Aurovalley Ashram: A haven of peace and conscious living

Mariellen — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:40:44 +0000

Swamiji entering one of the gates of Aurovalley Ashram

Harmony is the hallmark of consciousness

One evening at Aurovalley Ashram, I walked out of the circular white meditation hall and into the verdant Rishidwar valley soaked in a mauve sunset. The air was filled with devotion. Devotional chants came from both the nearby sadhu’s ashram on the Ganga and from the Kumbh Mela 12 kms down the valley, in Haridwar. Even from the ashram grounds, I could see the lights of Kumbh Mela temples blazing on the hill tops around the sacred city. Many varieties of birds added their songs of love to the devotional mix, as did the warm breeze that blew down from the Himalayan foothills.

coming out of the meditation hall at sunset

I was surrounded completely by nature – by the trees, flowers and birds on the ashram grounds, and the meadows and mist-covered Shivalik Hills of Rajaji National Park that surround the ashram and run alongside the Ganga, India’s most sacred river. I truly felt I was in a paradise created by, and devoted to, the love of the divine.

The next morning after breakfast, I cycled to a peaceful local Hindu temple, and from there to a spot near the ashram gate where I could walk down a rocky path to the Ganga. At the foot of the path, on the river, is a tiny temple and ghat (steps). Although it was only about 9:30 am, it was already very hot and sunny.

The glorious Ganga near Aurovalley Ashram

I sat in the cool shade of the temple watching the rolling blue-green river and listening to the water gurgle happily over a shoal. The Ganga here is luminous, it seems lit from within, and just watching it induces a refreshing feeling of peace and contentment. After some time, a sadhu (holy man) in saffron orange robes came by and dunked himself in the river. After washing himself, he proceeded to wash his orange kurtah and robes, and scrub his brass vessel with mud to clean it.

The ghat on the Ganga

At this place, the Ganga travels through a national park and there are almost no people, no buildings here – only pristine nature. On the other side of the river are the mountains and jungles of the park – which, I am told, are home to elephants, king cobras and panthers. To see this sadhu performing his ablutions in this setting, is to see an ancient ritual that has been played out countless times by countless sadhus stretching back thousands of years: It is both commonplace and sublime.

For me it is all part of the remarkable magic of Aurovalley Ashram.

I am writing this on the white marble terrace in front of my airy room at Aurovalley Ashram. I love it here, it is probably my favourite place on earth. I have tried before to describe the peace of this place. There are some such places on earth where nature and man conspire to create havens of solitude and beauty. Aurovalley is one such place.

the guest house terrace

There is a subtle but powerful energy here that is both peaceful and healing. I have described before how I first came to this ashram on the advice of my friend Kailash, who has been coming here for many years. Soon after arriving I fell into a deep, restful, loving sleep. I slept for only about half an hour but it felt like the best sleep of my life. It was as if loving maternal arms held me as I slept. I woke and felt something I had never felt in my adult life: I felt I was at home.

Aurovalley is my spiritual home. It has everything I need to recover, heal, grow, create, do my inner work and commune with the divine. The ashram is between Rishikesh and Haridwar, but both of those sacred cities feel like three-ring circuses compared to here. It is set in the countryside, about three kilometres from the nearest village, surrounded by meadows that are ringed by Rajaji National Park. It is not only surrounded by nature, it is a celebration of nature. The ashram grounds are filled with gardens and trees, flowers and birds – it is a garden of eden, a paradise, carefully nurtured and maintained by founder Swami Brahmdev (Swamiji) and the loving people who live and work here.

inside the circular meditation hall

I love Aurovalley for the peaceful energy and nature-oriented environment, but that’s not all. I also love the intelligently designed buildings, spaces and daily programme. My room is a simple design, all in white, and air and sunlight flow through unimpeded. It is elegant in its cleanliness and simplicity. I love meditating in the white marble circular meditation hall. Normally, I cannot achieve a deep meditation without asana practice, but in this hall there is so much help, so much deep energy that meditation is actually easy and I have had some remarkably profound insightful and healing experiences.

Swamiji at satsang, answering our questions with love and humour

I love satsang (Sanskrit for “search for truth”) with Swamiji. He sits every morning from 11:30 until 1 pm, lunch time, under a grove of trees outside the library and answers questions, which is the time-honoured method of spiritual instruction in India. Swamiji teaches sadhaks (people who stay at the ashram) to increase their conscious awareness and aspire to live in full faith of the divine. He is a disciple of the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Sri Aurobindo’s non-fiction masterwork is The Integral Yoga — which posits that All Life is Yoga. (His fiction masterwork is the epic mystical poem Savitiri.)

You cannot “do” yoga

But this is not the usual yoga you find at North American yoga studios. Swamiji says, “Millions of people are saying they are doing yoga, but what they are doing has nothing to do with yoga. They are doing some kind of exercises and other things. Yoga means to become One, and to become One is to be centred, to be a balanced person, a conscious person. It is not an outer thing, it is an internal thing. No one can see you are doing yoga. If anybody sees that you are doing yoga, this is not yoga. Yoga us a very secret internal process; it is a way of living with a very high understanding, with clarity. Yoga is not a subject of doing. Yoga is not to do. Yoga is an attitude. You never see a yogi doing yoga.”

the vegetable garden

The ashram takes care of all needs, including the physical: there is a daily asana class in the newly built and sun-filled yoga hall, three delicious vegetarian meals a day in the communal dining hall (some of the produce comes from the ashram’s organic garden), a library, Internet café, a store that sells books by and about Sri Aurobindo and The Mother (and lovely Auroshika products such as mala beads, oils and incense) and a new Ayurveda clinic. The clinic is staffed by a Colombian allopathic doctor who trained in Ayurveda at a university in Gujurat. She offers complete pancha karma treatment.

For me, the other main highlight of Aurovalley Ashram is its proximity to Ganga Ma, the Ganges River, mother river of India. It is only a short walk through a meadow to the river, which in this place is in a completely natural environment.

sunrise on the Ganga on morning of auspicious bathing day

Spirituality means simplicity

Upstream from here is Rishikesh and downstream is Haridwar. This year the Maha Kumbh Mela is taking place in Haridwar and it is attracting millions of devotees. The Maha Kumbh Mela is the biggest gathering of humanity on earth. On a recent major bathing day, I went down to the Ganga at sunrise and was for some time the only person on the small ghats (steps) down to the river. It was chilly and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go in the cool water. But something bigger than me impelled me and I found myself carried by a wave of energy into the river. Coming up, I felt such exhilaration. It is very hard to explain. I was joined soon after by four Brahmin men, and we each did our puja and took our dip in silence and separateness. It was lovely, peaceful and deeply moving.

As the sun came up, it tinged the sky and glossy surface of the water an iridescent rosy pink. It was a beautiful scene, primordial in its pristine beauty, and the Hindu ritual to honour the river is ancient, too. I felt such reverence for nature; and such reverence from nature. Indeed, I feel these are the times when I feel closest to the divine

Meanwhile, downstream in Haridwar there were probably literally millions streaming into the Ganga at that same moment. I could hear the chants blaring from loudspeakers 12 kms away. I know some people love the intense energy of such a big crowd and all the attendant music, chanting, pujas, swamis, babas and the like, but I was very content with my peaceful bath.

Life at the ashram offers the rare opportunity for a very quiet, simple existence, centred around inner reflection. Lots of time for reading, writing, walking in nature, meditating. I find that I am healing on a deep level just by being here and participating in the ashram lifestyle. Every moment is an opportunity to live consciously and to grow in understanding. A carving at the entrance to the ancient oracle of Delphi said “know thyself” and that, too, could be the motto of this ashram. In this day and age it is so amazing to find a place like this that completely supports someone who wants to “know thyself” and therefore become a better person and contribute to a better world.

“Know thyself” is a way of life

But lest you think being at Aurovalley is an escape from life, or from yourself; or that it offers a naïve and unrealistic “peace and love” panacea, you have only to read some of the *inspirational* signs that are placed around the ashram grounds to discover that this ashram is quite the opposite. In fact, because Swamiji is so clear, honest and rigorous in his thinking and approach; and because the ashram provides so few distractions, there is no escape from yourself here. It is the perfect place to confront yourself and discover how you are: how you think, how you judge, how you avoid, how you evade, etc.

Swamiji is one of the most honest people I know. Some people may find his honesty bracing, but after years of Gestalt therapy I am ready for it and I find it refreshing. For example, I asked him about the concepts of samadhi, nirvana, moksha and enlightenment and he replied that they are, “varieties of ignorance.” He doesn’t agree with the idea of renouncing life or living in a cave in the Himalayas. Life is for living he says. It is to experience, to grow, to move, to change. We live in a garden and we are all gardeners. Our job is to make the garden beautiful – and we do this by living with fearless courage AND consciousness. He says, “Live in the world, but do not let the world live in you.”

Another example: I asked Swamiji why people go to the Kumbh Mela. He said, “People have within them a need for entertainment.” Of course, he went on the explain that nature has many ways to move and change people; and people have created many ways, too, such as amusements like the Kumbh Mela, movies, etc. I exclaimed, “Is going to a movie the same as the Kumbh Mela?!” and he replied, with lightness, “Well, if it’s a very good movie,” and everyone laughed.

When asked about pain or difficulties, Swamiji says that we do not have difficulties – we have only our own rigid natures. Pain he calls a filter, and suffering a gift – they are both teachers. It seems almost everything Swamiji says has the same message: that we are here to learn, change, move and grow, and that it is nature’s, or the divine’s, way to teach us, with whatever means possible. The more positive we are in our response to life, the more conscious we become, the faster we learn.

Almost every morning satsang is eye-opening (perhaps I should say third-eye opening!). Recently, he talked at length about healing, and about how nature is filled with healing forces. He made a very persuasive argument for positive thinking and conscious healing as the best *doctor.* In fact, he said “no doctor, no illness.” He teaches that we become what we think. If we think we are healthy, we will be. If we think we are sick, we will be.

two children who live at the ashram

There are many wonderful people who work hard and contribute to making this such a clean, well-maintained and conscious place, but it is primarily the vision of Swamiji, who came here more than 20 years ago when it was just a jungle, and who slowly built it into what it is today – a sanctuary of conscious living. If harmony is the hallmark of consciousness, as Swamiji remarked during satsang, then Aurovalley must be a highly conscious place indeed.

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10 Tips for women traveling in India

Mariellen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:38:02 +0000

[NOTE: Originally published on Journeywoman, July 2009.]

Moi, in salwar kameez, at Kanyakumari - the very southern tip of India

1. Wear “salwar kameez”

Aside from good walking shoes and sandals, a one-piece bathing suit and cotton bras and underwear – or, if you prefer, the synthetic kind that wicks away sweat – don’t bring any clothes to India. If you land in Delhi, head straight to one of the Fabindia outlets and stock up on inexpensive cotton “suits.” The three-piece suit (in Hindi, salwar kameez) consists of a long or short tunic over fitted or wide-legged pants, topped with a long scarf, called a dupatta. These outfits suit the climate, the need for modesty and will help you fit in, mitigating your status as a moving target for gawkers, touts and beggars.

2. Carry a long scarf

Even if you don’t opt for wearing the costume preferred by many women in India, the “suit” or salwar kameez, always travel with a long scarf made of light-weight fabric. It will come in handy for situations where modesty will be more convenient and allow you to go into mosques, gurdwaras and more traditionally minded Hindu temples.

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur

3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

Jas Vilas Hotel in posh Bani Park, Jaipur is a favourite accommodation option, a real gem, but it is on the expensive side and often full. The owner’s niece, Sanyogita – who is a Rajput royal – recently opened a comfortable and gracious guesthouse in her lovely home. The Rawla, also in Bani Park, offers modern amenities, good food, and, best of all, Sanyogita’s company and advice. Sanyogita is a charming hostess who knows Jaipur like the back of her hand.

4. Bring tissue and hand sanitizer

In India, I never go out for the day without a mini pack or two of tissues, a small bottle of hand disinfectant, a cell phone and an iPod shuffle. I use the cell phone to call a friend and report the number of the taxi, as I get in, and so that the driver can hear me. (If no one answers, I pretend!) In markets and bazaars, I sometimes turn up the iPod so that I can’t hear the aggressive vendors, and they eventually leave me alone.

5. TripAdvisor

Check TripAdvisor.com for recommendations and tips from fellow travelers.

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi

6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

I was very glad that I stayed at the Hotel Ganges View, Assi Ghat, in Varanasi. Aside from being a comfortable and safe place to stay, it also features a communal dining experience in the gracious dining room. At dinner, I met other women traveling alone, and a couple of us went on to Delhi together, sharing some of the expenses.

7. Yoga capital: Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a wonderful destination for a woman traveling alone in India who is interested in health, wellness, yoga or spirituality. The “yoga capital of the world” is a relatively serene town that meanders along the jewel-green Ganges River as it cascades through a beautiful valley among the Himalayan foothills. There are many safe accommodation options in ashrams (such as my fave, the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram) and guesthouses and lots of opportunity to take yoga classes, study and meet other women traveling alone.

8. IndiaMike.com

IndiaMike.com a great online resource, packed with destination information, travel articles and forums on many topics relating to traveling or living in India. You can pose very specific questions and chances are good that a friendly and knowledgeable fellow-traveler will respond.

9. Makemytrip.com

Makemytrip.com is an Indian travel site that offers information and can help you plan your itinerary and book plane, train and bus tickets as well as hotel and homestay accommodation.

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

One of my favourite Indian experiences was staying for two weeks at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort in south Kerala (about 8 kms south of busy Kovalam Beach). The Shinshiva is a small resort that features thatched-roof cottages, an open-air Ayurvedic dining room, a perfect cliff-top setting overlooking the Arabian sea and magical sunsets AND authentic Ayurvedic treatments such as one-hour-long hot oil massages performed by two young women working in rhythmic harmony. Also a good place to meet other women travelers, it is a favourite destination for Europeans.

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India is Yoga

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:15:02 +0000

Originally published in Dreamscapes magazine.

View of the majestic Himalayas from Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram

As I sit writing this on the balcony of my room at the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh, India, the melodious sound of people singing kirtan (devotional songs and chants) floats up from the yoga hall below. From here, I have a breath-taking view of the imposing foothills of the Himalayas and I can feel the invigorating mountain air as it sweeps into this serene valley, through which the jewel-green Ganga (Ganges) River flows. It is easy to see why legend refers to the Himalaya range as Dev Bhoomi, land of the gods.

Rishikesh is a small and relatively (by Indian standards) peaceful town that meanders along the narrow valley on both sides of the Ganga, connected by two impressive suspension bridges, Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula, which are open for pedestrian traffic, bicycles and motorcycles only. Seers – rishis – and sages have been gathering here, at this picturesque spot on the Ganges, since before recorded history to prayer, chant and meditate. Indian pilgrims and foreign yoga students alike flock here to stay in one of the town’s many ashrams and soak up the devotional vibes. It is often referred to as the yoga capital of the world.

“Yogis have been coming here for long time, and they created vibrations in their bodies that have gone into the Ganga water, trees, stones,” says Yogi Vishvketu (Vishva) who, along with his Canadian-born wife, Chetana Panwar, founded the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh two years ago. “People who come here feel it immediately. I have seen people coming here from all over the world. They experience immediate healing and they change on all levels, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.”

To Vishva, who has trained since the age of eight to become a yogi, and who holds a Phd in yoga from the university in nearby Haridwar, this is one of the main reasons why yoga students are drawn to Rishikesh. The other is the opportunity to be exposed to the whole philosophy of yoga. “Our intention in creating this ashram is to give westerners a safe and clean environment in India to experience both the beautiful, magical energy of Rishikesh and to heal themselves by following the Indian yogic system. We chant, perform rituals, sing kirtan, observe yogic diet and lifestyle and give people the whole picture of yoga.”

For me, the highlight of staying at Anand Prakash is the 6 a.m. yoga class with Vishva in the rooftop yoga hall. As we move, chant and meditate under the guidance of this bliss-master (Vishva is the happiest person I have ever met!), the sun rises from behind the mountains and bathes the room in a golden glow.

The first time I visited Aurovalley Ashram, about 10 kilometres south of Rishikesh, I took a short nap soon after arriving and fell into the most restful sleep of my life. I felt the profoundly peaceful energy of this garden ashram almost immediately and knew it was my spiritual home.

Several hand-painted signs on the ashram grounds proclaim, “All life is yoga.” This is the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, one of the great Indian thinkers of the 20th century, reduced to its essence. Aurovalley was founded 30 years ago by Swami Brahmdev (Swamiji), a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s teachings. It is a garden ashram, surrounded immediately by meadows and, in the distance, by the mist-covered hills of Rajaji National Park. Nature is ever-present at Aurovalley in the form of fragrant tropical flowers, fluttering butterflies, colourful songbirds, fruit-laden trees, gardens and glorious sunsets. Regular visitors extol the ashram’s healing benefits.

Swamiji explains there are two conceptions of yoga. The one that is popularized in the west is that yoga is something you do. According to Swamiji, however, “Yoga is established in your understanding and attitude; it is a way of life. Yoga is living with a yogic attitude – naturally and with simplicity. When that attitude is born, you are a yogi, no matter where you are.”

Swamiji doesn’t lecture or teach. Every day he sits outside the ashram library building, under a mango tree, and people gather to ask questions. Does one need to go to India to learn to be a yogi? “If you want to buy vegetables where will you go,” he answers, with lightness, and a twinkle in his eye. “India is a university for the world to understand more and collect more information on this subject.”

The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers is a nonprofit organization founded by Swami Vishnu-devananda. He established the first Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Montreal, Canada, in 1959 and there are now close to 80 Sivananda ashrams and yoga centres around the world. Mani Chaitanya, director of the Sivananda centre in New Delhi is a tall, slim soft-spoken man who chooses his words very carefully. The Sivananda centre is an oasis of calm in a very hectic city, and it is where I practice yoga when I am in New Delhi.

“Yoga practitioners are naturally curious to discover the roots of yoga,” he says. “In India, people can discover a spiritual way of understanding life. They can experience a new lifestyle and incorporate it into their own practice.”

Mani explains that Sivananda offers westerners a systematic method for learning the traditional yogic lifestyle and balancing it with the demands of modern life. “It’s a unique structure that is easy and effective to practice in daily life. You can learn to manage a spiritual life that doesn’t take you away from where you are.”

Sivananda is a worldwide network, a gateway to yoga for westerners, and the same method is followed in all locations. One its main attractions is that the ashrams are located in peaceful places, away from city life. The Neyyar Dam location in Kerala, south India, for example, is set in a lush tropical paradise surrounded by sacred mountains. The ashram offers yoga holidays as well as various levels of teacher training programs.

Many people come from all over the world to study and practice yoga in India. And while there are countless methods and styles; teachers and ashrams, they are all streams leading to and from the same ocean of yogic wisdom.

Navjeet Kaur Mackie is a yoga teacher from Mississauga, currently living in Nova Scotia. She studied yoga in North America before heading off to India in 2007 to deepen her practice and understanding of this ancient tradition.

“India is yoga,” Navjeet says. “India is where I found the very essence of yoga, and discovered that yoga is not only a practice on the mat, but a way of life. Even though yoga is everywhere in India, Rishikesh is where I practiced my physical yoga the most. The feeling that you get when you visit Rishikesh is one of peace and serenity, but still infused with the typical Indian charm. I would recommend India to anyone and everyone who has found themselves on the yoga path.”

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Jai Ganga Mata

Mariellen — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:54:39 +0000

The Mother of India River speaks in many voices as she travels from the high Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

Through Rishikesh, Ganga sings as she passes through the enchanted valley ringing with bells. Her song is joyous, full of the the jubilance of youth, the rush of fresh mountain streams, the sincere chanting of pilgrims who wish her well and the excitement of the onward journey. Ganga is gorgeous in Rishikesh, jewel-green, opaque and sparkling. A beauty for the ages, decorated with flower-and-light filled offerings.

At Rishidwar, she slows a little to enjoy the mist-covered mountains, tulsi-filled meadows, low flying birds and grazing cattle. The languid movement of the surface of the water belies the depth and strength of her current and hints at a sonorous voice. Here, her deep, quiet power is felt more than heard and she imbues the surrounding countryside with sacred serenity.

Before Haridwar, she splits. One wide, shallow stream provides respite to sadhus, villagers and pilgrims. She creates a beautiful, natural habitat for people, animals, birds and fish, and speaks to them of contemplation and bounty. She offers her love in her voice and the people rejoice.

A narrower stream gathers the force of Shiva and races through the sacred city of Haridwar. At Hari-Ki-Pari, Shiva’s spirit infuses Ganga and together they shout out to the devoted their call of redemption and hope. The very air boils with unseen demons, drawn from the sky, the underworld and impure hearts, to be cleansed by the sacred river of India. In Haridwar, Ganga partakes of the ancient rituals, receives the blessings and begins her work in earnest, with a renewed devotion, as she enters the plains.

From here she makes her way a thousand miles or more to the sea. Along the way, she provides bounty to fully one-tenth of the world’s humanity in the form of water, silt, fish and the other animals drawn to her shores and depths. As she rolls like thunder through the great expanse of the heartland of India, she collects the stories of the people on her banks. Her voice is ancient, maternal and mighty; she speaks of livelihood, duty and family; the cycles of life and death, the seasons, the inevitable, the timeless.

At the sangam in Allahabad, where three rivers meet, the Ganga, the Jamuna and the mythical Saraswati, her powerful chant draws millions to her. Ganga is in her full glory, blessing the millions and reminding them of their source and their truth.

When she reaches Benares, Ganga’s roiling waters are dark shades of slate. This is the only place in her 1,500 mile journey where Ganga chooses to flow north, back towards her birthplace in the Himalayas. At this place — Benares, Varanasi, Kashi, the City of Light — Ganga takes us on a journey through the underworld and gives us the opportunity to experience the dark side of the duality of life. For this place is a Mahashamshana, a great cremation ground; a place where souls cross over.

Here, Ganga’s voice is soul-shaking; it shatters the veil. She gathers up the ashes and corpses of the devoted; and blesses those with the courage to immerse themselves in her murky waters. In her honour, the Benares aarti is a sun-burst of light and hymn; a glorious evocation of all the souls through all the ages who have crossed over here.

Below Benares, Ganga continues her long journey. She fans out in an enormous watery delta before joining the sea in many places.

Ganga’s waters feed the bodies and her voice feeds the souls of millions. She is indeed the lifeline of India’s culture.

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