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Main Program from 5 to 20 November 2023
Dharamsala Extension from 20 to 29 November 2023
Sravasti and Sankisa extension from 29 November to 4 December 2023
Summary Itinerary
Clicking on the days of travel in the summary itinerary will take you to the detailed itinerary for that day and vice versa clicking on the day in the detailed itinerary will return you to the summary itinerary. In the detailed itinerary, in addition to the images and description of the days, we also have the day of the month and the week
Main Program
Dharamsala Extension
Sravasti and Sankisa Extension
Detailed Itinerary
Main Program
Arrival
Briefing
Walk
Gurudwara bangla sahib
Welcome to India! Upon the group's arrival, you will be assisted by our local representatives who, together with Guilherme, will be waiting with a sign saying Chörten to help you at the airport. We will talk about arrival before the pilgrimage in our briefing (more here).
Anyone arriving on a different flight from the group will be assisted by our local representatives who will be waiting with a sign with your name (or spelled Chörten) at the airport. We monitor the arrival of each Chörten Traveller, maintaining telephone contact with our representative team at the airport, from before your plane lands until the moment we speak. So you can rest assured that we are monitoring you and making sure your arrival is being taken care of.
Transfer to the hotel with assistance, located in a central region, with interesting possibilities for tours and cultural activities. On our first day we will be arriving, adjusting to the time zone and trying, despite the tiredness of the hours of flying, to sleep at the right time, not during the day like in the time zone we are used to. For these reasons, the suggestion for the first outings is that they be very light., as well as because we are not processing the information very well yet.
So, we will take a walk and visit the Sikh temple, a XNUMXth century religion. XVI and Punjab region in India. In the beautiful Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, we will listen to their chants, observe how they pray inside the temple and around a sacred tank. We will also be able to visit the kitchen where volunteers offer meals to thousands of people daily, regardless of social class and religion.
Flight
Aarti Ceremony
Today we will visit one of the oldest cities in the world that is still alive today. After breakfast, we will continue to Delhi airport for our flight to Varanasi. Transfer to our hotel and check-in. Time to freshen up in our rooms and then get to know the old part of the city through a millenary ceremony. The fire puja or Aarti Puja, conducted by brahmins (caste of Hindu priests) and hundreds of pilgrims from all over India on the banks of the sacred Ganges, is full of music, symbols, mantras, smells, a lot of devotion and, for those who study the scriptures profound and sophisticated knowledge of the workings of the human mind. Time to go back to our hotel, with all these impressions, practically the same that both Hindu saints and yogis, like Buddha Shakyamuni himself, had in this same place in their walks, training periods and teachings. A good break for a special start to the day, very early tomorrow.
Flight 6NOV IndiGo 6E2361 Delhi 10:55 am Varanasi 12:15 pm
Ganges Sunrise
Sarnath
End of free day
We will wake up very early to reach the Ganges before sunrise. We will board our rowing boat to go up the Ganges and witness the sunrise of the sun god, Surya, from our boat. We will observe pilgrims performing their pujas (rituals) at the beginning of their days in this most sacred place in Hindu tradition. Calmly, led by the goddess Ganga, we will return to the path we have now traveled to a ghat (staircase by the river) a little further on, where we will disembark and have the opportunity to walk through the many alleys, amid thousands of small and larger temples, of the old part of the city. There is a famous temple in this region called Golden Temple or Kashi Vishvanath. Its history is important for us to understand the different moments of India.
Back in our vehicle, we will have a good breakfast at our hotel and then head to Sarnath. We will pass by the place where Buddha, after his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, met with his 5 companions in practice and then we will visit the important Deer Park. Very peaceful place, where Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time, that is, where he taught for the first time, approx. 2500 years ago. One of the most special places to sit and do our practice. We will also visit the Mahabodhi temple where there are relics of Buddha and a “granddaughter” tree from which Buddha sat and became enlightened.
End of day at leisure (with guide) to enjoy more Sarnath, return to the ghats region of Varanasi, enjoy seeing a spice market or the famous silks of Varanasi.
Car trip
Mahabodhi Temple
Today we will travel to the place where Buddha became enlightened, the holiest place in Buddhism, Bodhgaya. It will be approx. 6h with our own vehicle. We will check in at the Root Institute, a special Buddhist center, have lunch and then visit the city's main temple complex, the Mahabodhi. It was there that Buddha sat for a few days until he purified all his obscurations and realized the nature of our mind. We can do the same, sitting next to or even under the Bodhi tree, a ficus religisosa (fig tree), in the exact place where Buddha became enlightened. This place is also called the Vajra Seat, the seat of the diamond or the indestructible ray as well as our natural condition, our essence. We will be among pilgrims, lay and monastic, from all over the world. Mantras, incense, mind training practices from different traditions for our different mental dispositions. After becoming enlightened, the Awakened One (Sanskrit: Buddha) contemplated his experience for a few weeks at different points around the Bodhi tree. These locations are marked so we can contemplate the same reflections in our days in Bodhgaya.
Mahakala Cave
Surjata Village
Today we will proceed to a more remote region on the outskirts of Bodhgaya, up to a mountain where there is a cave in which Buddha meditated and practiced austerity before enlightening himself. It will also be an opportunity to observe the pace of life in the most remote villages in urban centers. Like all caves of great masters, it is a very special place to practice. After visiting the Mahakala Cave, we will visit the peaceful place where, when Siddhartha practiced eating just one grain of rice a day, the Surjata girl offered rice milk to the Buddha. At this time, as he fed and observed his mind working better with the stronger body, Siddharta realized that it would not be through the extremes of self-indulgence or self-regulation that he would be enlightened, but through the middle path. Return to Bodhgaya with free time to enjoy the Mahabodhi temple complex, other temples, cafes, walking, reading, as each traveller prefers.
Nalanda University
Bamboo Forest
Shanti Stupa
Vultures Peak
We will travel for approx. 3h to the archaeological site of the very important Nalanda University. Nalanda for centuries was one of the most important centers of Buddhist studies that attracted students from many parts of the world, mainly between the 10.000th and 2.000th centuries. There lived around XNUMX students, XNUMX teachers and there was a library larger than the one in Alexandria, for example. Among the various great academic masters of Nalanda, known as the Indian Pandits, some of them were: Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, Chandrakirti and Shantideva. For centuries, many of these yogis were invited by Tibetan kings to cross the Himalayas and take Buddhist studies to Tibet. Thus, the Nalanda tradition remains alive to this day, studied and practiced in traditional Tibetan shedras (universities) and monasteries in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, also in important universities in Europe and North America, where there is an important very rich exchange with current neuroscientists, physicists and educators. We will visit the monasteries of Nalanda, as well as temples, important stupas and its small museum. It is certainly a very special and inviting place to practice observation, reflection and familiarization of our mind, that is, meditation individually or together, as each traveller prefers, as well as reading excerpts from important texts of this science written in the same place where We will be in this ancient university.
Near Nalanda, we will continue to Rajgir. We will visit one of the places where Buddha and his monastic sanga lived for many monsoons, the Bamboo Grove. As Buddha and his students lived walking (through the places we are visiting), due to the dangers of a trip like this during the rainy season, in these months of each year they stayed in places offered by the kings of different regions. After checking in at our hotel, we will head to the Peace Stupa, or Shanti Stupa, in a beautiful location on top of a mountain, built by a Japanese Buddhist project for world peace, in many locations around the world. From the stupa we will walk to the very special Pico dos Abutres. This is the location of the important text and teaching of the Heart Sutra. Very peaceful, also on a mountain next door, where Nun Jigme Chöedzin will lead our practice.
Shanti Stupa
Relics stupa
Kutagarasala Vihara Stupa of Ananda
We will continue our journey for approx. 5h to Vaishali. On the way we will pass through Patna, capital of the ancient empire of Ashoka, today of this state, Bihar, and where the Ganges river also passes. Arriving in Vaishali, very close to Patna, we will check in, have a good meal and then take a walk through the small village near our hotel. Vaishali, which, like Rajgir, is part of the 8 holiest sites in Buddhism, was perhaps the first example of a republic-type government organization, which Buddha visited numerous times. It was in Vaishali that Buddha ordered the first sanga of female nuns, demonstrated miracles, offered his last sermon (sutra), announced his Mahaparanirvana and was also where the Second Council took place. Today we will visit another Shanti Stupa, like in Rajgir, and a much older stupa, from the Licchavi Empire, which holds relics of Buddha. There is a very pleasant and inviting lawn for our readings, practice and always good conversations.
At the end of the day we will visit the archaeological site of the Kutagarasala monastery, where the stupa of one of Buddha's main students is located. Ananda, his cousin and attendant, had great importance in the first council after Buddha's death, for remembering all of Buddha's sutras and teachings. It was near Vaishali on the banks of the Ganges that Ananda passed into nirvana. Next to the stupa we will see one of the pillars of Ashoka, the great emperor who supported Buddhism in India and several other countries in Asia.
Kesariya stupa
Temple of the Mahapanirvana site
Stupa at Buddha's cremation site
Today we will head to Kushinagar and on the way we will stop at the Kesariya Stupa. Built approx. 1500 years to the place where Buddha lived in a previous life, the place of one of his teachers before he became enlightened, where on a previous visit he taught what came to be called the Kalama Sutra. In this teaching, Buddha emphasized the importance of using reason, testing and investigating the teachings about the functioning of our mind, as opposed to blind belief and dogma. On his way to Kushinagar, on his last visit, Buddha offered his bowl here to the Lichavis, the inhabitants of Vaishali.
In Kushinagar we will not need to use our vehicle. We will walk through the village, one of the four holiest sites in Buddhism, as Buddha himself, in his last teaching, instructed his students to visit – Mahaparanirvana Sutra. Walking we will visit the site of Buddha's Mahaparanirvana, where today there is a statue of the reclining Buddha. We will then visit the place where Buddha was cremated, where a stupa was built and there is a pleasant lawn to contemplate this important teaching of the Buddha on impermanence, as well as his legacy for the development of the human mind.
Buddha's birthplace
Today we will head towards the South of Nepal, a still low-lying region, very similar geographically, culturally and ethnically to the regions we visited in the last few days. We will notice small differences due to the proximity and influence of the highest regions of this small and highest country in the world. After Indian and Nepalese immigration formalities, facilitated by Guilherme, we went to our hotel for a good meal. Suggestion: very good typical Nepalese food! For those who are willing, we can take a walk and visit the Maya Devi temple, the place where Buddha was born, thus completing the four of the most sacred places in Buddhism.
Kapilavastu
Buddha's birthplace
After our breakfast, near Lumbini, we will visit the place where Buddha lived during his childhood and youth, Kapilavastu. The then Prince Siddhartha was quite protected by his father, with respect to all discomfort and possible suffering. At the same time, with the presence of all the pleasures that our senses can offer us. It was in explorations around his home that Siddhartha had four important visions: for the first time he saw a sick man, an old man, a dead man and an ascetic. We will walk through the same places that Siddharta lived before his enlightenment, from where he followed his Walk, studies and training until he became enlightened in Bodhgaya. Back in Lumbini, when we will complement the four holiest sites in Buddhism, we will be able to visit once again the place where Buddha was born when his mother, Mayadevi, returned to her parents' village, as is traditional to this day, for childbirth of your son. A very special place, sitting around for a while, reading, reflecting and familiarizing yourself are certainly remarkable and very worthy experiences.
Flight
boudhnath
From Gautama Buddha Airport we will fly alongside the highest mountains on our planet to the capital of Nepal. Welcome to Kathmadu Valley! Transfer to our hotel in the Tibetan quarter around the great Boudhnath stupa.
Around the great stupa (Tib: chörten) of Boudhanath in our Tibetan neighborhood, full of monasteries, you will find nuns, monks and lay Tibetans, sometimes great masters, doing their koras (circummbulations), turning the famous prayer wheels with millions of Om Mani Padma Hungs, reciting mantras and lighting lamps mainly in the late afternoon and early in the morning. We will take the opportunity to make our koras and eat at one of the delicious restaurants in the region.
Flight 15NOV Buddha Air U4856 Lumbini 12:45 Kathmandu 13:17 pm
Swayambunath
Druk Amitabha Mountain DGK Nunnery
The order of activities in Kathmandu can be changed according to visit schedules.
We will start our day with a short walk in the region of the second largest stupa in the valley, Swayambunath (translation: self-arising). Legend has it that the hill where the stupa is located was where the bodhisattva Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, picked a lotus flower after emptying the lake in what is now the Kathmandu Valley. We will have a view of the entire city, make our koras around the stupa and visit its small monasteries.
Is it possible for us to visit the monastery Druk Amitabha Mountain DGK today. We will talk to the nuns at the monastery in the previous days and organize our days according to our schedule.
Durbar Square Patan
Patan Museum
golden temple
And Pashupatinath for the Hindus
Thamel
This morning we will head to Patan's friendly Durbar Square, very famous for its artists and beautiful temples. There we will visit a small, very well designed and very educational museum of Hindu and Buddhist art. Nearby, we will visit the small and beautiful Golden Temple, used to this day by Nepali Buddhists from the same clan as Buddha Shakyamuni himself. Patan has a good option for our lunch, it is an excellent place to buy Buddhist statues (as in Boudha too), of excellent quality, as well as to walk through these medieval streets and their temples.
After lunch we will take a walk through the Pashupatinath temple complex, which is located around the Bagmati river, sacred to Hindus. In addition to the main temple, dedicated to the most peaceful manifestation of Shiva, Pashupati, there are dozens of small temples also dedicated to the Hindu god of destruction and reconstruction. It is also the place where Nepalis who are able will be cremated to ensure a good passage or release (moksha).
We will visit the neighborhood where there are backpacker hotels, mountaineering shops, crafts, an incredible Tibetan bookstore, delicious cafes and restaurants, Thamel.
Pharphing
We will dedicate today to visiting Pharphing. South of the Kathmandu Valley, the place where Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava achieved the Mahamudra Vidyadhara level. There are two important caves of Guru Rinpoche that we will visit, where we will do our practices.
Free day
We reserve a day for each pilgrim to enjoy Kathmandu however they prefer. We can use this day to visit important monasteries in Boudnath, such as the monasteries of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche and KaNying Shedrub Ling. How to return to places we know and like best, individually or with the whole group.
Flight
Dharamsala Extension
Flight
Lotus Temple
Gandhi Smriti
National museum
Further south of the city, we will visit the beautiful Lotus Temple. Built in the shape of its name, it is from the religion called Bahá'í, founded in the XNUMXth century. XIX, in ancient Persia, when visiting it we will all be invited to remain silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the middle of this big, busy city. After visiting the temple, which is sometimes open, there is an exhibition on the history and work on this religion. It's interesting to take a look and get in touch with brief expositions about his thoughts.
Another special visit for our day is the last house where Gandhi lived, known as Birla House. We will learn a little about this important part of the history of this nation, as well as about the life and final moment of this great leader, an example of the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the culture of peace to this day all over the world. Today, in the form of an interactive museum, with a collection of photographs and objects by Gandhi, called Gandhi Smriti. We probably won't recommend looking at the whole museum with all the time in the world to give yourself time to get to know the museum, the history of Gandhi up close, like other important sites in Delhi. A walk around the museum, taking a longer look at one or another part of Gandhi's life, usually works very well.
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National Museum. It is possible to spend many hours or days to appreciate each hall and exhibitions about the history, arts and peoples of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is to visit a main hall and the relics of the Buddha. The backpack needs to be kept in an object locker before entering the museum building (small women's bags or straps are usually allowed in) and so, just before going up the entrance stairs, be sure to take a look to your left at one of the not the first charter of human rights, carved in stone, in accordance with the laws of the great Indian emperor of the 3500th century. III BC, Ashoka. Right after entering, one of the first halls is the one about Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the cradle of this Indian culture, between 1500 and XNUMX BC. C.. Right at the entrance to this hall there is a comparative interest in the times of the ancient civilizations of mankind. Then we have objects from that time, the main ones being: the seal with what must have been Shiva (possibly in the form of Pashupati), and the sculpture of the head of the priest and the dancing girl. From there, we walked (take your time, please), without stopping too much in order to use a shorter time of our day at the museum, through the other halls, until we arrived at a relic of Buddha. It is common to find practitioners of the method of this Nepalese/Indian master (Sakya), sitting in meditation around his relics. This can surely be a beneficial mental mark that we can offer ourselves for a few minutes, in that training and familiarization with the natural state of our minds, more at peace and better able to benefit a greater number of people and sentient beings (simply: beings with consciousness) in general. If you want to take a quick look at the halls of Indian tribes and the instruments on the top floor, with a lot of focus and careful time, run ;-)! Joke. But take care of your time and use of your day in this amazing city.
Previous: We returned to our hotel to take a shower and finish packing our bags, before heading to the train station for our trip to the Dharamsala region in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Our train journey at night, arriving early in Pathankot, will be an interesting experience. From the train station, we headed to the Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo monastery. For those who prefer to fly to Dharamsala, we have an alternative with assistance ready to meet at the monastery.
Update: We returned to our hotel to shower and finish packing our bags for our early flight tomorrow to Dharamsala in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Flight
Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery
We will wake up very early today for our flight to Dharamsala. From Dharamsala airport, we continued for approx. 1 hour and a half to the Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo monastery, the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery.
There is a small guesthouse where we will accommodate as many pilgrims as possible, as registrations are made and we speak with the monastery. Part of the group will stay at the monastery of Khamtrul Rinpoche, also of the Drukpa lineage, in Tashi Jong, just a few minutes from the monastery of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.
Flight 22NOV IndiGo 6E7483 Delhi 08:20 Dharamsala 10:00
Guru Rinpoche Lake and Cave
Today we will take a car trip, approx. 4 to 5 am, to the sacred lake of Guru Rinpoche, birthplace of SS Gyalwang Drukpa, Tso Pema. Further up the lake we will also visit one of Guru Rinpoche's caves.
Tibetan Museum
Monastery of SS the Dalai Lama
We will wake up early today to travel to Dharamsala, approx. 5 to 6h. We will have this afternoon and the following morning to enjoy the region.
On the way back to the hotel area, Mcleodganj, we will visit the Tibetan Museum next to the Tibetan Library. Depending on the weather, there is a small Tibetan oracle monastery, Nechung, near the library. We will have tomorrow morning to return here too if we prefer.
We will check in to our hotel and then walk to the main Dharamsala temple. Downstairs there is the pandits' room. Upstairs, there is the Kalachakra temple and the temple with statues of Avolektsvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and Guru Rinpoche, the great Indian master and yogi who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the XNUMXth century. XVIII. You will see that on each side of the altar there is a set of books (in Tibetan format). One is mainly the words of the Buddha, called in Tibetan Kangyur, and the other is commentaries by great masters, called Tengyur. We usually do at least three circumambulations, in Tibetan 'kora', around these two temples on the top floor. It is possible that the monks at the monastery are practicing debate at the end of the day.
Along with the visit to the main temple, a kora (circummbulation) along the path around the hill where the house of HH the Dalai Lama is located is a great way to walk a little, and if we plan for the end of the afternoon, or even put From the sun, the light and views are very beautiful.
free morning
Train
We will have this morning to enjoy Dharamsala, walk through the temple of HH the Dalai Lama, think about souvenirs to take back to Brazil, visit the Tushita Buddhist center of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. There are some possibilities that we will talk about and see how each pilgrim and the group prefers to do it.
That afternoon we will head back to the train station, approx. 3 and a half hours from McLeod Ganj, for our journey back to Delhi. For those who prefer to fly to Delhi, we have this option with assistance as a supplement.
Train 12426 JAMMU RAJDHANI Pathankot 23:09 Delhi 05:55
Free day
We will arrive in Delhi in the morning and we will be able to take a walk around some of its parks and monuments, until our rooms are free for check-in. Delhi is an incredible city. There will be no shortage of possibilities to enjoy your free day.
Flight
We hope you have had meaningful experiences and important learnings during our pilgrimage through the Sacred Places of Buddhism with Nun Jigem Chöedzin.
We will have our hotel available by late morning today. So, whoever prefers to fly back to Brazil early in the morning is a possibility, with more comfort due to having the room available until the time to go to the airport. If you prefer to enjoy it a little longer and fly the next night, we can either book another night at the hotel (it is important to book in advance due to availability) or we can free up your room later that morning, we can store your suitcase at the hotel, then you can take a walk and return. at the end of the day to pick up your suitcase and go to the airport. We'll talk about how we can best help.
Flight
From our hotel we will have an assisted transfer to the airport in Delhi for the flight to Lucknow. From Lucknow we will have a vehicle and driver waiting for us to continue to Sravasti. Place where Buddha lived for the longest time, through the greatest number of monsoon seasons. We will walk through this small village where Buddha lived with his sangha and enjoy the tranquility of the forest of his main monastery.
Flight 29NOV IndiGo 6E2282 Delhi 12:55 pm Lucknow 14:00 pm
jetavana
Thai Stupa
After a day of commuting between Delhi and Sravasti, we will have a day to enjoy one of the eight main Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India. Sravasti is also the place where Buddha taught the largest number of sutras (discourses), among them also from the Prajnaparamita collection such as the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and demonstrated some miracles. We will visit one of the main monasteries of that time: Jetavana, including the place where Buddha resided and taught. We will also visit a beautiful, quite large, Thai stupa.
We will dedicate today to commuting between Sravasti and Sankisa. On the way, we can eat something in Lucknow, capital of India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Place where Buddha returned from Tushita
Let's talk the day before about what time we will leave Sravasti and then we will see what time we will arrive in Sankisa. Maybe earlier in the evening, maybe we'll have time to catch the sunset in Sankisa. In any case, we have the beginning of today to enjoy the little Sankisa special. Sankisa is a place rarely visited by foreigners due to its distance from other cities and little available infrastructure. Together with Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Rajgir, Vaishali, Sravasti and Kushinagar we will complete the eight most sacred Buddhist sites visited by pilgrims for millennia, such as Emperor Ashoka, the Chinese monk and master Hsüan Tsang and many great masters of our time. It was at Sankisa that Buddha returned from the Tushita land after teaching his mother, Mayadevi, for three months. A very simple and very special place.
After visiting Sankisa, we will continue our journey to Agra, on the way to Delhi. A good stop to rest, not have another long day on the road like the previous day and, since we are here, why not visit the very beautiful Taj Mahal? As it is usually very beautiful to visit the Taj at sunrise, we will sleep early for this visit tomorrow.
Taj Mahal
Red Fort
We will wake up very early to watch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal, built by the fourth great Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, for his great love Mumtaz Mahal. We will return to the hotel for breakfast, check out, and then continue to visit the Red Fort, 5th century. XVI, built mainly by his grandfather and greatest of all Mughal emperors, Akbar. We will then continue our journey for approx. XNUMX hours back to Delhi, with the possibility of eating something simple on the way.
Transfer
Return to my country
Time to return to Brazil after remarkable weeks in mother India or Arya Bhumi, where we will have followed the paths of Buddha Shakyamuni himself as well as countless other great masters from the last many centuries to the present day. Depending on the time of your flight back to Brazil, transfer to the airport that morning. Your flight may be later, so you will have a morning and perhaps an afternoon free to explore Delhi. If you would prefer an extra night to have more free time, please let us know.