In the Footsteps of the Autobiography of a Yogi
27–30 December, 2009
Yogananda with his guru, Sri Yukteswar
Yogananda's attic room,
where he found God
"What I had merely read or heard came alive in a new
way. Yogananda's family members generously shared their
homes and time so that we become more closely attached to his
larger spiritual family."—P.K., San Francisco,
CA
"Every aspect was so well planned
and meticulously and lovingly executed: travelling, lodging,
meditating at different places together, and satsangs. It
was if Yogananda himself were there to take care of me."—S.P.,
New Delhi
The Heart of the Autobiography of a Yogi
Is the City
of Kolkata . . .
Immeasurable blessings emanate from the places where Paramhansa
Yogananda and Sri Yukteswar lived and meditated. That
power is as alive today as always. Ananda has been leading
pilgrimages to Kolkata, our most popular destination, for over 20 years, and we share a
deep friendship with Yogananda's family and other custodians
of these shrines . . .
Slideshow of Past Kolkata Pilgrimages
Pilgrimage Highlights
Paramhansa Yogananda's boyhood home at
4, Garpar Road
Kriya Yoga initiation at Yogananda's home for those eligible
Sri Yukteswar's hermitage in Serampore
Banyan tree where Babaji came to Sri Yukteswar
Kali Temple at Dakshineswar, home to Sri
Ramakrishna
Daily group kirtan, meditation, and spiritual
practices
Meditation at each pilgrimage site
Tentative Schedule
Saturday 26 December:
Board Rajdhani Express; leave New Delhi 4:30 pm. Or, reach Kolkata on your own
by the morning of 27 December.
Sunday
27 December: Arrive Kolkata 10:15 am. Bus pick-up; check in hotel; Lunch on your own. We'll meet about 1:30 pm, then spend the
afternoon at Yogananda's boyhood home at 4, Garpar Road. It is now the residence of his brother's grandson,
Somnath Ghosh. Somnath and his wife and children lovingly maintain the home and share it as a shrine.
They welcome us and make us feel like one of the family, sharing stories, family relics, and photos.
We'll visit, chant, and meditate, and each of us will have the opportunity to spend time in the small
attic meditation room where Yogananda said, "I found God". We'll also be able to meditate in the bedroom where Babaji
came to Yogananda, giving his blessing to the one he had chosen to take the timeless teachings of yoga to the West.
We'll return to hotel for dinner and a satsang.
Monday 28 December: We'll have group meditation and breakfast at the hotel. Just around the corner from Yogananda's home in Kolkata is the family home of his boyhood
friend and disciple, Tulsi Bose. Yogananda stayed here during his return visit to India in 1935-36, cared for by Tulsi's wife, Martan Ma.
It's now the residence of Tulsi's daughter, Hassi. We'll meditate in this home, a shrine in its own right,
with its own relics and treasures, including the beds of Sri Yukteswar and Yogananda.
Hassi will greet us, be with us, and serve us lunch.
After lunch we'll walk to the home of Bhaduri Mahasaya, the "levitating saint", and meditate there.
Then we'll drive to the Kali Temple in Dakshineswar, just outside Kolkata on the banks of the Ganges delta.
Yogananda visited this temple with his sister Roma and her husband.
Here he entered cosmic consciousness and the image of Kali came alive before him, granting his request that Roma's
husband become spiritually awakened. We'll chant and meditate at this powerful spot.
Sri Ramakrishna, one of
the best-known masters of India, lived at this temple many
years along with Sarada Devi, his spiritual companion. We'll
be able to meditate in his room, where he and his disciples
spent many hours. In the early evening we'll drive back to
the hotel.
Tuesday
29 December: We'll travel by bus to Serampore, the small town where Sri Yukteswar had his hermitage,
and where Yogananda spent 10 years in training with his guru.
We'll visit Sri Yukteswar's bedroom and meditate in a shrine built on the site of the hermitage.
We'll then walk down Rai Ghat Lane to sing chants under the banyan tree where Babaji greeted Sri Yukteswar
after he completed writing The Holy Science.
We'll also visit and have lunch with other members of Yogananda's family, and meditate at the ashram of Motilal Thakur,
a close disciple of Sri Yukteswar. We'll return to our hotel early evening.
Wednesday
30 December: After meditation and breakfast, some of our group will return to visit and mediate at Tulsi Bose's and Yogananda's homes.
Some of the group will attend a Kriya Yoga initiation at Yogananda's home, where he himself would give it.
We then all share lunch with Yogananda's family. After lunch the bus departs to catch the train back to Delhi.
Or, depart on your own.
Thursday
31 December: Train arrives New Delhi 10:35 am.
Accommodations, Meals, and Transportation
Train transportation will be by the overnight Rajdhani Express, 2-tier a/c sleeper. Or you may choose to travel on your own and meet the group at Kolkata hotel. Transportation within Kolkata will be by comfortable a/c bus. Our hotel in Kolkata for 3 nights is the 3-star Indismart Hotel. Meals are included, with the exception of 1 lunch and 1 dinner.
Programme Fees
__ Yogananda's Kolkata 27–30 December 2009:
double occupancy (Rs. 19,500)
__ Yogananda's Kolkata 27–30 December 2009:
single occupancy (Rs. 24,200)
__ Yogananda's Kolkata 27–30 December 2009:
double occupancy without train (Rs. 14,800)
__ Yogananda's Kolkata 27–30 December 2009:
single occupancy without train (Rs. 19,500)
Please note: If you do not have a roommate, we will try to
connect you with another single pilgrim of the same sex. If a
roommate cannot be found, you will need to pay for single occupancy.
If you snore, we ask you to room with someone you know well, or
pay for single occupancy.
The programme fee includes train Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi, all group transportation, lodging and 3 meals most days, and hotel tips. Not included in the programme fee are 1 lunch and 1 dinner; beverages; airport transfer if you arrive on your own; donations at ashrams and Yogananda's shrines; medical care should you need it; personal trips in taxi or rickshaw; and personal hotel expenses such as laundry, telephone, or Internet.
Payments
Completed application form and 1st payment of Rs. 5,000 due by 20 September in order to purchase train tickets in time. Later applications will be accepted only if spaces are available. Payments by cheque or bank draft should be payable to Ananda Sangha, or in person in Gurgaon by cash. Your participation is confirmed only when we approve your application and receive 1st payment. Balance of fee due by 1 December.
In case of cancellation, Rs. 1,000 of the fee is non-refundable. Cancellation close to date of departure may incur additional costs.
Tour Leaders
This pilgrimage will be led
by Keshava and Daya Taylor of
Ananda Sangha India. They will be assisted full-time by a guide
from Discover Tours, the Indian tour operator that has guided
Ananda pilgrimages for 20 years.
n at Yogananda's boyhood home at 4, Garpar Road. It is now the residence of his brother's grandson,
Somnath Ghosh. Somnath and his wife and children lovingly maintain the home and share it as a shrine.
They welcome us and make us feel like one of the family, sharing stories, family relics, and photos. 
ng with his guru.
We'll visit Sri Yukteswar's bedroom and meditate in a shrine built on the site of the hermitage.
We'll then walk down Rai Ghat Lane to sing chants under the banyan tree where Babaji greeted Sri Yukteswar
after he completed writing The Holy Science. 
