Varanasi & Jaipur

Post Retreat Tour

March 21-25, 2025

North India

After a week of rejuvenation in South India, we go north for the Post Retreat Tour through the spiritual epicenters of sacred Varanasi and Jaipur.

Also experience South India: The Sacred Sap Retreat

Varanasi: Bathing Ghats on Sacred Ganga

After a week of rejuvenation down south, we are ready to begin the Post Retreat Tour with 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 life time. 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.

After the tour of Varanasi, we’ll take a flight to Jaipur, to take in the vibrant and colorful beauty of the Rajasthani Desert.

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.