Days 1 and 2 – Chennai:

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu

and is India's fourth largest city. It is the biggest cultural, economic and educational

center in South India. Chennai is known as the "Detroit of South Asia" for its automobile

industry. Madras is divided into four broad regions: North, Central, South and West.

North Madras is primarily an industrial area. South Madras and West Madras,

previously mostly residential, are fast becoming commercial, home to a growing number

of information technology firms, financial companies and call centers. With temples,

beaches and centers of historical and cultural significance, including the UNESCO

Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram, Chennai is one of the most visited cities in India. The

city serves as the gateway to the southern part of India with tourists landing in the city

and starting their trip to the rest of the region.

Chennai is home to several malls, due to its status as an IT hub. Major ones include

Express Avenue (EA), Citi Centre, Spencer Plaza, Ampa Skywalk, Phoenix Market City

and Forum Vijaya Mall. The city is also the base to the World Gold Council's India

operations. The city's retail industry is majorly concentrated in T.Nagar which accounts

for major share jewelry and clothes sold in Chennai.

Our first day in Chennai we will have time for money changing and clothes shopping,

with an introductory lecture on the program in the evening followed by dinner. During

our stay in Chennai we will visit Vivekananda House, earlier known as Ice House or

Castle Kernan which is an important place for the Ramakrishna Movement in South

India. It is remembered as the place where Swami Vivekananda stayed for nine days

when he visited Chennai (then Madras) in 1897. Vivekananda House now houses a

Permanent Exhibition on Indian Culture and Swamiji’s Life, maintained by the Chennai

branch of the Ramakrishna Math and is a source of inspiration to thousands of people

who visit it every year.

After our visit to Vivekananda House we will take some time for contemplation and

meditation at Sri Ramakrishna Math Universal Temple. The magnificent architecture

reflects a blend of traditional Dravidian, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain styles of architecture.

From its 60-feet tall gateway, one can possibly see the central tower (Vimanam) and the

sanctum sanctorum (Garbha Mandira). The forecourt of the Ramakrishna Math is very

Mughal in its styling with wide lawns, broad and colorful pathways and ornamented

parapets. The temple is open to people from all religions, sect or creed and thus is

universal in the true respect.

Days 2 and 3 – Mahabalipuram:

Mahabalipuram is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of

Tamil Nadu, around 60 km south of the city of Chennai. It is an ancient historic town

and was a bustling seaport during the time of Periplus (1st century CE) and Ptolemy (140

CE), from where ancient Indian traders sailed to countries of South East Asia. By the 7th

century it was a port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It has a group of

sanctuaries carved out of rock in the 7th and 8th centuries: rathas (temples in the form

of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air rock reliefs such as the famous

Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory

of Shiva. The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram has been classified as a UNESCO

World Heritage Site. We will spend some time visiting the ancient sanctuaries and then

stay the night at one of Mahabalipuram’s beach resorts.

Days 3 and 4 – Pondicherry/Auroville:

Puducherry (literally New Town in Tamil) formerly known as Pondicherry

is a union territory of India. In 1674, Pondicherry (Pondichéry) became a French

colonial possession. Pondicherry was transferred to the young republic of India de facto

on 1 November 1954, legally on 16 August 1962, when French India ceased to exist,

becoming the present Indian constituent state of Puducherry. Many streets retain

French names, and villas in French architectural styles are a common sight. In the

French quarter, the buildings are typically in colonial style, with long compounds and

stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and with large

doors and grilles. These French- and Indian-style houses are preserved from destruction

by an organization named INTACH.

During our time in Puducherry we will have the opportunity to visit the Sri

Aurobindo Ashram a public charitable trust that is open to all. No distinctions of

nationality, religion, caste, gender, or age are observed at the ashram. The Ashram,

according to Sri Aurobindo, “has been created with another object than that ordinarily

common to such institutions, not for the renunciation of the world but as a center and a

field of practice for the evolution of another kind and form of life which would in the final

end be moved by a higher spiritual consciousness and embody a greater life of the spirit.”

The practice of Integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindo explained, “does not proceed through any

set mental teaching or prescribed forms of meditation, mantras or others, but by

aspiration, by a self-concentration inwards or upwards, by self-opening to an Influence,

to the Divine Power above us and its workings, to the Divine Presence in the heart, and

by the rejection of all that is foreign to these things.”

Auroville, “City of Dawn”, was founded in 1968 by the Mother (Mirra

Alfassa), Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual collaborator, and designed by architect Roger Anger.

As stated in the Mother’s public message in 1965, Auroville is meant to be a universal

town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive

harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is

to realize human unity. In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, which was

conceived by the Mother as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's aspiration for

perfection". Silence is maintained inside the Matrimandir to ensure the tranquility of

the space and entire area surrounding the Matrimandir is called Peace area. We will

spend some time at Auroville, viewing the Matrimandir and experience the peaceful

environment.

Days 5-9 - Anandhathandavapuram/Mayiladuthurai:

Anandhathandavapuram is a village in Mayiladuthurai taluk, Nagapattinam district,

Tamil Nadu. The nearest town, Mayiladuthurai is located five kilometers to the south.

Anandhathandavapuram is famous for its beautiful small railway station which is located

within the limits of the village. The village is famous for its Perumal, Shiva (Bruhan

Nayaki) and Veerappa Swamy temples. This is one of the 18 villages of Vathima a subset

of Tamil Brahmin Iyers.

History behind the Name 'Anandathandavapuram':

Once upon a time there was a hermit by the

name Ananda. He was a devout Saivite. Being a

person of yogic abilities, he would go to any

shrine of Shiva of his choice flying through the

sky. Daily he used to go to Rameswaram by air

to take a bath in the sea and then go to

Chidambaram from there again by air.

From Chidambaram, he used to go to

Mahendramalai for meditation. This

had become his daily routine. By night

he would return to his village of

Anandathandavapuram. This was going

on for quite some time

One cold morning Lord Shiva decided to

test his devotee. It was Thiruvathirai, an

auspicious day for Shiva puja and all the

Shiva temples wore a festive look. Ananda was about to leave for his daily routine when

the skies poured out. Rain started lashing and it didn’t stop and the hermit couldn’t use

his yogic abilities too on this day. The rain didn’t stop even at night and Ananda couldn’t

have a glimpse of his Lord the whole day. He was very angry too with nature for having

spoilt his day. Immediately, he decided to end his life as he couldn’t have Dharsan of the

Lord that day. As he was about to kill himself, Shiva and his consort appeared before him

and also danced for him, the Anandathandavam (Happy Dance). Since Shiva danced in

this village, it got is present name of Anandathandavapuram.

We will spend five days at our Rathna Veda Vidyalayam school in

Anandhathandavapuram village practicing asana, meditation and mantra chanting as

well as participating in discussions on the nature and practice of Yoga. During our time

here we will have the opportunity to visit Gangai Konda Chola Puram, Pichavaram

Rathna Veda Vidyalayam, Our Veda School building

at the village.

Students pursuing free vedic education offered by Rathna

Charitable Trust, Anandhathandavapuram

Mangrove Forest, Poombuhar Beach, and Thiruvannamalai. In the evenings we will

return to our hotel in Mayiladuthurai.

Days 10 and 11 - Chidambaram:

Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the

Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the taluk headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The

town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by

the Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Marathas and

the British. The town is known for the Thillai Nataraja Temple.

The temple of Chidambaram is the home of the Dancing Shiva, Lord of Cosmic Dance,

Shiva Nataraja. Nataraja dances the dance of Creation and Destruction, the dance of the

atoms, stars and galaxies.The temple can lay claim to many unique features. The

Trimurti (Trinity of Hinduism), Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the

Destroyer are all worshipped within one complex.

Shiva, who is the presiding deity of this temple, is worshipped here in three

aspects: as form, as formless form, and as formless. Besides being one of the largest

temples in India, it is one of the very few temples practicing the Vedic tradition and

rituals, where all other temples follow the Agamic doctrine of worship. The Vedic

doctrine centers on the performance of the Yagna or fire sacrifice. This doctrine has been

preserved by a community of hereditary priests is an unbroken, oral tradition,called

Deekshithars, the priests have been the guardians of the temple and its traditions since

prehistoric times.

At the time of the Chariot Festival, the main murti, or image of the shrine,

Nataraja Himself, is taken out for the procession, whereas in other temples special

festival murtis are taken in procession with the main murti remaining in the temple

sanctum.

This temple is open to all, without discrimination. The temple instructs visitors not to

photograph or film any deities under worship.

The roof has 21,600 golden tiles denoting the number of breaths of a person in a day.

These tiles are attached to the wooden roof with the help of 72,000 nails depicting the

number of nadis (the invisible ducts carrying energy to various parts of the body)

The culmination of the retreat experience will be 2 days in Chidambaram visiting

Nataraja the Cosmic Dancer at His abode in the Chidambaram Temple complex. During

our stay in Chidambaram we will visit several other temples including Sri Gayathri

temple and Thillai Kali temple. There will be opportunity to have rudra abisekam

perfomed for the group at the Thillai Nataraja Temple.

Day 12 – Chennai:

We will return to Chennai for a closing meditation at Rathna Veda Vidyalayam’s Chennai

location and to catch flights back home.

********* Mantra Gosham reverberates *********