Sun, 31^st Jan, Depart UK

Depart from the UK and embark on our amazing South India adventure! We’ll provide you with a selection of flight options to choose from. The next day, we’ll pick you up from the airport from Mumbai and head straight to GEV.

Mon, 1^st Feb – Thu, 4^th Feb, Govardhan Eco Village

Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) is a beautiful spiritual and sustainable community nestled amongst the Sahyadri mountains. Established under the guidance of Radhanath Swami, GEV is often described as a “Mini Vrindavan” — a peaceful haven where Krishna consciousness, nature and sustainable living come together. It has all the main temples of Vrindavan established by the Goswamis along with the Yamuna River, Radha Kunda, Govardhan and gives a real feel of Vrindavan would have been like a few hundred years ago.

Spread across 140 acres, the village combines ancient spiritual wisdom with environmentally friendly practices, including organic farming, a Goshala and an Ayurveda centre. During our stay, we will have the opportunity to relax, settle into the atmosphere of the pilgrimage and immerse ourselves in the uplifting devotional environment. Surrounded by beautiful natural scenery and the association of devotees, GEV provides the perfect beginning to our journey through the sacred heartlands of India.

On the morning of the 4^th, we’ll leave GEV behind to head over to Mumbai airport and take a flight to Mangalore, which is about 45 min from our next destination: Udupi.

Thu, 4^th Feb – Mon, 8^th Feb, Udupi

From GEV we travel south to Udupi, one of the most important centres of Vaishnava tradition in India and home to the famous Sri Krishna Temple, established by the great saint and philosopher Madhvacharya. We’ll also visit Pajaka Kshetra, the sacred birthplace of Madhvacharya, where we can learn more about his life and profound contribution to the Vaishnava tradition. Our cultural exploration continues at the fascinating Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village, where traditional South Indian architecture, craftsmanship and village life have been beautifully preserved.

Staying for three days near Malpe Beach, we’ll also experience Udupi’s spectacular coastline. There will be time to relax by the sea, swim, go kayaking and visit Delta Point, where the river meets the Arabian Sea. It’s a wonderful combination of pilgrimage, culture, nature and adventure — with plenty of time to simply enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the association of devotees.

Mon, 8^th Feb – Fri, 12^th Feb,  Mysuru & Melkote

Leaving Udupi, we’ll travel by coach through the beautiful landscapes of Karnataka, with lunch along the way and a special stop at Namdroling Monastery, the remarkable Tibetan Buddhist monastery at Bylakuppe. After our five-plus-hour journey, we’ll arrive in Mysuru by evening. Known as the “City of Palaces”, Mysuru is famous for its royal heritage, beautiful architecture and vibrant culture. We’ll have the opportunity to visit the magnificent Mysuru Palace, which was visited by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, as well as Parakala Math, an important centre of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Those who wish can also make an optional visit to Chamundi Hill, which overlooks the city.

Our main day, however, takes us deeper into Karnataka’s sacred heritage as we visit Melkote, an important centre of Sri Vaishnavism and home to the beautiful temples of Narasimha and Cheluvanarayana Swamy. We’ll explore this ancient hill town and its fascinating devotional history before continuing to Sri Rangapatna, a historic island town on the Kaveri River with important temples and connections to the region’s rich spiritual and cultural past. It promises to be a particularly memorable day of temple visits, history and pilgrimage.

Fri, 12^th Feb – Tue, 16^th Feb, SriRangam

Leaving Mysuru, we’ll travel south into Tamil Nadu, making a special stop at Namakkal to visit the ancient Narasimha Temple, dramatically situated within a rock-cut cave beneath the town’s historic hill fort. The temple is one of the fascinating sacred sites along our route, with Narasimha and Ranganatha temples carved into the rock itself.

We then continue to Srirangam, one of the most important centres of Sri Vaishnavism and home to the magnificent Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. Situated on an island between the Kaveri and Kollidam rivers, the vast temple complex is traditionally regarded as the foremost of the 108 Divya Desams and one of the great sacred centres of Vaishnavism. It is here that we’ll immerse ourselves in the devotional world of Sri Ramanujacharya, whose teachings profoundly shaped the Sri Vaishnava tradition.

From Srirangam we’ll make a day trip into the Kumbakonam region, an extraordinary landscape of ancient temples and sacred sites, including several Divya Desams. We’ll also visit Swamimalai, renowned for its centuries-old tradition of creating sacred bronze deities. Here, generations of master craftsmen have preserved the traditional lost-wax casting technique used since the Chola period — each deity is individually modelled in wax, encased in clay and then cast in molten metal, meaning the mould is broken and every finished icon is truly unique. It will be a fascinating opportunity to see how sacred art and devotion come together in a living tradition.

Tue, 16^th Feb,  Trichy – UK

Finally, we travel to Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) airport, where our South Indian pilgrimage comes to an end. After an incredible journey through sacred temples, historic cities, beautiful landscapes and the association of devotees, we’ll fly back to the UK with plenty of memories — and hopefully a little more spiritual inspiration to take home with us.