YOGALife I Summer 2010 - Sivananda Yoga

Kumbha Mela Yatra 2010
A report on the recent Sivananda North India Pilgrimage
to the Himalayas and the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar
On 14th of February at 10am a group
of 72 participants coming from many
countries (Austria, Germany, France,
Spain, UK, USA, Lithuania, Russia,
Croatia, Belgium, Finland, Uruguay)
arrived at the meeting point near
Delhi airport and were cordially
greeted by Swami Atmaramananda
and a group of Swamis and staff.
After OM Tryambakam prayers
for a safe journey, three buses Vishnu,
Rama and Baby Krishna started the
journey towards the Himalayas.
In the late evening we reached
Mussorie, where we spent the night.
With the sunrise appeared the
beautiful views from this scenic
hill station in the foot hills of
the Himalayas.
The second travel day took us on
winding mountain roads through
valleys and mountain passes to our
first sadhana destination – Uttarkashi,
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YOGALife I Summer 2010
where each yatri was welcomed in
the guesthouse by a local priest with
a flower garland and tilak.
Uttarkashi is a scenic Himalayan
township at 145 km from Rishikesh
at an altitude of 1352 metres, by the
river Ganga. For centuries it has been
a place of sadhana with many
ashrams. Our beloved teacher Sri
Swami Vishnudevananda spent
several months here in intense Hatha
Yoga Sadhana in the early 1950’s
and also completed his earthly
journey here with his Jala Samadhi
(immersion of his body into the
Ganga) in 1993.
The group soon became absorbed
in the elevating vibrations of Ganga
and the Himalayas. Everybody
relaxed and settled into the daily
Ashram schedule of satsang, asanas,
pranayama, study and simple local
diet served in bandhara style in
long rows on the floor.
Swami Atmaramananda’s
readings and commentaries on Adi
Shankaracharya’s Vivekachoodamani
brought insight and reflection into
the higher purpose of life.
Our first local visit took us to the
Sivananda Kutir, the beautiful
Ashram directly by the Ganga
on the outskirts of Uttarkashi,
which was founded by Swami
Vishnudevananda in 1992. Swami
Parameshwariananda gave us a
loving welcome and a tour through
the Ashram which was still closed for
the winter. After a Ganesha-Homa
was performed by a local priest in the
Ashram temple and lunch we had
satsang at Swamiji’s Jalasamadhi
rock where we sat and chanted OM
Namo Narayanaya for World Peace.
Swami Atmaramananda gave a
moving description of Swami