We would like to thank all of you who have expressed an interest in our 2009 Fall pilgrimage to our beloved India. This year’s main tour will depart from San Diego on September 24th and conclude November 09th in New Delhi. Since our pilgrimage is divided into two portions the Main Tour and the YSS Convocation as an add-on or a separate tour. You may join us for the whole tour or any portion thereof.

We will embark on the ‘Mountain Portion’ of our journey from Delhi, on our way to the ancient cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar. After a few days of enjoying these sacred places, we take a short drive to our beach camp along the beautiful Ganga. We will have group meditations and chanting and plenty of time for just relaxing. For the more adventurous, there will be river rafting, trekking or just taking a dip in a pool below the beautiful waterfall located on the property. Next we will drive by air-conditioned coach or jeeps to Badrinath or “Badrinarayan.” Paramahansaji tells us in his Autobiography, this is the area where Mahavatar Babaji is residing. The famous Temple itself has a deep and ancient connection with Babaji.

Next we will wind through the beautiful foothills toward our blessed YSS Dwarahat Ashram. Here we visit Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave and enjoy the peace and serenity of the Ashram grounds.

We will conclude the Himalayan foothill portion at Corbett National Park, where we ride elephants into the jungle in search of the elusive Bengal tiger. Here, we will be staying at a beautiful lodge just above the river, on the edge of the jungle. As throughout our journey, we chant and have daily group meditations wherever and whenever possible. We will then visit the Taj Mahal and enjoy several days in Vrindaban, the boyhood home of Lord Krishna.

After the Taj, we will then fly to Kolkata and stay at our YSS Dakshineswar Ashram. Anyone joining us at this point will be met at the airport by our local representative and driven directly to the ashram. Here we will enjoy group meditations and satsangs by the YSS Swamis. We also visit 4 Garpar Road, Master’s boyhood home and visit other blessed places mentioned in his ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’. On the third or fourth day we will take a two-hour boat ride up the Ganga to Serampore (Srirampur). There, we visit Rai Ghat Lane where Babaji appeared to Sri Yukteswar and visit our Paramguru’s home and ashram. During our stay, will also take a walk to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, home of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and the place where Guruji had his famous vision of Kali.

Next, we will take and overnight train to the sacred city of Puri, where we will check into our very beautiful hotel, built on the sands of the Bay of Bengal. The next morning starts with meditation on the beach before our visit to Karar Ashram, Sri Yukteswarji’s seaside hermitage. While in Puri, we also visit the world famous Jaganath Temple where it is said that Jesus spent a portion of his missing years. After our two night stay on the beach in Puri we will drive to Bhuvaneshwar to catch the Ragdhani Express to the holy city of Varanasi. Here we will spend four beautiful nights and days in the City of Lord Shiva on the banks of the Holy Ganges. This concludes the Main Tour and for those doing the ADD-ON, we continue onto Bodhgaya, where Buddha found enlightenment and then spend 8 wonderful days immersed in the YSS 2009 Convocation (Sharad Sangam). On the evening of the 8th of November we will fly back to New Delhi. The next day is free for sightseeing and shopping in Delhi before taking our international flight back to America.

Again, you may join us for an entire tour, any portion of a tour or a combination of tours. Please call us so we can customize your tour to suit your needs.

Although we always ask the SRF Mother Center for prayers and blessings before traveling to India, we would like to make it clear that Master’s Darshan Tours is a private service established for friends and devotees of Paramahansa Yogananda to enjoy his beloved India. Naturally, Self-Realization Fellowship is unable to endorse the tour. Nevertheless, every year before traveling to India, we have been blessed to receive a letter or a phone call from our beloved Sangamata, Sri Daya Mataji, expressing her best wishes and prayers for a safe and blessed pilgrimage.

We ask that if you are interested in joining us, please read the Inclusions, Exclusions, Etcetera page , complete and sign the Registration Form along with the Terms & Conditions page and mail them along with your $1000.00 deposit. In order to book flights, hotel reservations and other tour necessities, we ask that you send your deposit in on or before June 1st, 2009. Much advance time is needed for us to book hotels, airline and in-country transportation and accommodations.

We expect to fill-up quickly, so don’t delay. Once you have decided to join us, make sure to read the check list on this website under “Preparations” (PDF) . Here you will find all of the necessary items that you will need for your journey. You will also need to contact the Consulate General of Indian in San Francisco (www.cgisf.org) to obtain a visa before we depart. If we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact us at: 760-458-0578. We would love to speak with you.