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Kishore-Kishori India Trip 2024, USA

25 Jun 2024 to 31 Jul 2024

Aerial view of a resort in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. For the next 12 days, delegates travel relentlessly across the entire coast of South India, following the steps taken by Shri Nilkanth Varni on his pilgrimage across India

Delegates are greeted with seashell garlands by hotel staff upon arrival at the resort

Delegates meet and play the piano in the hotel lobby

Swamis and kishore delegates pose for a group photo in front of the Adikesava Perumal Mandir in Sriperumbudur, the birthplace of Ramanujacharya

Delegates visit the BAPS Sanskardham in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

Pramukh Swami Maharaj had obtained the land for this Sanskardham many years ago. The pujari has now resided there for 20 years, looking after satsang in the region

The murtis of Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj, Guru Parampara, Shri Kartik Swamy, and Shri Tirupati Balaji

Delegates enjoy a delicious Gujarati meal for lunch

Jatinbhai, the pujari of the BAPS Sanskardham in Mahabalipuram since 2005, narrates his experiences of service and history of satsang in the area

Pujya Swamis and delegates take a group photo in front of the Panch Ratha Monolithic Monuments, a tribute to the five Pandavas

A local tour guide explains the history and significance of the monuments to delegates

Kishori delegates take a group photo in front of Arjun’s Penance

Delegates take a group photo in front of Krishna’s Butterball, a massive stone that balances perfectly despite being on a steep incline

Delegates engage in discussion with the local tour guide

Kishori delegates take a group photo in front of the Mahabalipuram Shore Temple

Delegates write out ‘IT24’ on the sandy beaches on the coast of Mahabalipuram

Aerial view of Pondicherry, a French colonial settlement in Tamil Nadu

Along the trip, delegates collectively cared for and offered devotion to a murti of Shri Nilkanth Varni daily

Delegates sit down to admire the greenery in Pondicherry

Delegates walk through the streets of Pondicherry, admiring the colorful, classical European style architecture around them

Delegates surround the local guide as they listen to the rich history and architectural design of Pondicherry

Delegates listen to the tour guide explain Pondicherry’s history and how its society came to be a mixture of different religions, languages, and cultures

Delegates visit the Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Maharshi Aurobindo

Delegates visit the Manakula Vinayagar Mandir in Pondicherry, a temple dedicated to Shri Ganeshji that is one of the oldest in the region

A mural at the Manakula Vinayagar Mandir depicting the marriage of Shri Ganeshji to his wives, Riddhi and Siddhi

Kishori delegates take a group photo in front of the Mahatma Gandhi Statue in Pondicherry

Delegates visited Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, the fourth oldest church in Pondicherry

Kishori delegates seated inside the church as they learn about its historical significance

Delegates visit the Pondicherry Train Station where Yogiji Maharaj had done prostrations to devotees’ luggage

Delegates perform prostrations at the same spot where Yogiji Maharaj had done prostrations

Swamis and kishore delegates take a group photo by the sign of the Pondicherry Train Station

Delegates arrive at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Pondicherry, inaugurated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2000

Swamis and delegates devoutly perform the evening arti

Manubhai, the pujari of the mandir, addresses the delegates. He introduces a local devotee who came into satsang after performing darshan of the BAPS Mandirs in Gadhada and Bhadra

Delegates intently listen to the local guide, as he describes the history of satsang in the region

Delegates flip through old pictures detailing important events and people throughout the history of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Pondicherry

Delegates sit and converse personally with Manubhai on how satsang first began in South India

On the long bus trips between destinations, Pujya Brahmasetu Swami speaks with delegates about the history and significance of locations they had just visited

While on the bus, a delegate designs a report illustrating the various locations visited thus far

Swamis and delegates pose in front of the Brihadeswara Mandir in Thanjavur, built during the Chola Empire over 1,000 years ago

Delegates walk towards the Ranganathaswamy Mandir in Tiruchirappalli

Delegates converse with a local tour guide by a gopuram (monumental gateway) of the Ranganathaswamy Mandir as they visit the resting place of Sri Ramanujacharya

Delegates visit a stepwell inside the Ranganathaswamy Mandir, where Shri Nilkanth Varni would sit in meditation during his stay here

Delegates perform prostrations towards a spot sanctified by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the Ranganathaswamy Mandir campus

Delegates sit in meditation together in a peaceful courtyard of the Ranganathaswamy Mandir, reflecting on their journey thus far

Delegates come across an elephant that participates in processions at the mandir during major festivals

Delegates watch as an elephant crosses

Delegates admire the carvings as the local guide explains the historical background of the Ranganatha Swamy Mandir

The various gopurams of the Ranganathaswamy Mandir. The largest one is 240 feet tall

Kishori delegates take a group photo on the roof of the Ranganathaswamy Mandir

Delegates stroll through the Vanamalai Mandir in Nanguneri

Delegates circle around the Mandir’s priest, as he details the significance of the chalked mark on the floor

Delegates peer into a well of oil, a capturing feature of the Vanamalai Mandir

Kishore delegates ride on small buses on their way from their hotel in Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi Beach

Delegates visit the Kothandaramar Mandir, which marks the spot where Bhagwan Ram crowned Vibhishan as the King of Lanka

Aerial view of Dhanushkodi Beach, the southeastern tip of India (24 kilometers from Sri Lanka)

Swamis and delegates take a group photo at Dhanushkodi Beach

In the evening, delegates have a joint assembly, marking the halfway point of the South India journey

Pujya Pragnapurush Swami speaks to the delegates about having faith in the words of the Guru and scriptures

Pujya Pragnapurush Swami narrates an entertaining story to the delegates in his speech

The delegates burst into laughter at Pujya Pragnapurush Swami’s captivating narration

Pujya Brahmasetu Swami recaps the journey the delegates have taken thus far. He also prefaces the upcoming Brahmavidya College Shibir in Sarangpur and how to maximize on the unique opportunities ahead

Delegates diligently take notes during the assembly

Delegates listen and take notes during the assembly

Delegates perform prayers around the murti of Shri Nilkanth Varni at night

During the long bus rides between locations, delegates take notes on the places visited and memories made on the trip thus far

Delegates discuss artistic designs for an upcoming project on the bus ride

Swamis and delegates gather along the coast of Kanyakumari and sing arti as the sun sets

Delegates take a group photo along the rocky coast of Kanyakumari as they enjoy the beach and cool breeze

The sun sets over the horizon of the coast of Kanyakumari and the Indian Ocean

A delegate carefully tends to a wound of another delegate

Delegates get a taste of authentic South Indian cuisine for breakfast

Aerial view of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial off the coast of Kanyakumari

Delegates visit the memorial where Swami Vivekananda had attained enlightenment

Swamis and delegates take a group photo on the steps of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Delegates enjoy some fresh, cool coconut water in Kanyakumari

Delegates find the location where Pragat Brahmaswarup Mahant Swami Maharaj had humbly performed abhishek of a devotee many years ago

Delegates sit and relax by a beach in Kanyakumari

Delegates dance on the beach together and enjoy the cool breeze

One of the local bus drivers assists a delegate in wearing a "veshti" for their visit to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala

Delegates arrive in the backwaters of Alappuzha in Kerala and enjoy an evening on a houseboat

Delegates admire the view as they sail on the backwaters of Alappuzha

Delegates take turns riding in speedboats around the backwaters

Delegates relax on the houseboat and take the time to catch up on notes and memories written down throughout the journey thus far

As the sun begins to set, delegates enjoy the rest of the day on the boat sailing

Hotel staff in Alleppey welcomes a delegate

Delegates play basketball late into the night

On the 6-hour bus ride to Munnar, delegates spend their time watching an episode of The First of Its Kind, a documentary behind the making of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London. Many also reminisce about their time volunteering at the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, the previous year.

Delegates arrive at the Tea Valley Resort in Munnar

The view from the Tea Valley Resort shows beautiful tea plantations, just a small piece of the 13,000 hectares in Munnar

Delegates board Jeeps from the resort to enjoy a scenic ride through the roads of Munnar

Delegates enjoy a jeep ride through the scenic landscapes of Munnar, Kerala, sharing smiles and laughter along the journey

Delegates walk along the water as they hike on a trail

Shri Nilkanth Varni in front of a waterfall in Munnar

Delegates enjoy the scenic view of the plantations as they make their way through the windy hills of Munnar

Delegates wave to the other jeeps along the road

Delegates enjoy a jeep ride through the scenic landscapes of Munnar

Delegates enter the gates of the Lockhart Tea Factory

Delegates listen intently to a representative from the factory, who describes the different types of tea leaves they manufacture and the process of drying them

Delegates observe and smell a sample of freshly dried and ground tea leaves

At night, delegates gather around a campfire to perform arti

Delegates enjoy a game of chess

A group of delegates set up and enjoy a game of Spikeball

On the morning of their last day in South India, delegates take time to write a thank you letter to the cooks who had traveled with the delegates along the trip

Delegates arrive at Cochin International Airport before their flight to Ahmedabad