2 – 11 June 2023
A profound retreat experience with daily excursions
in the heartland of Shaiva Tantra
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In this one of a kind retreat, we will explore the sacred sites and lush landscape of the Kashmīr Valley while engaging in practices, teachings, satsangs and kīrtan.
Daily Schedule*
Early wake-up
Self-guided meditation or Asana
Breakfast
Morning excursion
Lunch
Afternoon Practice and Teachings
Light Dinner
Early to Bed (or additional teaching and practice)
*exact timings will change dependent on excursions and needs of the group
Itinerary Summary
June 1 – Optional extra night in Srinagar (no formal program).
June 2 – All arrive to Srinagar by 2pm.
June 3-10 – Daily Schedule as outlined above.
June 11– Retreat concludes at lunch – optional extra night available
Our Possible Sacred Outings
This is far too much beauty for us to capture it all in one trip!
From the options below, we will choose those that most inspire and/or are available as access to sites changes frequently.
Please note: We will NOT see all of these, but only a selection of them.
** A variety of temples including: **
– Śārikā-devī / Chakreshwarī on Hariparvat in Śrīnagar
– Rājñī (Khīr Bhavānī) at Tulmul
– Jwālā/Jvālāmukhī at Khrew/Khruv
– Mārtaṇḍa Sun Temple
– Avantipor
** Swami Lakshman Joo’s Ashram. **
** The cave into which Abhinavagupta is supposed to have disappeared. **
** The sanctuary where the rock on which the Shiva Sutras were revealed resides. **
** The area where Utpaladeva lived and wrote his transformative work. **
** A small village ShivaTemple where, lying on the ground, is a stone lingam. According to popular belief, if eleven people each put one finger underneath it and utter a sacred syllable repeatedly, they can effortlessly raise the heavy stone lingam. **
Our Beautiful Venue
Our venue sits 40 mins outside of the Srinagar city center and provides the perfect base
for our daily excursions and extended practice and retreat immersion.
What’s Included:
–All historical and spiritual talks and guided meditations with Hareesh
–All accommodations
–All meals at the hotels and en route
–Admissions to the monuments
–Our local tour guide, Yusuf, accompanies us always.
–All tips for hotel staff, restaurants, washrooms, and temples.
–Fruit and snacks while in the bus
–All local taxes
What’s NOT Included:
— Cost of any special pujas at any of the temples
— Cost of any ordered drinks
— Any special entry fees for the Main sanctum of any temple
— Video camera or still camera fees
— Airfares and visa fees
— Arrival & Departure transfers
— Tips for our guide ($10 – $25 per day)
— Laundry services or phone bills.
— Anything not specified in the left-hand column
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING
VERY IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS
- You are required to purchase travel insurance for this trip, no later than 10 days after registration. Please send us proof of travel insurance ASAP. The level of coverage you choose is up to you, ensure to obtain travel insurance that covers the risks you are unwilling to assume.
- CANCELLATION POLICY – There is a $500 non-refundable deposit when you register for this trip. Additionally, You must cancel 60 days prior to travel or NO REFUND will be issued. There are no exceptions to this rule, including COVID or other pandemic related country closures. This is a risk you assume. Please read the full policy here.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from our entry date to India. Check today and start the renewal process now if necessary.
- An Indian visa is required to enter the country. Please ensure that whatever passport you hold is eligible for an Indian visa. The process can sometimes take up to 3 months and require in person visits to your embassy, so please start this process immediately. No refunds will be issued after 60 days prior to travel, even for visa problems.
Hareesh Wallis
Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra with thirty years of experience. He was initiated by a traditional Indian guru at the age of sixteen, and received education at yoga āshrams, both in India and the West.
He combines his own practice of more than 25 years with a rigorous inquiry into the original Sanskrit sources to accurately translate and bring to modern practitioners this ancient nondual wisdom. The practices aim to facilitate both spiritual awakening and enhanced well-being for people in all walks of life.
His degrees include a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in South Asian Studies from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley.
Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition, and of The Recognition Sutras, a translation and commentary on a 1000-year-old masterpiece on experiential recognition of oneself as a direct expression of universal divine Consciousness.
Join us on this unique retreat
and discover the mystical Kashmīr!