See India Through the Lens of A Pilgrim
A pilgrimage is something entirely different from tourism. It is an intentional crossing, a threshold you step over when you choose to travel with purpose. You arrive carrying your current life, your questions, your patterns, and along the way something begins to shift. Through encounters with sacred places, ancient traditions, and the quiet wisdom woven into a wildly different pace of life, you are invited into a more expanded perspective of both the world and yourself.
There is a subtle unraveling that happens on a journey like this. The pace acellerates, yet softens. The senses are insulted, yet they awaken. In the intensity, there is space for reflection, clarity, and a deeper connection to what truly matters. Shared experiences with a small, like minded group create a container that supports openness, presence, and genuine connection.
This journey is designed to guide you into a sacred space within. To move beyond observation and into participation. To experience India not just as a place you visit, but as something you feel, absorb, and carry with you long after you return home.
You will not leave the same way you arrived.
Retreat Highlights
- Overview
- 14 night immersive multi-city journey through India
- Intimate, small group experience with 10 maximum spots available
- Sacred & Spiritual Experiences
- Visit powerful ashrams and sacred spiritual sites
- Experience darshan, meditation spaces, and devotional environments
- Connect with living spiritual teachers and lineages
- Walk the grounds of revered temples and holy spaces
- Deep exposure to India’s spiritual traditions and rituals
- Healing & Wellness
- Opportunities for ayurvedic treatments and traditional healing therapies
- Daily opportunities for reflection, stillness, and inner work
- Integration of Eastern healing philosophies and practices
- Immersive and intentional travel that opens the way you perceive and experience your inner and outer world
- Cultural Immersion
- Authentic, on-the-ground cultural experiences
- Travel as participants, not tourists
- Explore multiple places, landscapes, and daily life in India
- Engage with traditions, food, and community in a meaningful way
- Seamless, Elevated Travel Experience
- All accommodations curated for comfort and location (keeping in mind we are not in the West)
- Transportation and logistics fully handled
- Breakfast is included each day to begin your mornings with ease, while lunches and dinners remain open, allowing you the freedom to explore and enjoy India’s diverse culinary offerings at your own pace.
- Thoughtfully designed itinerary with zero planning required
- Connection & Transformation
- Travel alongside a like-minded, high-vibe group
- Build deep, lasting connections and friendships
- Designed for personal growth, clarity, and expansion
- Experience the kind of transformation that only happens far from home
- What Makes This Different
- Access to experiences not available to typical tour groups
- Curated by someone deeply connected to both healing, spirituality, and travel
- A balance of structure and spaciousness
- Intentionally designed for depth, not surface-level tourism
“Close your eyes and feel the spiritual energy enter your heart.” – Ananda Mai
Who is this trip for?
India is not a destination for everyone. It is best suited for travelers who are VERY open, adaptable, and willing to step beyond predictability and comfort. This journey is immersive and sensory rich, with vibrant colors, sacred sounds, shifting rhythms, and cultural contrasts that can feel expansive rather than relaxing.
This journey is especially aligned for seekers. Those drawn to philosophy, yoga, meditation, devotion, cultural immersion and ancient spiritual traditions will find depth on a retreat like this one. If you value meaningful conversations, sacred sites, and wildly diverse and immersive cultural experiences, this retreat will meet you.
Western standards, including predictable infrastructure, consistent service style, environmental uniformity, and familiar comforts that many travelers are accustomed to, are not always accessible in India. The country operates within its own rhythm and system. Pace can shift. Amenities can vary. Plans may require patience.
India asks for flexibility, curiosity, and a willingness to surrender expectations. In return, it offers depth, perspective, and a profound inner shift that comfort alone rarely provides. This retreat is designed for those who feel called to growth, spiritual exploration, and meaningful cultural immersion rather than surface level tourism.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day in “Incredible India”
RECALIBRATE YOUR RHYTHM
Program begins with your arrival into Bengaluru (previously Bangalore) beginning at 12pm noon with a transfer from the airport to our hotel in Puttaparthi: Sai Towers, where we will stay for the next 3 nights. Check in & rest after an extensive travel day, and settle into the all-consuming energies of India. Arrivals before noon will need to pre-book an extra night in the Sai Towers Hotel in order to check in sooner.
Ayurvedic clinics are accessible within walking distance of our hotel. Here you can receive traditional ayurvedic treatments such as shirodhara or massages (not included)
Welcome Dinner and orientation.
Hotel: Sai Towers, Puttaparti or similar
Day 2 & 3: Visit to Prasanthi Nilayam Ashram
IMMERSIVE OBSERVANCE
Breakfast at the hotel before heading to the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, nestled along rolling hills with the river Chitravathi to its east. A destination for spiritual aspirants from all cultures, faiths, and nations. We will spend some time in Sai Kulwant Hall which welcomes thousands of devotees daily.
Daily life at the ashram centers around darshan (worship), with the powerful vibrations of Vedic chanting, soul-stirring bhajans, and spiritual programs creating a steady devotional rhythm throughout the day.
We will meditate under the 75 year old Banyan Tree, a quiet focal point for reflection and deep inward contemplation.
Visitors can also explore the museums, which share stories of Sai Baba’s life and teachings, offering historical context and insight into the ashram’s foundation.
Hotel: Sai Towers, Puttaparati or similar
Day 4: Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) & Whitefield (a suburb of Bangalore) for Quiet Integration
LIVING PRESENCE
Following our immersive time in Puttaparthi, we journey to Whitefield, a bustling place, for a profoundly sacred encounter where we shift to encounter a living saint, Devi Amma. She is a revered spiritual teacher and embodiment of Divine Love. Devi Amma is a devotee of Rishi Agastyai, known for her profound love and wisdom. Imagine a person sitting for decades in a room with a beaming smile, welcoming one and all who come to sit in her divine presence. This is Devi Amma.
We also visit Brindavan, Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram in Whitefield. We will explore the meditaton halls and walk around the grounds where Sai Baba spent many summers giving darshan to devotees.
Hotel: Four Points by Sheraton or similar
Day 5: Sacred Girivalam & Walking Meditation
ACTIVE PILGRIMAGE
Today we will join thousands of pilgrims on the 14km (8.7 miles) Girivalam path around the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai. This is not a pristine hiking trail, it is often performed barefoot, in silence, and in a clockwise direction to to absorb it’s powerful healing vibrations. The walk usually takes 3 to 4 hours, passing eight holy lingams (Ashta Lingams) surrounding the hill that is said to embody Shiva, The Great Destroyer.
Hotel: Ramana Towers or similar
Day 6: Virupaksha Cave
CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE
Visit the sacred cave on the eastern slopes where Sri Ramana Maharashi spent 17 years in silence, deep meditation, radiating peace and grace. Why do these ancient spots radiate stillness, and what happens when you sit inside them? Visitors describe a profound sense of: “Stillness that goes beyond silence.”
Hotel: Ramana Towers or similar
Day 7: Sri Ramanasramam
LIVING PRESENCE
We will have a free day to immerse yourself in deep silence within the Old Hall and New Hall, where the living presence of the Sage is still palpably felt. Sri Ramanasramam is a sacred spiritual center at the base of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, established in honor of Ramana Maharshi, one of India’s most revered sages. It is a place of quiet presence and deep inquiry, where seekers from around the world gather for meditation, self reflection, and the practice of inner stillness. Opt to return back to the cave or rest up for the next adventure!
Overnight Train: Departing at 8pm to Rameswaram
Day 8: Rameswaram
GATEWAY TO LANKA
Journey to the southernmost tip of India, a sacred island where mythology and history converge. Rameswaram is where Lord Rama built the bridge to Lanka and worshipped Lord Shiva to absolve sins.
We will visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple, an architectural marvel festuring the longest temple corridor in India measuring 3,850 meters long.
Participate in the purifying ritual where holy water from 22 Sacred Wells, each dedicated to different gods and goddesses flows.
Experience a cultural ceremony: Ancestor Puja with Brahmins. This sacred ceremony is performed by authentic priests and will be personalized for you as an individual.
Hotel: The Residency Towers or similar
Day 9: Moving North to Varanasi, Mother Ganga
ETERNAL CITY OF LIGHT
Early Breakfast at the hotel and then a 2 1/2 hour drive to the Madurai Airport where we fly from there to Bengaluru or Hyderabad to catch a connecting flight to Varanasi. Arrive at the world’s oldest living city, a 5,000+ year old city known as the eternal city of light or luminous one aka “Kashi.” It is one of the holiest sites in Hinduism, and we will quickly find out why.
Time permitting, as the sun sets, the river becomes the stage for the mesmerizing evening Aarti. We will sit where fire and devotion rise together in an offering to the divine. Along the ghats the eternal cycle of life, death, and liberation is witnessed with reverence and acceptance. This is not a passive experience but an immersion into one of the most potent spiritual landscapes in the world, where the energy of surrender, renewal, and transformation can be felt in every moment.
Hotel: Ganges View or similar
Day 10: Sarnath Buddhist Sacred Site
WHEEL OF DHARMA
We will begin with morning reflection where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon as we meditate at the Dhamek Stupa in peaceful Deer Park. This is one of the 4 most sacred Buddhist Pilgrimage sites. We will circumvent this structure in walking meditation, known as Kora, to accumulate merit and purify karma.
Continue our exploration of Varanasi with an iconic boat ride and maybe even a dip in the river for those who are extra adventurous.
Hotel: Ganges View or similar
Day 11 & 12: Varanasi’s 84 Ghats & Kashi Vishwanath
SACRED RIVER STEPS
With so many temples and 84 ghats that unfold along the sacred Ganges we will be exploring organically this living tapestry where devotion, ritual, and daily life unfolds all around us. Each ghat carries its own significance, yet together they create a powerful continuum of life, death, and renewal that defines the essence of this ancient city. At the heart of it all stands Kashi Vishwanath, one of the most revered temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Here, the energy is intense, raw, and deeply sacred, offering an experience that is less about observation and more about immersion into one of the oldest continuously inhabited spiritual centers in the world.
Hotel: Ganges View or similar
Day 13 & 14: Namaste & Bengaluru Airport
SATURDAY, JULY 20
11am Check out & Fly to Bengaluru for our departures back home…tonight or in the morning.
Recommended airlines Luftansa or Emirates on an AM flight to start your journey back to the West.
Hotel: Bloom Hotel or similar
Please keep in mind that the information contained on this trip brochure is intentionally designed as a framework rather than a fixed itinerary. The itinerary you see is a foundation, a guiding outline that holds the shape of our experience while allowing space for something far more meaningful to unfold. India is not a place that conforms to expectation. It does not exist to show us what we want. It reveals what we need.
Along the way, there may be shifts, surprises, and unexpected turns. What may feel like a change in plan often becomes a doorway into something richer, more authentic, and deeply impactful. These moments carry gifts that could never be prearranged or predicted.
We will move through this experience together with openness and trust, understanding that India operates on an entirely different rhythm and energetic frequency than what we are used to in the west. Part of the journey is learning to soften into that pace, to release control, and to meet each moment as it comes.
This is not just travel. It is participation in a living, breathing experience that invites presence, flexibility, and a willingness to receive what is meant for you.
DINING
Dining with a Pro!
Indian cuisine is a vibrant expression of culture, tradition, and regional diversity, offering a rich tapestry of flavors that range from deeply comforting to boldly complex. Meals are prepared with aromatic spices, and time honored techniques that nourish both body and spirit.
Throughout the journey, we will be guided by someone who has spent extensive time in India and knows where to find the most special, authentic, and safe places to eat. This allows you to relax into the experience, explore with confidence, and fully enjoy the depth and variety that make Indian food so uniquely satisfying.
Food in India is generally very affordable, so we intentionally did not include lunches and dinners. This allows you the freedom to order what you like, explore a variety of dishes, and experience the local cuisine in a way that feels personal and aligned with your preferences.
YOGA
The yoga āsana taught in this retreat will be moderate to gentle forms of vinyāsa and restorative yoga. There are no set locations or timeframes, as we will work in the practice as it fits into our daily schedule. Appropriate modifications will be given and students should inform the teachers of any medical conditions in advance.
BREATH WORK AND MEDITATION
All meditation and breathwork practices will be suitable for beginners and be used to aid in calming the nervous system, enhancing focus, and cultivating loving-kindness.
FACILITATORS
Christina Prieto, AP, RYT
Acupuncturist, Adventurer, Joy Maker, Mother Hen
I have been a licensed acupuncturist for over 20 years and a registered yoga teacher for 18 years. I wove my passion for natural medicine and sacred movement together with a fierce case of wanderlust, and began facilitating wellness and adventure retreats overseas in 2015. After hosting 3 groups in Cuba, and 16 groups in Costa Rica, and most recently 2 to the Sacred Peruvian Andes. I am so excited to collaborate with Anandamai to offer this retreat in India…one of the most transformational places I’ve ever been!
Ananda Mai
Embodied Wisdom Guide, Love Warrior, Storyteller
Ananda Mai, whose name means “Mother of Bliss”, embodies the essence of her name. She is a woman with a deeply warm heart, rich life experience, and exceptional culinary skill. She has spent many years in both North and South India devoted to deepening her spiritual practice.
Today, she lives part time in Peru and part time in India, where she leads groups on immersive spiritual retreats in both regions. Her time in India has profoundly shaped her path, immersing her in the teachings of Hinduism as a devoted disciple of Sathya Sai Baba, from whom she has learned the principle of the Oneness of all life.
She carries a radiant presence and moves through the world as a starlight dancer of truth and devotion.
BOOKING
Registration steps
Step 1: Message Christina with intention to join.
Step 2: Submit $750 deposit vis Zelle to christinaprieto@icloud.com
Step 3: Additional communications & a welcome packet will be emailed out closer to retreat time.
Questions? Call/Text/Email Christina at 407-234-6454 christinaprieto@icloud.com
important
Please do not purchase your airline ticket until you receive a message that our retreat is confirmed with enough registered participants….5 minimum people. In the event we do not have enough registrations, the retreat will be canceled and your deposit will be refunded (minus nominal merchant fees.)
After trip confirmation, please send Christina your flight itinerary as soon as you have your reservation selected so that we can confirm your Bengaluru arrival is timely.
LOGISTICS
NOT INCLUDED
- International Flight
- 2 in-country India domestic flights
- Lunches & Dinner
- Visa Fees or Services
- Tips for Guides
- Personal Expensess
INCLUDED
- All ground transportation (taxis, & overnight train)
- Hotels
- Daily Breakfast
- 22 wells ceremony
- Ancestor Puja with Fire Ceremony
- Vishwanath Temple entrance
- Ganges Boat Rides
- Local spiritual guides
- Daily group check-in circles
- Tips for Drivers
deposits & Payment Schedule
- A transferrable, but non-refundable $750 deposit is due at time of registration. Final registration deadline is 9/1/26
- 10/1/26: 50% balance is due.
- Double: $1,320
- Single: $1,503
- 11/15/26: Final Balance is due.
- Double $1,320
- Single: $1,503
ARRIVAL&
DEPARTURE
Program services begin with a group transfer from the Bengaluru airport (BLR) on January 11th, 2027 at 12PM and end on Day 14 in Bengaluru for evening departures. Participants arriving 1 day early or depaarting 1 day later may arrange an additional night in the hotel and we can help arrange this.
TRAVEL health INSURANCE & VISA
Travel health insurance is not required, but HIGHLY recommended. You can get quotes from my suggested companies: World Nomads insurance or Allianz.
A visa is required to visit India. E-Visa’s are available online for 1 month to 5 years and can be obtained digitally. Apply in advance to ensure a smooth process.
health
To attend this journey, you will be asked to meet certain mental and physical health requirements. A brief health questionnaire is part of the registration process. Given the nature of travel in India, including long travel days, varying climates, unpredictability, and immersive cultural experiences, meeting basic health requirements is important to ensure your safety and the well being of the group. If you have any specific concerns or questions, please reach out to the facilitators directly.
MEDICINE
We strongly recommend you bring medicine for traveler’s diarrhea, nausea, ibuprophen/fever reducer, and motion sickness in addition to your regular prescriptions.
Please review the CDC recommendations for India health information and travel notices.
packing & Dress Code
A suggested packing list will be provided closer to departure.
Women need to have covered shoulders in temples and ashrams. Long dresses with shawls are perfect. For men, long pants are required. Traditional Indian dress is welcome and we will have an opportunity to purchase appropriate local clothing soon after arrival.
PriciNG
| Double Accommodations: $3,395 per person | |
| Single Accommodations: $3,750 per person | |
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink the water?
Drink only boiled, bottled, or filtered water/ice. Bringing and using your own water bottle to refill with filtered water, preferably the type that are most hygienic—wide-mouthed and stainless is best.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is included. Other meals are on your own.
What if I get sick?
As you adjust to a new environment and different foods, it is not uncommon for the system to recalibrate. This may occasionally show up as mild digestive discomfort or the need for rest. In most cases, symptoms are temporary and pass quickly with hydration, simple remedies, and a slower pace for a day or two. You will not be navigating this alone. Throughout the journey, you will be supported with guidance, access to trusted resources, and help coordinating care if needed. India also has medical facilities should anything more significant arise. Please consult with your travel insurance as medical care is not included in your trip tuition.
Do I need to change money? How much do I bring?
Indian rupees are necessary for street vendors and some remote areas, and Visa or Mastercard is widely accepted. $50 per day is advised.
Is there wifi?
Most places will have wifi, but it is not always dependable. Please contact your carrier for more information.
What are the social and ethical expectations for this event?
Retreat participants are required to honor the guidane put forward by Christina & AnandaMai for your safety and your highest good. Participants are expected to exhibit respect toward the locals and their cultural traditions. This retreat includes several spiritual ceremonies which require multicultural sensitivity and reverence. This means visitors must respect communal spaces, digital usage restrictions, and cultural traditions outside of their own.
What if I want to opt out of yoga or another activity?
This is your adventure. You are not required to participate in activities that you are not comfortable doing. Skipping yoga classes, taking free time, declining offsite excursions in exchange of rest if it is possible with group travel logistics is permitted. Keep in mind that refunds/credits will not be given for missed activities/meals/etc., and any costs incurred during free time is your responsibility.
Can I do laundry?
Handwashing is best, so bring a few laundry sheets or pods and clothing that can be hand washed and quick-dry.
Do I need a converter for the outlets?
Yes…I recommend a global universa adapter so you can have it ready for flight connections or other international travel.
What is the best way to communicate with my loved ones back home?
Most cell phone carriers have a roaming plan that you can pre-order for around $10/day. We recommend having a Whatsapp Account since most of Peru lives and breathes via Whatsapp. This will be the best way if not only way to communicate with your guide, taxi driver, restaurant or yoga teacher.
Is this retreat right for me?
If you’re not sure if this type of travel is right for you, email or Christina at christinaprieto@icloud.com and I would be happy to have a conversation about any concerns you may have.
Still have Questions?
Contact christinaprieto@icloud.com or call/text me at 407-234-6454
