Calling Your Pilgrim Heart to Awaken …

Dear Pilgrims and yogins – fellow travellers on the sacred journey of life. You are invited to to join our Mahā Shivarātri pilgrimage to give thanks to the sacred river Narmada in the heart of India.

This is not a yoga holiday, but a pilgrimage, or yatra. These ten days are a sacred and holy commitment to journey together with awareness towards the portal of the most powerful new moon of the year.

We invite you to listen to the call of your pilgrim heart, to dream into this journey, and if it calls to you, to step out with us, and travel to India on a journey of reconnections and thanks-giving. 

Our ten-night pilgrimage… takes place at the sacred time of Maha Shivātri, the great night of Shiva’s wedding to Parvati.

 Our pilgrimage brings us to the banks of the river Narmada, to offer worship, thanks and gladness into the holy waters as we prepare over nine nights for the ritual of Shivaratri, a time of purification, thanks-giving and re-dedication to the path of our spiritual practice: “You take away the weight of poison in this age of Kali; and you are the foremost among all tirthas (places of pilgrimage)” (Narmada Ashtakam, Adi Shankaracharya)

Mahā Shivarātri journey…

The days of our pilgrimage are spent cleansing and healing, to inspire creativity and community dreaming as we prepare for the ceremony of Maha -Shivarātri. 

The afternoons are spent dreaming in the liminal restful space of Yoga Nidra.  We invite you to take a mythical, mystical Mahā Shivarātri journey to the sacred River Narmada, in Maheshwar.  

The Narmada, meaning “Giver of pleasure” or “Giver of Hope”, is bequeathed by Shiva to be forever eternal and pure, created by the sweat of his tapas, to purify the Devas during their war with the demons.

The sage Markandeya explains to Yudhishthira in the Narmada Purana how he had seen Narmada survive various kalpas” creations. One name of Narmada is ‘immortal’: Na-mruta tena Narmada). 

Daily rituals to reconnect…

Every day will begin and end with the glorious sunrises and sunsets by the River Narmada. During these times together as pilgrims we have opportunities to embody the ancient Vedic rites and animistic rituals which deliver us back to the call of Great Nature in her magnificent splendour.

As pilgrims we shall worship the rising and setting sun and perform water and fire rituals. There will also be times when we commune with the earth in yoga nidrā, sing mantras and dance in the temples of Maheshwar and Mandu.

We shall practice together these ancient forms of yoga which re-enchant, restore and harmonise us so we can reconnect to the wisdom of the earth and all the elements.

Each day on our pilgrimage, we cleanse and re-energise in the holy waters of the River Narmada. The vibrations of this water containing the energy of the crystals which are used to create the Shiva Lingams (stones said to contain the energy of ShivaShakti) to perform rituals which enact the creation of the universe and worship of the 5 elements. 

These daily devotional meditations realign us with the cyclical wisdoms and rhythms of Mother Nature, of whom we are a part.  

Devotion and gratitude…

On this pilgrimage, the rhythms of our daily practices become a Body prayer, an act of devotion, gratitude and reverence to Nature, and to the ancestors who bequeathed to us the practices of yoga.

We will also make a pilgrimage by boat to the island temple of Bhaneshwar, mythically said to be the centre of the universe, and Sahashra Dara (the thousand waterfalls).

During the day in temples, and in our dharmashala (community centre) we explore the romance creation stories of Shiva Shakti.  

We weave, through a Mythic lens, and through our dreams, the practices of Total Yoga Nidra, Yoni Shakti Yoga and Yoga Mantra Dance to experience the eternal wisdoms encoded in these stories.   

Delicious foods…

The food will be a highlight too, fresh fruits, local seasonally grown vegetables cooked in a traditional Central Indian style, according to the Ayurvedic principles, of combining great taste and health. 

During our pilgrimage we shall be welcomed and cared for by our Narmada Family who will guide us in the tradition of honouring pilgrims to care for our needs. 

Our thanks gives back…

Ten per cent of the profit made from this pilgrimage will be returned to the Rewananda Free Arts school - which we started running in 2014, and was formally given an NGO status in 2017.  

Unfortunately during Covid the school was disbanded and has been running on an ad hoc basis.  Through apportioning a percentage of the profit, we can formally contract sessional teachers to regularly facilitate Dance and Music classes to the low caste girls and young women who live in the community by our Community Yoga Centre, known as the Dharamshala.  

How much does it cost?

The normal total price is £1350, but there is an 'Early Bird' Price of £1250.

How you get the 'Early Bird' price?

If you are interested you must pay a £500 deposit as soon as possible. Places are limited so do this to secure your place on the pilgrimage.

If you pay the remainder of the price before October 31st 2025, you will pay the Early Bird price - £750.

After October 31st you pay the remainder of the full ticket price - £850.

Please read our Cancellation Policy:

Cancel by November 15th, 2025 - Full refund
Cancel by December 30th, 2025 - 50% refund
Cancel by January 15th, 2026 - 25% refund
No refunds after 15 Jan 30, 2026

Note: All refunds incur a 5% processing fee

Limited space available, advisable to book early to ensure place

Daily Practices:

The rhythm of our days will include daily ritual connection with a spectrum of nourishing and revitalising yogic practices facilitated by Uma and Sangita.

The intention of the practices is to deepen our reconnection to our own intuitive and embodied experience of the holy process of pilgrimage.

Participation in all practices is optional: and pilgrims are encouraged to connect with those daily rituals that respect and nourish their energies, with respect to cyclical process and inner body wisdom.

As pilgrims we shall offer yoga rituals performed on the banks of the River Narmada to re- connect us back to nature.

Lighting lamps and offering flowers to the river with prayers, these elemental Vedic rituals have ancient origins.

Sunrise rituals:

Surya Arghya - Offering water to the sun, facing the sunrise over the River Narmada, when a spectrum of sun-rays refract through the water, uplifting and revitalising us, re-balancing our energy centres. Together with the sound of the mantra, the sunlight and mantra-infused water is then offered back to the river.

Suryanamaskar - Sandhya Vandanam - a body prayer to the sun, flowing asana sequence as an act of worship to the light, together with chanting of Gayatri Mantra

Agnihotra - A daily fire ceremony at the exact moment of sunrise and sunset. Tremendous amounts of energy are gathered around the copper pyramid during Agnihotra.

A magnetic field is created, harnessing the life-giving power of the sun, creating a healing bioresonance which purifies the atmosphere of pollutants, neutralizes harmful radiation, and gives nourishment and sustenance to all life forms. 

Our pilgrimage shares the positive patterns created through Agnihotra, recalibrating our circadian rhythms, through this act of offering back to nature.

Bhakti yoga and the yoga of sound - as pilgrims of the heart, we reconnect to the devotional, indigenous and animistic roots of yoga, honouring the elements, and the presence of the goddess in our bodies as we sing in the sound chambers of temples in Maheshwar and Mandu.

Chanting Lalitha Sahasranama - a thousand names of the Tantric Goddess Tripura Sundari- known as a Veda itself , a potent and beautiful prayer to the Goddess

Mantra chanting and singing - Our pilgrimage includes vocal practices to liberate the voice through practices of riyaaz, Indian classical vocal techniques explored through the lens of yoga philosophy.

Dasha Mahavidya - We shall also be chanting the mantras of the Dasha Mahavidya and learning about these powerful Wisdom Mothers. As pilgrims we shall bring our mantras to chant and sing.

Shiva Lingam ceremony - part of our pilgrimage includes an ancient ceremony performed in the Shiva temples, setting the lingam into the yoni, to enact the creation and reconnect us to the 5 elements

Yogic Dance -Yoga Dance flow movements- exploring a dance based yoga practice, moving with mantra , breath and guided and free dance yoga movement.

Total Yoga Nidra - Yoga of rest

Sacred acts of resting to reconnect to our dreams – daily restoring and nourishing our intuitive capacity.

Swimming in the river waters.

There will also be the opportunity to consult individually with Kapil and/or Sangita for yoga therapy, or guidance on the practices.

Location

This pilgrimage will be based in Maheshwar, a town which lies on the north bank of the Narmada River, in Madhya Pradesh, the “Heart of India” .

The nearest is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore. This is about 90 minutes from Maheshwar by car. Airport transfers are provided, and included in the price of the pilgrimage.

Maheshwar , an ancient place of pilgrimage, off the beaten track, is said to be located on what was once the ancient City of Maheshmati. Here women enjoyed rights and freedoms which existed only here in India, for example the right to enjoy pleasure and love outside of the bounds of marriage.

In more recent history, the great Queen Ahilya bhai, devotee of Shiva, located her capital here in the 1700s, recognising the spiritual power of this place. 

Maheshwar is known as the Gupta Kashi” secret place of light” During her rule, there was a great period of spiritual renaissance, peace and prosperity. Much of the Royal lands was put into Trusts for the purposes of Yoga Bhakti.

The River Narmada is one of India’s most ancient and holy Rivers. An ancient place where, for centuries Yogis have taken the Narmada Pilgrimage. As She flows from East to West, the sun sets and rises over the River Narmada, thus making this ideal for sun and river rituals.

Bathing in the Narmada is like a baptism, being born again each time, and thus is a perfect place to prepare and be present for the biggest new moon yogic ceremony in India.

Narmada Crystal is said to contain the energy of Shiva, and stones are taken from this River and placed in key energy centres through the spine of India. The stone does not need to be consecrated to perform animistic worship and rituals as it is already potent and charged with Shiva Shakti, hence it is a River of Light. 

Our pilgrimage also includes a trip to Mandu, an ancient citadel, located in the Malabar Hills, to explore the abandoned temples and palaces of the Sultanate and the pilgrim sites of Yogis.

Accommodation

In single ensuite rooms in Hansa Guest House, Maheshwar.

This venue has been specially built to cater for the needs of pilgrims to the Narmada, and includes gatherings spaces for our classes, as well as bedroom and dining areas.

What's Included

What's Not Included