India Yatra - An Exploration of Tantric Sadhana
Pilgrimage or Yatra is the ancient practice of allowing oneself to be transformed by a place. Yatra is the act of moving your body toward a destination considered Holy or important and knowing that this movement mirrors the hero’s journey, where the initiate leaves the comfort of his known surroundings and embarks on a journey that will challenge and change him. It will push him to his limits and by this awaken his latent strength and courage.
India’s beauty and depth has brought me to my knees time and again. The magic, the wisdom, and the grace that I have encountered on the subcontinent are unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else on earth. Everything that I teach, and practice has its roots deep in India’s fertile traditions. Although I’ve positioned myself as a translator between the two worlds, I have always longed to bring people to a direct meeting with the place which has moved me, and countless others, so deeply.
In January of 2025 I’ll bring a group of seekers into direct contact with both this rich quadrant of Earth, and with ancient practices designed to connect the microcosm of our being with the macrocosm of the Universe. Sadhana – or spiritual practice - varies from tradition to tradition and we will have the unique opportunity to visit and learn from different lineages of Traditional Tantra and get intimately acquainted with the tools of Mantra, Yantra, Yagna, Kriya, and Ritual.
Phase one; Landing - Rishikesh
We’ll start our journey at the foothills of the Himalayas, on the banks of the Holy Ganges in the place that birthed modern Yoga, and which has been home to Rishis, Yogis, and seekers of all types throughout history. Now chock full of amenities (and honking) Rishi will be the springboard for our adventure.
Puja in Rishikesh
Connecting with Temples, Ashrams and Holy sites, we’ll learn from the Pujaris and devotees who have dedicated their lives to Sadhana.
This is where we will begin to learn and practice the elements and vocabulary of Sadhana (spiritual practice) and get ourselves acclimated to the sublime chaos of the frequency of India. It’s here that we will begin to learn about and practice Arati, Kirtan, and Yagna.
Kanjapuri – A Shaki Peetham.
We’ll travel to Kanjapuri Temple, seated a few kilometers above Rishikesh is a hilltop temple of great significance to both Hindus and Tantrics. We will make an early morning Yatra to watch the sun rise over the Himalayan foothills and to learn the importance of Shakti Peethams, and the role of the feminine in Shivaism and Shakism alike.
Phase two; Ashram Initiation – Devipuram
Devipuram, or the Abode of Devi (Devi is another word for Goddess or Divine Feminine Principle) was established by Sri Amritanandanath Saraswati as a learning temple for the Sri Vidya lineage, and a place of worship of the Divine Mother. The main temple has been exactingly designed in the form of a Sri Yantra (possibly the most important geometrical figure in all of Tantra) and is one of the few temples in India which empowers women by putting them in the position of holding the rituals and prayers. We will learn alongside Amritananda’s three daughters and the priestesses who run the temple.
We will have the precious opportunity to practice, do puja with our own hands, learn about the Sri Vidya lineage, and receive Kalavahana Puja.
Darshan of the peace and nature surrounding the Sri Chakra Temple at Devipuram.
Kalavahana
Kalā means a part of nature. Āvāhanā means an invitation. Pūjā means a sacred ritual. So the Kalavahana is a sacred ritual that invites the powers of nature into our bodies through the medium of touch, or awareness. We will each have the opportunity to experience this divination of our bodies in the sacred Kamakya Temple.
Kalavahana
Kamakhya Pittham is the heart of Devipuram, we’ll learn its history and significance.
Phase three; Tantric Sadhana – Shivoham
The Raj Rajeshwari Ashram and Temple is the home of Shivoham Tantra, part of the Bhairavandand lineage held by Guruji Rajkumar Baswar. The Ashram is intimate, and one of a kind with a large fire temple at its center. Guruji offers rare alchemic processes, mantra practice, and ritual to seekers from around the world.
We will have the chance to do a Tantric Sadhana with Ganesh. This elephant-headed god is the Remover of Obstacles, and the Lord of Beginnings, we connect with Ganesh to bless our new endeavors and clear the path as we start our Sadhana. We will create a Yantra from rice, use Mantra japa, perform Yagna (fire ceremony) and purify ourselves with Sanskar.
A Yantra is a geometric diagram used in Tantra for Deity worship. It is said that if you have the Mantra and the Yantra of a Deity, you have their Tantra – or the ability to invoke them. During our Sadhana we will build a living Yantra together which will sustain our three-day process. We will learn about working with Yantra, their qualities, meaning, and use.
Yagna is an ancient form of fire ritual practiced throughout India in most forms of Hinduism and Tantrism. We will learn about this form of practice and have the opportunity to perform them during our Sadhana.
As part of our time in the Ashram Guruji will be available for question and answer as well as personal meetings with the participants where one can ask for guidance and insight.
Sanskar
Sanskar is an alchemical mixture of herbs mixed with milk, curd, or water and applied to the body as a paste. This mixture is used in combination with the repetition of a mantra to bring healing, purification, and create changes within the energy structure of the practitioner. It relaxes the fire associated with the rising of Kundalini which can result from the Mantra practice, and allows the activation to happen without difficulty.
Yes, this is your intrepid guide many, many years ago covered in Sanskar
About your guide
Laura Carrotti holds the deepest reverence for India and its traditions. Spending a chunk of every year (except those Covid ones when it was impossible) since 2003 in profound study in India has been the biggest catalyst for change in her life. She’ll be sharing with you some of the places and studies that have been most impactful to her.
Laura has been teaching Yoga and Philosophy for over twenty years, and is a staunch practitioner of Traditional Tantra in both Shivoham and Sri Vidya lineages. She has been leading Tantra groups all over the world since 2009 and is a trauma informed Somatic Experiencing practitioner.
Abo
I’ll be offering my expertise in both the Sadhanas we’ll be doing and the landscape and culture that we’ll be moving through to support you in having the deepest possible experience during your time in India.
Unlike any ordinary tour, we’ll be exploring corners of the Earth that few Westerners have ever seen, and having experiences few will ever have.
Tantra is often lost in the clutter of Western confusion and poaching. It’s mistaken for something it is not and it is reduced down into a painful caricature of its totality. Together we will seek for the real Tantra, find it in its home, understand its context and learn its practice.
During our Pilgrimage we will be meeting regularly as a group to study, learn, process and deepen together. In addition to the Sadhana and experience we’ll have a daily program of Yoga, Breath, Constellation, Movement and more designed to help us integrate it all.
Unlike a regular course or teaching, India itself will change you.
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January 7th Arrival and Welcome Dinner
January 8th Arati at Parmath Nikatan
January 9th Kunjapuri
January 10th Puja at Sachchadham
January 11th travel day to Devipuram
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January 11th Arrival and Welcome
January 12th Poornima Puja
January 13th Kalavahana
January 14th Makar Sankranti
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January 15th travel day and arrival
January 16th Yantra building, sanskar, Yagna, Ganesh Sadhana starts
January 17th Sanskar, Yagna
January 18th Sanskar, Vocal Kriya, Personal Meetings
January 19th Departure
Investment $3,500
What’s Included
All transportation between Rishikesh and Devipuram, as well as to the Shivoham Ashram. All meals and shared accommodations in the Ashrams. Welcome Dinner in Rishikesh. Accommodation in Rishikesh. Kalavahana Puja for all participants, full moon puja in Devipuram, Homam, and learning sessions. Three Sanskar applications, all materials for Yantra building, three Yagnas, Vocal Kriya sessions and personal meetings with Guruji. Daily classes with Laura.
What’s Not Included
Transportation to India. Visas and associated fees. Extra baggage fees. Meals in Rishikesh. Donations to temples, ashrams, or teachers.