YAATRA
2016
Hello everyone,
We are about 2 months and a bit away from the YAATRA. I have
listed down some general travel information, the dress code for males and
females as well as certain taboos when visiting temples and India in
general. Kindly read the notes below and come prepared.
The retreat will be held in South India .
OPTION A :
12 days, 11 nights (19th - 30th JUNE
2016) – ENDS IN KUMBAKONAM
OPTION B : 7 days, 6 nights (19th -
25th JUNE 2016) – ENDS IN TRICHY
The YAATRA begins in MADURAI and will end in KUMBAKONAM – closest airport is Tiruchirappalli (Trichy).
YAATRA begins on 19th JUNE
at THE GATEWAY PASUMALAI HOTEL ,
MADURAI
Address: #40, TPK Road, Pasumalai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625004, India
Phone No: +91 452 237 1601
DAY ONE - 19th June
2016
EVENING
Arrival in Madurai at the hotel.
MORNING
Day Trip
Visiting Rameshwaram Temple with 22 tirthas, also where
Patanjali Siddhar Samadhi is.
We will be leaving the hotel at
4.00 am.
Tirthas of Rameswaram
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
There
are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India.[1] According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four of them are important.[2] Bathing in these
Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is
considered equivalent to penance.[3] Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple.[4]
Note: Please bring a change of
clothes for this part of the trip as you will be showered with water from each
of the 22 tirthas.
MORNING
Visiting Palamuthircholai Temple
and Ramadevar Siddhar samadhi
Note: This
takes 6 hours in total to hike up and down, only for those who wish to attempt
this, it is a rough trail) This group leaves at 6am.
For those who are not attempting the walk up the
hill, you can visit Madurai Meenakshi temple & museum
and Sundranandar Siddhar
samadhi.
EVENING
We will visit Thiruparamkundram Temple
and Sattaimuni Siddhar samadhi.
Sattaimuni Siddhar has 7 samadhis of which we will
be visiting three on this trip.
MORNING
Visiting Tirunelveli
- Sankaranaaraayana
Swamy Temple and Pambati
Siddhar samadhi. This is a three hour drive from the hotel, we we will leave at 6am
right after breakfast.
EVENING
Visiting Edganatha
Swamy Temple and Sattaimuni Siddhar Samadhi
in West Madurai.
DAY FIVE – 23rd
June 2016
MORNING
We leave the hotel in the morning right after the
breakfast at 7.00am.
We will be driving to Palani
to visit Dhandayuthapani temple
and Bhogar Siddhar Samadhi.
EVENING
Driving to Karur where we will spend the
night.
DAY SIX - 24th June 2016
MORNING
We leave the hotel at 7.30am.
Visiting Sri Kalyana Pasupatheswarar
Temple and Karuvoorar Siddhar samadhi
in Karur. There will be an abishegam in Karuvurar Siddhar Samadhi temple at
8am.
EVENING
Visiting Jambukeswarar Temple,
Thiruvanaikaval and Arulmighu
Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple and Patanjali
Siddhar samadhi.
We will be spending the night in Trichy.
DAY SEVEN - 25th
June 2016
MORNING
Visiting Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam and Sattaimuni Siddhar samadhi.
We leave the hotel at 7.30am after breakfast.
AFTERNOON
Visiting Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur.
Then we head to Kumbakonam where
we will spend the rest of the trip.
DAY EIGHT - 26th June 2016
MORNING
Visiting Adi Kumbeswarar Temple. We
have arranged for an abishegam to be done for the main deities here. We leave the
hotel at 7.00am after breakfast.
EVENING
Visiting Mahalingeswarar Temple,
Thiruvidaimarudur where Sivavakiayar
SIddharÕs Samadhi is.
DAY NINE –
27th June 2016
MORNING
Visiting Gorakkar
Siddhar Samadhi
We leave the hotel at 7.00am. We have
arranged for anna danam (serving of food) at Gorakkar Siddhar Samadhi at lunch
time.
After lunch we will drive to Vedaranyeswarar
Temple (Agathiar Temple).
OPTIONAL – if there
is time on the way back.
Ettukudi Murugan Temple, Agapai
Siddhar samadhi and Valmiki Siddhar
Samadhi.
DAY TEN – 28th
June 2016
MORNING
Visiting Agathiar Siddhar Samadhi. There
will be an abishegam.
We leave at 7.00am after breakfast.
EVENING
Free
time for rest and shopping.
DAY ELEVEN - 29th June 2016
MORNING
Visiting Vaitheswaran temple, Dhanvanthri
Siddhar samadhi and Sri Sattainathar temple in Sirkazhi and Sattaimuni Siddhar samadhi .
We
leave the hotel at 6.00am after breakfast.
EVENING
Free
time for rest and shopping.
DAY TWELVE – 30th June 2016.
check out at 12.00 pm.
SOME REMINDERS
1. All
participants MUST email me their travel itineraries.
2. You
MUST be at Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport by 12.30 pm on Day One .
3. If
you cannot organize to follow the timing and need assistance to get to Madurai,
please email me by 1st June 2016 so I can organize it for you. There
will be extra charges for this.
HOTEL DETAILS
YAATRA begins on 19th JUNE
at
THE GATEWAY PASUMALAI HOTEL , MADURAI
Address: #40, TPK Road, Pasumalai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625004, India
Phone No: +91 452 237 1601
DAY TWO - RAMESHWARAM
DAY THREE - MADURAI
DAY FOUR - MADURAI
DAY FIVE -
MADURAI
At Karur Regency Hotel
At Grand Gardenia Hotel.
DAY EIGHT TILL DAY TWELVE –
KUMBAKONAM
At Quality Inn Viha
GETTING THERE
TRAVELLING TO INDIA
There are several airlines which
provide direct air services to India.
FIRST OPTION
IF YOU ARE FLYING FROM KUALA LUMPUR.
You can use the airlines below if
you are spending a few days in Kuala Lumpur before leaving for the YAATRA. You
will fly to Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), India from where a bus will be provided
to Madurai which is where the YAATRA begins. You are advised to be at the Tiruchirappalli
(Trichy) airport at 12.30pm which is when the bus will depart to a hotel for
lunch and then drive to Madurai.
If you cannot make this timing,
please contact me directly and I will make arrangements for a private car at
the additional cost of RM 450.00
KLIA - Budget Airlines - www.malindoair.com
- Regular Airlines -
Malaysian Airlines, Indian Air
KLIA 2 - AirAsia
- www.airasia.com
The flying time is
approximately 4 hours plus from Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) to Tiruchirappalli
(Trichy).
SECOND OPTION
IF YOU ARE FLYING DIRECTLY TO
INDIA FROM YOUR HOME COUNTRY
For those who are flying in
direct to India from your home countries, you will have two options.
OPTION 1
If your international flight
flies to CHENNAI then take an internal flight to Tiruchirappalli(Trichy).
Airlines – Jet Airways, SpiceJet
The flying time is
approximately 1 hour from Chennai to Madurai. You will fly to Tiruchirappalli
(Trichy), India from where a bus will be provided to Madurai which is where the
YAATRA begins. You are advised to be at the Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport at
12.30pm which is when the bus will depart to a hotel for lunch and then drive
to Madurai.
If you cannot make this timing,
please contact me directly and I will make arrangements for a private car at
the additional cost of RM 450.00.
OPTION 2
You may choose to fly from Chennai to Madurai directly therefore
avoiding the bus ride from Tiruchirappalli
(Trichy). This is definitely a better option but please bear in mind that you
will have to buy a ONE WAY flight ticket from Chennai to Madurai and at the end
of your trip, another ONE WAY flight ticket from Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) to
Chennai. DO NOT buy a return ticket from Madurai as our YAATRA ends in
Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) on Day 7 or Kumbakonam on Day 12 – with
Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) being the nearest airport.
7 DAY YAATRA
ENDS ON 25TH
JUNE
AT Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)
Airport :
TIRUCHIRAPPALI
The programme will end after visiting SRI RANGAM temple in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) approximately around 10.30am. You may
go back to the hotel to rest and leave when it is appropriate. ZAZEN bus will
drop off participants at the airport.
Those who are flying to chennai and have a connecting flight,
the flight duration is 65 minutes. Please ensure you have enough time.
The rest of the group
will continue on to Tanjore and Kumbakonam.
12 DAY YAATRA
ENDS ON 30th June at Kumbakonam.
Airport :
TIRUCHIRAPPALI
It takes about 2 hours to reach the Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport.
Those who are flying
Air Asia @ 17.05 (5.05pm )
You must leave Kumbakonam at 12.00 pm as it takes 2 hours to arrive
at Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) and you need to be at the airport 3 hours before your
flight.
For those who are flying Air Asia @ 23.59 ( 11.59 pm) and Malindo 23:25
(11.25pm).
Shopping and sight seeing while you spend the day before your
late flight.The bus will drop you in town and then pick you up at 9.30 pm to
drop all of you at the airport .
For those who are flying
the next day - 1st July 2016
Kindly make your own hotel reservations and transportation
arrangement with the hotel at your leisure.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WOMEN
Please take note that temples and samadhi shrines are
sacred places in the Hindu culture and therefore women who are going
through their moontime are not allowed to enter the temple.
ATTIRE
The South Indian High Court has
issued a ruling regarding appropriate attire to use while visiting temples. Please follow the guidelines, failure to do so may result
in the temple authorities not allowing you entry. Also please bear in mind that
some temples are quite orthodox and may turn away western visitors especially
if not dressed in the right manner as it reflects the respect held for the
temple and worship.
The dress code guidelines for men and women:
a) Men: Veshti/Long pants and shirt/t-shirts ( No
shorts or sleeveless tops allowed)
b) Women: Punjabi suits with shawls / Sarees (No skirts
or leggings, jeans, pants above the ankle or sleeveless tops nor any
revealing tops allowed) - All
the attire below are not allowed.
FORM & AGREEMENT
Kindly
ensure that you fill up & submit this Registration Form & Agreement
below in order to confirm your place for the Retreat.
https://zazen.wufoo.eu/forms/yaatra-retreat-2016/
Please note that the Form MUST BE submitted (online) before any
payment is made even if you have already informed us earlier of your
participation.
If any payment is made before the submission of Registration
Form above,
your payment will not be processed but will be returned to you less any bank
charges incurred.
COURSE FEE
The course fee as below:-
OPTION A : 19th – 30th
JUNE 2016 - RM 11899.00
OPTION B :
19th - 25th
JUNE 2016 – RM 6779.00
As usual this includes full
room and board , GST 6% , transport , prayer lights and flowers as well as all
pooja arrangements in the temple.
The fee excludes Temple entrance fees and archanai fees.
For those who have confirmed
your participation, the next step to make a deposit. This is to ensure your
place is booked and for us to place the deposit with the hotel.
Kindly remit a minimum of 60%
of the course fee latest by 15h MAY 2016.
Full payment should be made by 5th JUNE 2016
BANKING INFORMATION Payment can be deposited into the following account via telegraphic transfer
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Zazen Worldwide
Sdn Bhd |
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Account No: 5127
5452 5740
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MAYBANK BERHAD |
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B01 & B02,
SUNWAY GIZA MALL |
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2, JALAN PJU
5/14, KOTA DAMANSARA |
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47810 PETALING
JAYA |
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SELANGOR,
MALAYSIA |
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Swift code:
MBBEMYKL |
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Bank Tel No: +603
6140 6451 |
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Office Address: |
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Zazen Worldwide
Sdn Bhd |
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Address: No 28-2,
Jalan PJU 5/15 |
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Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara |
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47810 Petaling
Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia |
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Tel No:
+603-6157-7746 |
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Kindly fax or email the bank in
slips to me at 03-6156 3781 (fax) or niranjana@dhyanvimal.com
Receipts will be issued upon clearance of payment.
Once again we look forward to
hosting and welcoming you.
Thank you
Warm regards.
Niranjana