Spiritual Highlights
of Tamil Nadu

We are considering offering this pilgrimage. Please contact us if you are interested. Here are the details.

Itinerary

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Day 1:
Arrival day. The pilgrimage starts at our beach resort at Muttukadu, between Chennai and Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram). The resort is 15 miles (25 km) from the Chennai airport.

Day 2:
Group meditation and opening gathering, as well as free time at our beautiful beachfront location. In the afternoon an excursion will go into Chennai. St. Thomas, the apostle of Jesus ("Doubting Thomas") is believed to have come to Chennai in 58 AD. We plan to meditate at the church that contains his remains or the cave where he lived.

Day 3:
We'll spend the morning in Mahabalipuram, a relaxed beach town famous for its evocative Shore Temple on the ocean, and other 7th-century rock-cut temples and carving, beautifully depicting the lives of gods and common people. Craftspeople continue to this day to create inspiring carvings of stone and wood.

After lunch we'll travel by bus 3 hours to the town of Tiruvannamalai, where we'll spend 3 nights.


Day 4:
Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) spent most of his life at the foot of Arunachala Hill in the ashram which grew up around him. His spiritual power continues to be a tangible presence in the caves where he meditated, in his room, and where his body is enshrined. Paramhansa Yogananda visited him here. The ashram is a flourishing haven of peace, with a powerful vibration. There is great respect for silence and the ashram offers ideal opportunities for meditation.

We'll also visit the huge, elaborate 11th-century South Indian "wedding cake" style temple of Arunachaleswar, and we may visit other ashrams or teachers in the area.

Days 5–6:
Travel by bus 2 hours to Pondicherry. Founded by the visionary
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), the Aurobindo ashram is a dynamic urban spiritual community with about 2,000 members and 400 buildings spread throughout the charming seaside town and former French colony of Pondicherry. The focal point of the ashram (and a great place to meditate) is the samadhi shrine of Sri Aurobindo—and an aura of peace and inspired creativity fills the town. The town of Pondicherry is great for wandering, walking on the seawall, relaxing and shopping for unique crafts. Lovely beaches are nearby.

A half-hour from Pondicherry is Auroville, the international township inspired by Sri Aurobindo. This is a fascinating ongoing experiment in community living. Its 1,700 residents are dedicated to high ideals and to living as "world-citizens". We'll witness their numerous successes and challenges of the last 40 years. We'll visit the powerful meditation temple, the "Matrimandir", and other aspects of the community.

Day 7:
Departure day from Chennai.

About Ananda Pilgrimages
Letters from Pilgrimages

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