Indian visa holders must understand the meaning of spirituality. The Indian visa tourists need to wear white attire and roam around peaceful, calm places surrounded by exotic beauty. This is all very challenging as well. Indian visa holders might have to sit on the floor for hours just to get a glimpse of the guru, waiting in scorching heat at 40 degrees. The area is all jam-packed and you cannot even stretch out. You are seated so close that you could feel the other person’s elbows nagging you.
Indian visa tourist may be amazed to see the colorful ashrams in India being full of life with lot of noise while expecting the devotees to sit in peace and meditate. Meditation from within is what is required.
India is flooded with ashrams, religious cities, yoga outlets which are admirable for Indian visa travelers be it tourists or students. Food is vegetarian, alcohol intake or smoking is prohibited and dress code has to be followed strictly.
Sai Baba Ashram in Puttaparthi
Sathya Sai Baba was the only living guru in Prasanthi Nilayam, visited by thousands of devotees every year. Locals as well as Indian visa holders throng the ashram. Puttaparthi is 120 km from Bangalore. When baba was alive, there were two rounds of darshan and Indian visa holders could see Sai baba from far which was a daily routine of the ashram.
Ashram provides separate boarding for males and females. Canteens are available that serve them food. Service is a major task here. Before visiting this ashram, just check the timings. Bus station is near the ashram for the convenience of the devotees.
Amma Ashram in Amritapuri, Kerala
Amma, is very famous among Indian visa holders. She hugs her devotees and greets the western visitors very pleasingly. Visitors need to register online once they plan their trip to ashram.
Indian visa holders can fly to nearby airport either in Trivandrum or Cochin and easily hire a cab, bus or travel by train. They can also inquire about Alapuzzha-Kollam backwater trip if they plan to stopover the ashram.
Sivananda Ashram, Kerala
A perfect yoga vacation in India is best done in Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram based in Kerala. It is famous with Westerners and features many yoga courses. It is situated on Neyyar Dam, which is a big area in Kerala and preaches yoga in traditional ways of Swami Sivananda and Vishnudevananda. There are many short term and long term yoga courses featuring medical yoga training, Ayurveda. Experience in yoga is not necessary.
Rishikesh, Oldest Yoga Capital
Rishikesh is situated at the foothills of Himalayas and along the holy Ganges River. It is a prime destination for yoga studies, big ashrams, meditation and is famous among Indian visa holders. Earlier, it was India’s yoga capital till Mysore near Bangalore claimed that position. Search online regarding courses being offered in Rishikesh. Indian visa travelers can do a lot here, be it yoga, meditation, visiting ashrams etc. India hosts a lot of fake gurus as spirituality has become a money-making business, so Indian visa tourists have to be cautious.
Mysore – New Yoga Capital
Sri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute is very famous among Indian visa students. In recent years it has become so popular that newspapers have listed Mysore as the new capital for Yoga leaving behind Rishikesh. Mysore has featured a good number of Institutes in recent years due to western influence. If you plan to study then find out well in advance, as some schools do not accept India Visa as tourist and demand student visa instead. KPJAYI gets booked months ahead the start of the course.
