ZENITH on the road

October 31st - November 12th 2004
Pilgrimage to India - Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi
with Ulrike Greenway, Thomas Atum O'Kane and Zahir Roehrs

Our pilgrimage will lead us to Delhi, where we will visit, among other things,
the Dargahs of Nizzamuddin Aulia and Hazrat Inayat Khan and the Hope Project.

We will visit the Taj Mahal and be taken breathless by its beauty.

Varanasi, the Holy city of the Hindus.

We will spend much time here at the banks of the Ma Ganga,
and visit Sarnath, one of the most revered centers of Buddhism.

Bodhgaya, where the Buddha sat under the tree reaching enlightenment will be a highlight of our journey together.

Ours will be a spiritual journey in which we will focus upon visiting shrines imbued with the presence of those beings and events which have deeply inspired humanity. We will also be attentive to the internal sacred landscapes of our own heart. To enhance this dimension, meditations and suggested spiritual practice related to the visited places will be part of our daily programs. Many participants on our previous tours have been with us on several pilgrimages and often speak about the whole experience, inner and outer, shared with others, which makes this a very special time. This is also a time of sharing with others; our groups are always international, often with participants from 5-6 different countries. We have found that this greatly contributes to the richness of the experience.

On this pilgrimage we are blessed to have group leaders representing the three major traditions present in India. In Varanasi Atum and Ulrike will be joined by Uma, who will introduce us to her city, Varanasi, and also to her music, Dhrupad.

As on all our tours we will try to leave plenty of free time whenever possible for you to explore the surroundings on your own or in small groups. We will not try to see everything to be seen, but rather strike a balance between the outer and inner “sight seeing”.

Oct 31   The night of Oct. 31st – Nov. 1st: Individual arrival in Delhi and transfer to the hotel. All participants make own flight arrangements and bookings to and from Delhi. Flights usally arrive and leave around midnight.

Nov 01  Visit to Nizzamuddin Basti, the Dargahs and the Hope Project.

Nov 02   Visit Delhi

Nov 03   Morning transfer to railway station to board train to Agra at 06:00 hrs and arrive Agra at 07:55 hrs and transfer to hotel. Morning visit the Taj Mahal. Later visit the Agra Fort containing the Pearl Mosque.

Nov 04   Morning visit Fatehpur Sikri.
Sikri is 40 kms from Agra and built by Emperor Akbar in 1569.
Later transfer to railway station to board train to Varanasi at 23:10 hrs. Night on board of train.

Nov 05   Arrive Varanasi (Mughalsarai station) at 07:25 hrs and transfer to hotel.
Varanasi - Hindu's holiest city and one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi was already old when Rome was founded, a flourishing trade centre when the Buddha came to Sarnath to preach his first sermon.

Nov 06  Morning boat excursion on the river Ganges, a ferry pilgrimage from ghat to ghat. People bathe early in the morning to offer the prayers to the rising sun. The two cremation ghats are Manikarnika & Harishchandra where funeral pyre burns day and night. Every pious Hindu believes that to die in Kashi and to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges is to attain release from the cycle of birth and death.

Nov 07  Visit the buried Buddhist city Sanrnath, where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. Sarnath was a renowned school of learning from 6th century B.C. to 12th century AD. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temples.

Nov 08   Morning transfer to railway station to board train to Bodhgaya at 10:55 hrs. Arrive Bodhgaya at 13:45 hrs and transfer to hotel Royal Residency.

Nov 09   Bodhgaya is one of the most sacred places for Buddhists & Hindus and has a number of Buddhist temples. It is here, under the MahaBodhi tree, that Lord Buddha attained enlightment.

Nov 10  Transfer to railway station to board train to Delhi at 13:38.

Nov 11  Arrive Delhi at 04:55 and transfer to the hotel. Day free in Delhi.

Nov 12   End of pilgrimage, checkout from the hotel at noon and transfer during the evening to the airport. Flights home during the night Nov. 12 – 13.

If you would like to stay longer on your own, we can arrange room bookings for you.

Practical Information:

Included in the price:

-       Double room with breakfast for 12 nights including two overnights in train.
-       All transfers and tours by bus.
-       Assistance on arrival and departure transfers.
-       6 dinners included, 2 dinners in Bodhgaya, 3 dinners in Varanasi and 1 dinner in Agra.
-       Train tickets for Delhi/Agra in aircondition chair car, Agra/Varanasi/Bodhgaya/Delhi in aircon second class sleeper.
-       All lectures and meditations with Ulrike and Atum and a concert by Uma.
-       The language during this tour will be English with translation into German during the meditations, if needed.

Not included:

-       Meals other than mentioned, airfares to and from India, Visa, tips, and all other expenses which are not mentioned are not included in the price.

Payment, Cancellations and Refunds :

The total is due with the registration. Cancellations have to be in writing, a 30% cancellation fee applies for cancellations made before August 15th, 60% after September 15th and 80 after October 15th.

Availability:

The group size will be limited, minimum size is 15, maximum is 30; to reserve your place we recommend that you register immediately by returning the registration form with your payment. Registrations will be accepted in the order of the payments received. If possible make your pre-registration by email. The tour will be in English with translation into German whenever possible.

Method of payment:

You can pay by personal check made out to Zenith on the road, by international money order or by wire transfer to:

Zenith on the road
Banca Raiffeisen Olivone ( Switzerland )
IBAN CH47 8035 0000 0021 1105 3 BIC/Swift: RAIFCH22 in Swiss Franc or other currencies
IBAN CH36 8035 0000 0021 1105 7 BIC/Swift: RAIFCH22 in EURO

If not paying by check please include a copy of your transfer with the registration form. We cannot accept credit cards.

Download the registration form (RTF file) for printout.

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