Keralam
We begin with five days of rejuvenation in South India at AyurSoma, one of the most renowned Ayurveda centers in the world.
Click the photos to discover more about our time in Keralam.
Accommodations
Ayurveda Treatments
Sattvic Keralam
Daily Yoga Practice
Aazhimala Siva Temple
Backwaters Boat Ride
Attukal Kali Temple
South Indian Cuisine
Keralam: South India
We begin our journey in Keralam, south India, with a week of rejuvenation at the famous AyurSoma Ayurveda Royal Retreat. Gentle daily yoga and de-stressing Ayurvedic treatments will awaken our senses to the beauty of India and to the divine beauty that lies within us. This is our time to connect with our innermost self, to heal, to recover from jet lag, to nourish our bodies and souls, and to experience the vast, vibrant beauty that is south India. It is the foundation for the larger journey. The slowing down and softening that prepares us for Varanasi and the north. The South prepares us for the North. Trust us, it’s a process that works.
The Keralam Tradition of Ayurveda
Welcome to warm oil massages, feeling 20 years younger, and bliss! Our first few days focus on the sattvic Keralam tradition of Ayurveda as a means to rejuvenate, ground ourselves from jet lag, and connect the members of the tour. These tours are love fests from the heart. The lush jungled environment, gardened grounds, tropical birds, and the sound of the Arabian Sea mix to enhance the deepest healing potential of Ayurveda, giving rise to the sweet rejuvenating oil baths, calming shirodhara oil streams across the forehead, and exotically flavored south Indian and Ayurvedic cuisine. The Keralam tradition of Ayurveda is famous throughout India as the richest tradition of Ayurveda in the world. It must be experienced to be believed.
Goddess Temples, Jungles, and Elephants
During our 5 days of Ayurvedic treatments, we will also explore the surrounding beauty and culture of Keralam. We will visit a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali to offer flowers and release the inner obstacles of our lives. We will conduct a south Indian Ganesh ceremony at a nearby Shiva Temple. We will explore the famous Kerala backwaters, a beautiful water world of pristine forests, tropical birds, and water canals that flow endlessly through the porous coastline of Keralam.
Experience the Jungle Book
Keralam is defined by its lush tropical seaside jungles and backwaters, with imagery that evokes Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”, minus the tigers, of course. Keralam invites you to walk it’s beautiful beaches in the early morning light, help playful fishermen haul in their nets, visit nearby villages, play with local Indian children, visit the local spice shops, nap or sip on chai by the pool, and don’t forget to go shopping for some fun Indian clothing or sacred statues for your alter at home. Everything you will need is within walking distance from the Ayurveda resort. This is your opportunity to slow down and reconnect with your purest, most sattvic nature. That is the gift of Keralam!
Varanasi and Jaipur
After five days of rejuvenation in Keralam, we travel north to two of the most important spiritual and cultural epicenters of India.
Click the photos to discover more about our time in Varanasi & Jaipur.
Accommodations
Sacred Varanasi
Sunrise Puja
Holy Sadhus
Cremation Temple
Ganges Ceremony
Amber Fort
Elephant Ride
Step Wells
Monkey Temple
North India Cuisine
Varanasi: Bathing Ghats on Sacred Ganga
After a week of rejuvenation down south, we head north for a sunrise visit to the holy Ganges River in the ancient city of Varanasi, better known as Kashi (the Luminous One) or the City of Light. Varanasi is a spiritual epicenter where pilgrims travel long distances to bathe at the sacred bathing ghats, where it is believed that a dip in the Ganges will remove all sins/karmas for a lifetime. Devotees of Lord Shiva, both householder pilgrims and sadhus (holymen) gather to bathe and reflect on the transience of life, in plain view of the many cremation ghats nearby.
Offering prayers to the Divine Mother on the Ganges
The traditional means of touring the Ganges is via rowboat along the river’s banks. We will start in the early morning as the sun rises over the eastern river bed plains illuminating the Ganges and western shore temples. This is a sacred time for prayer and meditation. The group will offer sacred flower aartis to the Divine Mother as Ganga with silent prayer. We are allowed one request of the Divine Mother in this puja, and from past experiences, all requests are immediately granted on the spot. This is a powerful ceremony for all involved. Guests are advised to carefully plan their prayer and request in advance.
Manikarnika Cremation Temple and Ganga Aarti
In the evening, we will return to the Ganges to witness several human cremations taking place at the famous Manikarnika Temple cremation ghats on the river banks. Witnessing cremation ceremonies is a transformative experience that has the effect of pacifying the fears we have of our own mortality. It also awakens our hearts to a more intimate acceptance of our lives. These experiences of conscious passage rites are life-affirming and life-validating experiences that heal the spirit. After the cremations, we will witness one of India’s largest fire ceremonies, the Ganga Aarti, a massive celebration to the Divine Mother as Ma Ganga, the holiest of rivers and source of life.
Jaipur: The Pink City
Rajasthan is dreamlike and otherworldly. We will fly from Varanasi to Jaipur, deep in the Thar desert of Rajasthan, known as the Land of Colors, where the colors are kaleidoscope, the foods are more flavorful, and the people are more Rajasthani. The Rajasthani people dance to their folk music in the streets! Jaipur is a place bursting with diversity, culture, and history. The dramatic views, the smells, the sounds, the vibrant conversations, the warm and welcoming people, and this rainbow of plurality will stay with you forever.
The Amber Fort
The Amber Fort was the capital of the Kuchwaha Rajputs from the 11th to the 18th century. Amber Fort is known for its artistic style, large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths. The fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amber Palace. Mughal architecture greatly influenced it’s architectural style. (Left) On the way, we will visit one of the step wells built to provide access to deep-lying ground water in the Rajasthan desert. This step well is called Panna Meena ka Kund and dates from the 16th Century. It is located below the Amber Fort.
Keralam Includes:
- Five (5) nights accommodations at AyurSoma Ayurveda Royal Retreat located on the beach just south of Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum), the capital city of Keralam
- Three meals per day with your choice of traditional Keralam cuisine or cleansing ayurvedic diet tailored to your constitution | vegan, vegetarian and seafood options available
- Daily 2-hour Ayurvedic full-body warm oil rejuvenation massage and other treatments from trained Ayurveda doctors and body therapists
- Daily morning gentle yoga practice overlooking the sea with guest teachers
- Informative group talks on Ayurveda, Rasayana (rejuvenation), ojas, healthy aging, and longevity
- Special sunset Ganesh puja at Shiva Temple: throw and crack coconuts for removal of inner and outer obstacles + Shiva temple ceremony
- Half-day boat tour of the lush jungled Backwaters of Kerala
- Half-day visit to the Atukkal Bhadra Kali Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
Varanasi & Jaipur Includes:
- All India domestic flights from Kerala to Varanasi and Varanasi to Jaipur
- Guided tour of the sacred sites of Varanasi and Jaipur includes two guided tours of the Ganges in Varanasi (morning and evening), where you can see temples and cremation ghats by traditional rowboats. Also, there will be a guided tour of the Amber Fort, a local step well, and the famous Monkey Temple.
- Private luxury A/C bus transport from airports to hotels and hotels to excursion sites
- 4.5-star hotel accommodations
- Daily breakfast buffet and wifi
- Tips for group-related activities: bus drivers, tour guides, etc
Not included:
- International airfare not included.
- Tips: Ayurveda staff, restaurant staff, room service, housekeeping, laundry, baggage handling, taxi & bus drivers
- Restaurant incidentals: non-buffet menu items, room service, etc
- Lunch and dinners at hotels
- Tip for Kuldeep and Ritu Singh ($100 recommended)
- Tips: Privately acquired drivers separate from the group activities
- Hotel and travel incidentals: minibar, non-buffet menu items, room service, etc
- Personal shopping
Let’s travel together.
Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen. Sign up for our upcoming retreat in India.
Sevanti Institute
Sevanti Wellness