Spiritual Tours in India

It is impossible to know India without understanding its religious beliefs and practices, which have a large impact on the personal lives of most Indians. On a day-to-day basis, the vast majority of people engage in ritual actions that are motivated by religious systems that owe much to the past but are continuously evolving. Religion, then, is one of the most important facets of Indian history and contemporary life.

A number of world religions originated in India, and others that started elsewhere found fertile ground for growth there. Buddhism and Jainism, the ancient monastic traditions, have had a major influence on Indian art, philosophy, and society and remain important minority religions. Islam spread from the West throughout South Asia to become the largest minority religion in India. Sikhism, which started in Punjab, has spread throughout India and the world. Christianity, represented by almost all denominations, traces its history in India back to the time of the apostles. Judaism and Zoroastrianism, arriving originally with traders and exiles, are also represented by small populations. A variety of independent tribal religious groups and migrants also are lively carriers of unique ethnic traditions.

Spiritual Tours With Us

There is more diversity of religions in India than anywhere on earth. Apart from having representations from almost all the religions of the world, India is also the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism as well as two religions unique to India, Sikhism and Jainism. India has also played host to a number of migrant communities who have freely practised their beliefs – thus you can find Jewish Synagogues, Armenian Churches, Zoroastrians’ Fire Temples in the neighbourhood of more mainstream temples, mosques and churches.

Each religion in India has its own pilgrimage sites, gods, heroes, legends, customs and traditions and even culinary specialties. Whether it’s the gathering of millions of faithful at the Kumbh Mela, bowing in prayer in the courtyard of a mosque during Eid, decorating the houses with lamps during Diwali, or the vibrant festivities during Christmas, religious festivals of India are celebrations of shared emotion that bring people together. Travel with us along the holy Ganges or do yoga-meditation in an ashram to fulfil your spiritual quest, offer a pilgrimage at the ancient Hindu temples or follow in the footsteps of Gautam Buddha.

Sample Itinerary: Mystic India

• Visit a Sufi Mausoleum in Delhi and listen to devotional Qawalis
• Drive to Agra and see Taj Mahal and visit another Sufi Mausoleum of Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri which converted emperor Akbar into a sufi disciple
• Continue to Khajuraho to see the influence of tribal Tantricism on Indian religion of the middle ages
• Fly to Varanasi, India’s religious heart since time immemorial, and witness most esoteric rituals of life and death along the sacred Ganges. On the outskirts of Varanasi is Sarnath where the Buddha gave his first message of the middle path to Nirvana
• Continue to Kolkata to see one of the most amazing live temples of Kali where sacrifices are still performed. Visit the spiritual centre of Dakshineshwar
• Fly to Chennai and Madurai and witness South Indian religiosity from close quarters at some of the most amazing Hindu Dravidian Temples

Sample Itinerary: On the footsteps of The Buddha

• Explore the capital Delhi, an electrifying place with a cacophony of noise, colour and smells
• Fly to Patna which is a gateway to various Buddhist towns and drive to Rajgir, where Buddha spent some time, and Nalanda, the ancient Buddhist University
• Drive to Bodhgaya where Siddhartha attained his enlightenment and became the Buddha
• Fly to Varanasi, India’s religious heart since time immemorial, and witness most esoteric rituals of life and death along the sacred Ganges. On the outskirts of Varanasi is Sarnath where the Buddha gave his first message of the middle path to Nirvana
• From Varanasi you may continue to Kushinagar where Buddha left his body and go across the border in Nepal to visit Lumbini where Buddha was born