A fiery floating lantern and popping fireworks adorn the cacophonous festival of thousands worshipping the goddess Ganga nearby. Smoky skies preside over the placid gray Ganges River this evening atop the River Rhythm Hotel—only footsteps from a stretch of holy-beyond-holy land. Few places on earth carry a spiritual power so ancient and immense.
Rewind five days: the bulk of our 24 pilgrims from (mostly from Ananda Portland & Ananda Washington) landed in Delhi for the start of our Yogananda India Pilgrimage—three weeks in four segments, visiting extraordinary historical and spiritual places that hold special meaning for devotees of Self-Realization and disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda and our line of Gurus. Our Ananda Center in Delhi provided the perfect home base: a restful day to adjust our bodies and minds to India, to enjoy spiritual friendships, nourishing food, and an opening ceremony to set our intentions and deepen our connections for the journey ahead.
A domestic flight to Varanasi introduced us to the cultural adventure of travel within India: friendly, disorganized, and mostly pleasant transitions from place to place. A friend and gurubhai from South India met us at the airport with smiles to serve as our local guide and fixer. A comfortable one-hour bus ride with a delicious meal (a constant throughout our days!) brought us to Sarnath, a sacred site of Buddhism rich with archaeological treasures, spiritual history and power. Here the enlightened master Buddha delivered his first sermon.
Our pilgrimage is unique in that we seek to tune into the living presence of saints and Masters whose vibration remains at these holy sites, for those receptive souls who seek it. A lovely walk and guided tour ended with a brief meditation beneath a descendant of the Bodhi Tree, whose ancestor sheltered Prince Siddhartha before he emerged the illumined Buddha. Another short drive brought us to our River Rhythm Hotel in the heart of Varanasi, where a restful night gave way to an early morning.
For two days, sunrise boat rides along the sacred Ganges brought us to special places for meditation and devotion. Varanasi is more peaceful by boat—removed from the teeming chaos of traffic and crowds. Docking and ascending the steep ghats (riverside embankments used for worship and daily life) leads into narrow lanes lined with ancient temples, ashrams, and colorful shops, side-by-side with humble homes and every shade of human existence.
People are everywhere—thousands upon thousands—busy living their lives. Beneath the craziness, especially in a supernally sacred city like Varanasi, most people seem fundamentally peaceful, happy, and kind. Many visitors and locals flow in a constant stream of devotion and worship that has continued here unbroken for many hundreds of years.
It was in the nearby Bengali district here in Varanasi where a sixteen-year-old Mukunda (Paramhansa Yogananda) first met his Guru, Sri Yukteswar. Their hearts melted in a divine reunion of eternal Guru-disciple bond. They walked together to a nearby residence, where Sri Yukteswar was visiting his mother, and spent hours conversing and meditating. My friend and co-leader, Murali Venkatrao, has been carefully researching details of Yogananda’s life while writing a manuscript for an Autobiography of a Yogi mini-series in development. He was able to confirm with high confidence that room 205 in the now Dwivedi Hotel is that sacred site of that first meeting. Our pilgrims were blessed to be the first group from Ananda to visit and meditate in this special place. Because we had booked the room, I seized the opportunity to stay overnight and meditate extra hours there!
The next day we visited the ashram of Trailanga Swami—a contemporary saint of Lahiri Mahasaya—renowned for his miracles and towering spiritual greatness. Later, with a smaller group, we explored the Durga Mandir, built by the maharani of Varanasi in the 18th century—practically new by Indian standards! We enjoyed a nearby meal fit for royalty and later joined the arati worship of Hanuman (and thereby Lord Rama) at another local temple—Jai Sita Ram! Jai Hanuman! On the way, our adventurous group tried meetha paan, a sweet betel leaf filled with rose petal jam, fennel seeds, dried fruits, and coconut—WOW! A wild ride for the palate and mind.
That evening, we returned to the Ganges for a boat ride to witness the world-famous arati at Dashashwamedh Ghat. This is where Babaji met other great Masters and promised to remain in his physical form forever. Countless saints and Masters have hallowed this riverbank for centuries, most likely millenia. The daily arati continues without fail—its devotion still strong, despite huge crowds, bright LED screens, and a more recent and distinct Bollywood edge.
Later an unexpected devotional festival brought a night of endless fireworks, drums, crowds, and clamor. Sleepless after 2 a.m., I went to the roof to energize and meditate. Hundreds of fireworks lit the sky and riverbanks for miles all through the night, while I chanted to Divine Mother. I could feel Spirit celebrating all night long through the hubub—rejoicing in life’s glory, variety, and sometimes wild chaos.
Our final day in Varanasi brought us to the ashram of Anandamayee Ma, the bliss-permeated Mother saint also described in Autobiography of a Yogi. Our chanting and meditation there were joyful and deep, with a tangible presence of her vast spiritual love. In the afternoon we made a ceremonial visit to the extraordinary Kashi Vishwanath Temple—a sacred and powerful shrine of Lord Shiva, destroyer, transformer, and maha yogi aspect of God.
Next, we travel south to Puri in the state of Odisha for a more relaxed pace along the Bay of Bengal, with more time for yoga and pranayama. Stay tuned for Yogananda India Pilgrimage #2! Sending many prayers and blessings to all.
