India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [5]
• Leave Your World Behind as You Cleanse Body and Soul (Kalari Kovilakom, Kerala): Ayurvedic philosophy preaches that your body is a temple and at Kalari Kovilakom, a palace-turned-Ayurvedic hospital that miraculously combines five-star heritage accommodations with the ambience and discipline of an ashram, you’ll be compelled to devote all your time and energy towards rejuvenating your physical being and recharging your spiritual energies. Established by India’s leading eco-conscious hotel group, CGH Earth, this is the most upmarket health retreat in the country, with daily consultations and treatments by dedicated, highly qualified Ayurvedic doctors, regular yoga classes, meditation sessions, individualized healthful diets, and a regime of personal disciplines designed to help you align body and mind. See chapter 7.
• Worship the Sunrise as It Touches the Southernmost Tip (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu): You can’t help but be moved by a sense of the miraculous when a simple daily occurrence is venerated by thousands of pilgrims who plunge themselves into the turbulent swell, believing that the tri-oceanic waters at India’s southernmost tip are holy, while others delight in the glorious spectacle as if it’s a Bollywood (the nickname for India’s booming film industry) premiere. See chapter 8.
• Lose All Sense of Reality in the City of Light (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh): Drifting at dawn on a boat on the Ganges along Varanasi’s bathing ghats (steps leading down to the river), against a backdrop of 18th- and 19th-century temples and palaces, you will witness surreal sights—hundreds of pilgrims waist-deep in the Ganges cleansing their souls in its holy waters, while others pound laundry, meditate by staring into the sun, or limber up to wrestle. All the while, bodies burn on the sacred banks, thereby achieving moksha—liberation from the eternal cycle of rebirth. See chapter 10.
• Reach a Spiritual High on Top of the Holiest Jain Mountain at Shatrunjaya (Palitana, Gujarat). As you puff your way up the seemingly infinite steps winding their way up into the misty, lush forest, you may feel as though you’ll never make it down again—or, if you do, it’ll be as a different person. The holy Jain mount of Shatrunjaya has over 900 beautiful temples (most in mint condition), coupled with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, the Gulf of Cambay, and the Shatrunjaya mountains and river flowing through the verdant hills behind. Even if you’re a firm non-believer, your heart will be won over. See chapter 12.
• Make a Wish at the Tomb of a Sufi Saint (Ajmer, Rajasthan): The great Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chisti was known as “the protector of the poor,” and his tomb is said to possess the power to grant the wishes of all those who visit. His Dargah Sharif is the most sacred Islamic shrine in India, second in importance only to Mecca but frequented by Hindus and Muslims alike. The atmosphere of pure devotion is both ancient and surreal; some pray fervently, and others tie threads onto the latticework while supplicating the saint to fulfill their wish, while throughout these activities, the qawwali singers seated in front of the tomb repeat the same beautiful, haunting melodies that have been sung for centuries. See chapter 11.
• Carry the Holy Granth Sahib to Its Evening Resting Place (Amritsar, Punjab): In Sikh temples, the Granth Sahib—Holy Book of the Sikhs—is an object of devotion in its own right, and nowhere is this more evocative than at the Golden Temple, the most tangibly spiritual destination in the country. In the evenings men line up to carry the precious Granth Sahib from its golden sanctuary at the center of the Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar), crossing Guru’s Bridge, which symbolizes the journey of the soul after death, to Akal Takht, where the Holy Book rests for the night. Men can take part in this ceremony by joining the line that forms behind and ahead of the heavy palanquin. Being part of this ancient tradition is a deeply moving experience and indicative of the embracing atmosphere you’ll find in Sikh