Vasistha Goofa Cave >

The energy-filled dark stone cave, where the famous saint Vasistha meditated on the banks of the Ganga. It is said that during a bhandara (feeding the masses), there was not enough food for the preparation of sweets. The resident sage told a disciple to go take some sand and water from the bank of the Ganga, and upon returning to the grounds, it was made into milk and sugar, used for the kheer (rice pudding)! After the bhandara, the disciple was told to take a bowl of the kheer and put it back in the Ganga, and upon doing so, it turned back to sand and water.

This is indeed an auspicious place for meditation and manifestation of dreams!

View from Vasistha Goofa Cave, overlooking the Ganga

Gangotri >

The land of dreams! Gangotri is considered one of the four pilgrimages that every Hindu must take once during his/her lifetime. Gangotri's strong mystical energy is powerful, palpable for anyone who enters the region. A true spiritual aura permeates this area. Gangotri is considered to be the spiritual source of India's most sacred river, the Ganga, and Gangotri is the place where the Ganga's purifying waters are said to touch the earth for the first time. Her thundering waters at Gangotri will call you within. Gangotri is surely to be a lifetime experience.

In the Himalayas, many mystics and yogis have spent decades or lifetimes in the mountains caves, meditating and engaging themselves in deep spiritual practices. Despite the severely cold winters in these areas, many of the mystics and yogis remain in Gangotri year round. (During an earlier trip to Gangotri, Dale and Ragani met a yogi who had been in silence for many years. He was residing in a tiny hut in Gaumukh, the physical source of the Ganga. Dale and Ragani were wearing their parkas and long underwear, even while sitting in the sun, and this thin yogi was wearing only a loin cloth around his waist and sitting in the shade (cold!) of his hut.) Indeed, these areas are home to incredible yogis and ascetics.

It's no wonder that this land is called
"Devbhoomi" or "land of gods and goddesses". There is an unmistakable and profound spiritual energy that permeates this entire region of the Himalayas.

< Taj Mahal

A tribute to love and beauty! We'll visit the legendary Taj Mahal, one of the great wonders of the world. Located in the city of Agra, this architectural masterpiece was erected by Shah Jehan, emperor of the Mughal dynasty, in honor of his beloved wife, Arjumand Banu, who later became known as Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz and Shah Jehan were married in 1612, and in their 18 years together had 14 children. But in 1630, Mumtaz died at age 39, during the birth of her last child.

Shah Jehan's love was so great for his departed queen, that he ordered the creation the pristine marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, in her honor. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1633, and took 20,000 workers 17 years to build.

When in India and the surrounding Himalayas, it is amazing to realize that you are in the presence of the sages, who are always around. Though they are not always seen with the eyes, the energy of their tapas (spiritual practices) and meditation can be felt... And the energies of the hearts can meet, for there are no separations in the cave of the heart.

Meditate in this atmosphere, take rest in the land where the sages walk and bask in the energy of thousands of years of spiritual practice. Allow it to transform you. That is the power of India.