Highlights of Yogananda’s India

Proposed Date – October 2026 – Open to Everyone

12-day tour

This Ananda College 12-day “Highlights of Yoganananda’s India” tour will explore pilgrimage spots related to Yogananda’s life and the “Autobiography of a Yogi”.  You’ll have the added benefit of optional daily meditation in these wonderful sites.  As with our other tours, we’ll begin our journey many weeks before we travel with optional online classes on Sacred Sites & the Yuga Cycles of Time.   

Itinerary:
Delhi, Calcutta, Serrampore, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh

If you are interested in going to India with us, please sign up here with your name and we will contact you as our tour plans evolve.

The Himalayas

Looking out to the Himalayas from a small temple in India.

The Himalayas

View of the Himalayan peaks at sunrise from a mountain temple in India.

The Dalai Lama

Ananda College group on our first pilgrimage with His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet in 2005

Rishikesh

Visiting the saintly Vanamali Devi at her ashram in Rishikesh.

Rishikesh

Our group visiting the head of the Sivananda Ashram near Rishikesh.

Rishikesh

Ashram along the Ganges River near Rishikesh.

The Temples

Small temple commemorating Lahiri Mahasaya near Haridwar, India.

The Ganges

Offering to Mother Ganges near Haridwar, India

The Ganges

Crossing the Ganges on traditional India passenger bridge.

The Ganges

Ganges River view from our hotel cafe.

Delhi

Paying homage to Ghandi in Delhi.

Varanasi

Indian holy man at an ashram in Varanasi, India.

Varanasi

Evening Aarti on the Ganges River.

Varanasi

Watching the evening “Festival of Lights” Aarti on the Ganges in Varanasi, India.

Varanasi

Street scene in Varanasi, India.

Calcutta

Visiting with some of Yogananda’s relatives at his boyhood home in Calcutta. We’ll have chance to meditate in this holy shrine and spend time with some of his relatives. 

Calcutta

Meditation room in Bose family home in Calcutta, which was visited by Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda, and many other saints.

The Kali Temple

Site of the Kali Temple in Dakshineswar, India.

The Temples

Our group was garlanded after visiting a temple in India.

The Temples

Visiting a Buddhist Temple.

The People

The colorful saris, cloths and people of Mother India.

The People

Indian children full of joy!

The Food

Savory Indian lunch with a variety of dipping sauces.

The Food

Learning to eat “Indian Style” with fingers.

Ananda College of Living Wisdom

Nayaswami’s Nischala and Nakula Cryer have been leading tours for Ananda College of Living Wisdom for nearly 20 years.  They have led tours to Northern India, Southern India, Egypt, Greece, Peru, Italy, France, and England.  They are the co-founders of the Ananda College of Living Wisdom.  For 18 years they lived at the Ananda Meditation Retreat in Northern California where they managed the retreat and the college, and where they raised their son.  Nakula is a builder of sacred temples, creating the Temple of Light and Moksha Mandir at Ananda Village, as well as other sacred buildings.  Nischala is also an author of two books, Reflections on Living 30 Years in a Spiritual Community, and the Amazon best-selling, The Four Stages of Yoga.

Your Hosts

This tour will be hosted by Keshava and Daya Taylor of Ananda India.  Both Keshava and Daya are Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Delhi.  They have led many pilgrimages for Ananda Sangha and are quite familiar with the pilgrimage spots we will visit on our 12-day tour “Highlights of Yogananda’s India.”   There is a free copy of Yogananda’s famous spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi” online here.  Reading this will help prepare you for your tour with us.  https://anandaindia.org/paramhansa-yogananda/autobiography-of-a-yogi/