Pilgrimage to Ananda Village in California for the 50th Anniversary Celebration
Led by Nayaswamis Dharmarajan & Dharmini
Click here to see official Ananda Village flyer
Date : 28 June – 11 July, 2019
In June/July, we’ll lead a pilgrimage to Ananda in California. Nearly 100 Ananda Sangha members from India have made a similar pilgrimage.
Purpose: To Participate in the worldwide celebration at Ananda Village in honour of the dedication of a new Temple of Light. And, to show Ananda members in India the scope of what has been accomplished in the 50-year history of Ananda communities; to demonstrate how to bring Yogananda’s teachings into daily life; and to give inspiration to future directions of Ananda’s work in India. The trip is 14 days.
Ananda Village, founded by Swami Kriyananda 50 years ago in 1969, is the original Ananda community. It is home to 250 residents, most of whom have practiced Kriya Yoga for decades. The village is situated on 850 acres of beautiful meadow and forest in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in northern California. There are schools for children based on Yogananda’s principles. A year-round retreat offers classes and retreats in all aspects of spiritual life, including training for teachers of meditation and yoga asanas. Other activities include a publishing company; Ananda’s worldwide outreach through websites, Clarity magazine, healing prayer sangha, courses, and correspondence; a medical and dental clinic, and retail businesses.
Trip Description: Dharmarajan and Dharmini will guide the entire pilgrimage. At Ananda Village we will participate fully in a very special week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ananda Sangha and the dedication of the new Temple of Light. Led by Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi, spiritual directors of Ananda Sangha worldwide, the week will include discourses and presentations by acharyas and members of Ananda communities in America, Europe, and India; along with a variety of participatory events, music concerts, and dramatic presentations especially prepared for this celebration. We’ll also have daily group meditations.
Number of people required for pilgrimage: This pilgrimage depends on whether a minimum of 10 people can go. If 10 people do not sign up, you will be refunded any down payment you make. There are also other options you can consider in order to still go with an Ananda group to the US during this time if this pilgrimage does not get the minimum amount of people.
Los Angeles: We’ll spend 2 nights in a hotel and visit the powerful places where Paramhansa Yogananda lived most of his life—now preserved as shrines. Our time in Los Angeles will be focused on the shrines of Yogananda. These include Mount Washington, where he established the headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship in 1925; the beautiful and blessed garden, Lake Shrine; and Forest Lawn where Yogananda’s tomb is. From Los Angeles, we will fly back to Chennai.
Proposed Itinerary:
28 June (Friday): Arrive in San Francisco, drive to Ananda Village, meals and opening satsang, get settled
28 June-8 July: Celebration at Ananda Village plus one day of unstructured time
9 July (Tuesday): drive to Los Angeles
9-10 July: Visit Los Angeles shrines
11 July (Thursday): fly out from Los Angeles
Accommodations, meals, transportation: At Ananda Village we’ll stay at “Karuna Sangara”. Karuna Sangara is a rustic cabin in the woods 5 minutes away from the central activities happening at Ananda Village. The cabin will include beds, a kitchen, and bathroom. We’ll hire two passenger vehicles for transportation. Most meals during the celebration will be at Ananda facilities or at Karuna Sangara. In Los Angeles we’ll stay in shared hotel rooms with attached bath (or single for an additional cost). Meals will be at restaurants. Please note: If you snore, please let us know. We will have to accommodate you in a separate tent/room.
Children: If you would like to bring your children, you can sign-up via the Ananda Retreat Centre with this link. They are able to accommodate families.
Flights from India: We can advise you in arranging your own flight, flying in to San Francisco (SFO) and out of Los Angeles (LAX). We are hoping all from Chennai will choose the same flight to make pick up and drop off easier. Upon arrival, we’ll meet your flight and transport you to Ananda Village. For departure, we’ll leave from Los Angeles. The drive between SFO and Ananda Village is 4 hours. India-California flights start at around Rs. 1 lakh round-trip for these dates, but can increase dramatically close to our departure, so booking early is best. You can also arrive on your own in the U.S. before the group, or remain longer in U.S. after the pilgrimage. Other flights can allow you to stop over on your own in other US cities and visit family or friends who live elsewhere.
Cost: USD$1990 plus airfare.
Cost includes: shared accommodations and most meals. There may be other meal options available during the Ananda Village celebration which would be an additional personal cost to you. Also included: ground transportation, airport transfers at the arrival and departure times indicated above, admission to events and shrines. Not included: additional meals, snacks & drinks (you can budget about USD$150+ for these); personal expenses; or personal travel & airport transfers outside indicated times. (We are making your pilgrimage as affordable as possible by staying at a more affordable place nearby Ananda Village.)
To Reserve Your Space: Please go to this link and fill out the application. Also let Dharmarajan and Dharmini know you are interested and whether you have a visa already or if you would need help or advice getting a visa. If you have technical difficulties and cannot access the link above, please ask us to email an application to you or fill one out at the centre.
Payment: A non-refundable first payment of a USD$150 (or equivalent rupees) per person is needed to reserve your space. Your participation is confirmed only when we approve your application and receive payment. Receiving applications and payments as soon as possible will allow us to secure necessary accommodations and transportation. The balance of the fee is due soon after. In case of cancellation, a USD$150 (or equivalent rupees) of fee is non-refundable. Cancellation close to date of departure will incur additional costs. The remainder of the payment (minus the deposit of USD$150) is USD$1840. Ideally our preference is to have that amount transferred to a US account but you can also pay us USD cash here in India (fees not included). Transfers to a US account can often be done through a friend or family member who lives in the US. Or, directly from your bank. We will give you the US bank account details if a transfer is possible.
Preparation for Pilgrimage: We’ll help you through all these questions and more by e-mail, with letters on preparation and answers to any individual questions.
Passport: You must have a valid passport to travel. Make sure the expiration date is at least 9 months after the trip date (May 2020).
U.S. Visa: This is the deciding factor for some would-be travelers. A visa is not easy for some people to obtain, and you should start the process NOW. We highly recommend that you hire an agent to walk you through the visa application process. We can also advise you, and you will need the advice, so let us know if you plan on applying for a visa.
