What is a Pilgrimage?

I've been asked this question many times, and I thought I would be helpful for us to understand why people do these things.

Pilgrimages have been around for thousands of years, in all shapes and sizes, all over the world, and with all varied meanings and intentions.

Generally, a Pilgrimage is a journey to a holy site.

What is the purpose of a Pilgrimage?

There's many reasons why people have embarked on Pilgrimages, and they serve many different purposes. The biggest reason, is that it removes participants from their daily routines to focus on personal reflection, and to connect with themselves in a way that isn't possible at home.

Sometimes they have a religious significance, like going to the Vatican in Rome, or going to Jerusalem, or the holy city of Mecca. The world is loaded with Pilgrimage sites. ABSOLUTELY LOADED. A Pilgrimage, doesn't need to have any direct, religious connotation at all. Many times, it's feeling the historical connection to places where elevated beings, saints and deities are believed to have been. These places hold very powerful energy, which is why people are naturally drawn to visiting them. For example visiting the mayan ruins is a Pilgrimage experience. Even visiting a grave of a famous artist, can have a Pilgrimage feeling.

Why?

A Pilgrimage takes us out of our "Daily grind," and deeply connects us to something outside of ourselves. We begin to grow roots.

At the end of the day, a Pilgrimage is simply a journey back to ourselves.

Part of a Pilgrimage experience is the travel. In fact, it's a very important part.

When we leave our comforts of home, that in itself is a Pilgrimage.

India As A Pilgrimage:

There are literally thousands of Pilgrimage sites in India.

THOUSANDS! Like everywhere..lol!

I'd like to share a bit about the magical village of Ganeshpuri.

You might wonder why I love sharing this so much. I understand the wonder.

To some, it might seem strange to go to a small village in rural India.

Why not some swanky upscale Shangri-La?

Well, in my experience, the simplicity of this village is the DOORWAY to landing in your heartspace.

It feels like coming home.

Why?

The love that permeates throughout the village is so hard to put into words.

If you go there with a closed mind and a closed heart, you'll miss the essence of the entire experience.

If you go there with a curious mind and an open heart, magic awaits you, in however way it chooses to appear.

It's an opportunity to come home to your heartspace.

A bit of Background:

Ganeshpuri is about 80km north of Mumbai, located in Maharashtra, India. It was home to Bhagavan Nityananda from 1936 until he left his body in 1961. His samadhi shrine is now a focal part of the village and draws many pilgrims each year. Nityananda was originally from Kerala, where he established an ashram in Kanhangad. He spent time wondering across the country, and landed in Ganeshpuri. It was mostly an uninhabitable jungle at the time. He was drawn to the land because of the quiet forest, away from city life. He Visited the Shiva temple there, and asked to stay. He made Ganeshpuri his home, where he taught and established a devotional following, through his works.

His primary disciple was Swami Muktananda. He was given the name Muktananda, by Nityananda in 1947. During these years, Muktananda did 3 world tours, where he established Siddha Yoga Ashrams and meditation centers in many countries,

including the US.

He is most famous for writing a booked titled, The Play of Consciousness.

Swami Muktananda took Samadhi (left his body) in Ganeshpuri in 1982.

His samadhi shrine is also located in the village.

The surroundings:

The land in Ganeshpuri and surrounding it, is incredibly rich, lush and forested. The Tansa River runs through this region, and several natural sulfur hot springs bubble up directly into it's riverbed. The surrounding land is filled with mineral-rich geothermal springs. Some of these springs have been turned into public bathhouses. In fact, Dr. Kothavala's Thermal Spring Bath House is located behind the Samadhi Temple, in the village of Ganeshpuri. It is known as, India's oldest spa.

A Ganesh Temple is located in the forest on a small mountain top, within the Village.

Vajreshwari Twin Town is the next town over from Ganeshpuri. It is home to a Historic Devi Temple built in 1739. It is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Vajreshwari.

There's hot springs surrounding this entire region.

Within a few hours of Ganeshpuri, there are incredible historical sites.

This region is so rich. I can feel myself there as I'm writing this.

Here's what's been brewing...I'm sharing a Peaceful Pilgrimage Plan.

As many of you know, I've been to Ganeshpuri many times over the last 15 years or so. It is like a home away from home for me. During my last trip, I was talking to a dear friend who lives in the village. He shared with me his experiences of seeing many travelers come and go and not fully understanding what's around them. That sparked a huge conversation dreaming up a new way to share this place with people. I expressed that I felt, more education was needed to help people understand the history. It gives people something tangible to chew on.

Sooo....DRUM ROLL.....

HERE'S the Preliminary Plan:

The Anchor for this Pilgrimage will be Ganeshpuri. During our stay we will attend morning Arati at the Temple, for a high-vibration start to the day. We will visit with the locals, have Chai, sacred walks, wander into the Gurudev Siddha Peeth Bookstore and so many surprises that I will wait to share. It will be a peaceful and slow time.

We will depart by van, to Trimbakeshwar,an ancient Pilgrimage town. It is renowned for the Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple, which is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas. What makes this temple unique is that it features three faces symbolizing the Triveda - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The temple was constructed in the 18th century, located near the Godavari River.

A short transfer brings us into Nashik city, near the banks of the Godavari. Here we witness the rituals at Ram Kund, a site used for purification for millennia. We will visit the Kalaram Temple and stay overnight in Nashik city.

Our journey moves onto the Ellora Caves. These caves were hand carved between the 5th and 12th centuries. The Kailasa Temple cave 16) is the single monolithic rock excavation in the world. It was carved from "top down" out of a single basalt rock.

Next we move onto the Ajanta Frescoes. These are a collection of ancient Buddhist murals located in rock-cut caves in Aurangabad. Focus caves are Cave 1, The Bodhisattva, and Cave 26, The reclining Buddha. These sites date back to the 2nd century BCE.

From Aurangabad we fly to Mumbai.

From Mumbai we fly to Trivandrum where we embark on our Ayurvedic Journey to Indimasi Healing Village.

This is a rough outline of the plan brewing for January 2027. Of course there's lots of details and kinks to iron out, but this is the general landscape.

It's so much fun to create these journeys and share them with people.

Everything starts with Planting a seed.

Now, it has to be watered and nurtured until it comes to fruition.

With Great Respect and Love

~ Leelah Lakshmi ~

Nityananda Temple in Ganeshpuri