Australian Yoga Journal – July 2019

62

july

2019

yogajournal.com.au

VARANASI

RISHIKESH

PHOTO: SAIKO3P/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; FANCYCRAVE;UNSPLASH

HOLYCITIES

Prayagraj

This lesser-known holy city, formerly

called Allahabad and renamed in late

2018 by a new government trying to

build a more spiritual India, is located at

the confluence of the Ganges, the

Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati

Saraswati rivers. When the Kumbh Mela

festival happens here (most recently in

January 2019), it’s the largest: Up to 150

million pilgrims will travel from across

the country and the world and wait for

days to bathe in the holy river.

Haridwar

The Ganges—or Ganga, considered a

living goddess—descends from its source

in the Himalayas, called Gomukh, to the

north Indian plains in Haridwar before

making its way across the country and

pouring into the Bay of Bengal. That’s

why this city’s name means “gateway to

god” and has been a centre of Hindu

religion and mysticism since ancient

times. In Hindu mythology, Haridwar is

also one of the four sites where drops of

amrit, the elixir of immortality,

accidentally spilled over from the celestial

bird Garuda’s pitcher. This manifested in

the Kumbh Mela, a religious festival that’s

celebrated four times over the course of 12

years at four different pilgrimage sites,

including Haridwar. Even when this

famous festival isn’t happening, you can

experience nightly Ganga Aarti

ceremonies here.

13

IMPORTANT PLACES

TO VISIT

Trying to come up with the perfect itinerary to fit your time frame—and not

sure where to start, given India’s vastness? Here, Chandresh Bhardwaj, author of

Break the Norms, and a seventh-generation spiritual teacher in New York and Los

Angeles who leads multiple retreats in his homeland of India each year, shares

his top picks for the holy cities, historical sites, and spiritual pilgrimages every

student of yoga should consider.

Varanasi

One of the oldest inhabited cities on

Earth, Varanasi is also one of India’s

holiest. Walk on the river’s banks, and

you’ll hear the near-constant clanging

of puja ceremonial bells and see the

flicker of lamps illuminating the holy

river at night. You’ll also see pilgrims

bathing—and a maze of funeral pyres,

where bodies burn along Varanasi’s

cremation ghat, or river bank. “This is a

city where death is honoured,

welcomed, and celebrated in a sacred

way,” Bhardwaj says. “Many Indians

believe that if the right rituals are done

at the time of their death, they’ll achieve

the ultimate goal—liberation of the

constant cycle of being born, suffering,

and going through the drama of

living—if their body is burned or their

ashes are scattered in Varanasi.”

Rishikesh

Want to practice in the footsteps of the

ancient yogis? Rishikesh, considered by

many to be the yoga capital of India—of

the world, really—is where yoga,

tantra, and mantras were created,

Bhardwaj says. “There’s such powerful

energy here that even if you don’t

practice asana or meditation and just

keep yourself receptive and open, big

things can happen,” he says. On the

banks of the holy river Ganges you’ll

find ashrams, temples, and shops, as

well as a diverse, international group of

spiritual seekers. When you’re there,

don’t miss Ganga Aarti, a fire ceremony

at the sacred bank called Triveni Ghat.