Three Week India Pilgrimage Tour
Departing from Melbourne in early February 2010
Locations visited will include: Delhi, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir (Vulture's Peak), Mahakala Cave, Sujata Well, Varanassi, Siranard and Dharamsala.
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Tour Information Last Updated: 12th November 2009 |
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Tendar will be taking a group on a pilgrimage tour in India in early February 2010. India is the holy land and birth place of Buddhism, rich in culture, religion and spirituality.
We will depart Melbourne on Singapore Airlines and go to Delhi, arriving in Delhi the same day late at night. We spend one day in Delhi to rest. The following day, we catch the express train from Delhi to Gaya arriving in Bodhgaya by car.
We spend approximately 5 days in Bodhgaya as this is the most important pilgrimage site for Buddhists to visit. Bodhgaya is the heart of Buddhism. It was in Bodhgaya over 2600 years ago that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment through strenuous effort and deep contemplation. So it will be here that we can contemplate on his achievements and on our own practice. In Bodhgaya Tendar will lead us in morning and evening chanting and deep meditation practice daily. We will make offerings at the main temple and perform prostrations before the famous Bodhi tree.
We will also visit nearby Rajgir where the famous "Heart Sutra" was expounded at Vultures Peak and the famous Nalanda University where the great Nalanda Masters came from. Also, in the area, we will go to Mahakala Cave and visit the place where Sujata offered Buddha rice milk before he sat down for deep contemplation.
After Bodhgaya, we travel to Varanasi by car, home to the famous Ganges River. From Varanasi, we visit nearby Siranard where Buddha gave the first sermon at the famous Deer Park after his enlightenment.
After a very fulfilling experience in this sacred region of India, we head up the hills towards Dharamsala by train, travelling through changing landscapes and scenery. We arrive in Dharamsala and head straight to McLeod Ganj, our home for the remainder of our trip. This is the main Tibetan settlement and the home to His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama. Surrounded by mountains and monasteries, the main points of interest here are marvellous Buddhist monasteries, Tibetan architecture, shops and culture.
In this last part of the trip, we head down the hills to Delhi where we rest one night before making our way slowly home to Melbourne. During the trip, we stay in very comfortable hotels and travel in comfort on trains, private cars or mini buses.
