Across the land, temple bells ring and sacred chanting echoes through the streets. Cymbals and drums resound in the distance, calling the soul toward its quest for life and the exploration of love. Gopi will not be taking you on a tourist’s journey, but that of a pilgrim. This time, she will be taking those deep spiritual seekers into the villages, where the secrets of sacred sound and mantra were revealed and given form in Mayapur, West Bengal—the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya, the divine Avatar of Love. He revived and made accessible the most powerful love mantra, a vibration now heard in yoga studios and whispered in private meditation across the world. These mantras awaken the deep, forgotten love that every heart yearns to remember.
Then move across the country to Vrindavan, Krsna's birthplace and the heart of bhakti and Lord Chaitanya.
This pilgrimage is a doorway into the mystery of divine love.
Our first immersion begins with us flying to Calcutta, where you will be picked up and taken to a very powerful and sacred village in West Bengal, Nabadwip, Mayapur, the nine islands surrounded by the sacred Ganga, and explore the nine limbs of bhakti devotion, dive deep into kirtan, mantra, yoga, and ritual. Here, the veil between worlds grows thin—grace can be felt, and divine presence becomes tangible through sincere chanting and practice. The sacred Ganges flows gently through West Bengal, its lush green landscape embracing you, while saints and teachers call you onward into the greater quest.
We plan to fly from Calcutta to Delhi and take a cab to Vrindavan. The birthplace of Lord Krishna, Vrindavan is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and home to over 5,000 temples, large and small. Mantra chanting resonates throughout the town. Each day will offer a new experience and adventure. Sitting in on the famous 24 hour mantra music kirtan at the most beautiful and vibrant Krishna Balaram temple will be an unforgettable experience. We will enjoy a boat ride on the sacred river Yamuna, surrounded by puja (ritual). Each day we will visit significant historical temples, diving into the mystical stories behind these living shrines. We will also tour a wonderful charity school that educates girls from very poor families, not only changing their lives but also ending generations of poverty. We’ll meet local saints and sages living lives of devotion, practice yoga and meditation, and enjoy delicious healthy food. We’ll also make time for a henna party and of course plenty of shopping. We will be staying at a comfortable, calm hotel called the MVT Guesthouse.
We will also spend 3 days by the sacred hill of Govardhan near Vrindavan, considered to be a living force and avatar of divinity, grace in the form of a mountain. Thousands of pilgrims circumambulate barefoot around it every day, chanting the holy names of God. Its energy and power are infectious for believers and skeptics alike. Around the 21 km long pilgrim path, there are many holy spots where one is invited to enter prayer and meditation, as well as gorgeous sacred ponds where locals and visitors bathe for purification. We will stay at the newly built Govardhan Retreat Center, partaking in a Kirtan mantra music festival led by musicians from all over the globe, gathering to unite their souls in one sacred song of Divine Love. We will also visit Barsana, the land and home of the Goddess Sri Radha, a mystical place that graces pilgrims with love and touches individuals’ hearts in unexplainable ways.
Those who journey with Gopi on a sacred pilgrimage are invited to walk the path with reverence, embracing certain yogic disciplines—Yamas and Niyamas—that open the heart and purify the mind. These sacred observances should not be viewed as restrictions, but instead as gateways that allow one to receive the deeper blessings of both the inner and outer pilgrimage.
Central to this practice is Ahimsa, the principle of non-harming, expressed through a pure vegetarian or vegan diet. A yogic diet may include dairy, yet excludes all meat, fish, and eggs. This sattvic nourishment supports clarity, vitality, and peace—qualities that help refine perception and deepen spiritual experience.
Participants are also asked to refrain from alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, and all forms of intoxicants, including vaping or marijuana. Such restraint protects the subtle body and allows your consciousness to remain open, receptive, and attuned to grace.
Gopi encourages her students to honor these practices as sacred companions on their journey—ways to harmonize body, mind, and spirit with the essence of pilgrimage itself. Her retreats provide wholesome, balanced, and lovingly prepared meals that nourish not only the body but the soul, bringing contentment where cravings once dwelled and balance where restlessness once stirred.
Why travel to India with Gopi? Because her very breath carries the rhythm of the East, and her heart beats in harmony with its sacred traditions. The ancestral wisdom of India flows through her being—through her chants, her stories, her rituals—and it is this living current that she shares with each traveler who walks beside her.
Her passion for India becomes a living guide, revealing the jewel of this ancient land through sacred storytelling, mantra, culture, and ceremony. The true gateway to India is not an airplane ticket—it is being guided through streets and allies, finding calmness in chaos, being amidst the fervor of thousands of pilgrims all pushing into the crowded temple door. Their devotion in motion catches the fire of bhakti and ignite the love in one's own heart. With Gopi, you journey beyond temple doors, into the living heart of devotion. You are welcomed into homes and hermitages, meeting rare souls whose lives are steeped in prayer, simplicity, and divine joy. Their blessings awaken something within—an echo of remembrance, a recognition of home.
This year, Gopi will be traveling with Kristen Zorda, owner of Yoga Mandali, a Bhakti Yoga studio and a sacred space in the heart of Saratoga Springs. Kristen is a devoted practitioner, a bhakti singer, and a true visionary within her community. Her open heart, radiant presence, and genuine kindness create a field of welcome and love for all who journey beside her.
Another cherished member of Yoga Mandali, Michael Ndolo, will serve as the retreat’s lead kirtan singer—guiding the group through meditative chants and devotional melodies. His kirtan becomes a bridge between worlds, inviting travelers inward into the heart’s own pilgrimage through the power of sacred sound.
This is not the tourist’s path. It is the seeker’s path—a pilgrimage of the soul, guided by love, reverence, and the timeless song of the sacred.
In the sacred land of Nabadwip–Mayapur, the group will be staying at the beautiful Soul to Soul Ashram—a newly built yoga shala and spiritual village that embodies peace, simplicity, and tranquility. Surrounded by lush greenery, it is an oasis for inner reflection, a sanctuary for deepening one’s sacred journey. https://www.soultosoul-guesthouse-mayapur.com/
Each day unfolds as a living prayer—morning practices in the quiet shala, visits to holy temples and sacred sites, immersive chanting, and heartfelt discussions that illuminate the path of devotion.
Nestled not far from the flowing River Ganges, Paramgati rests near the nine sacred islands of Bhakti, each carrying timeless stories, divine history, and the living pulse of spirituality. It is a place where the heart feels held, the spirit feels nourished, and grace can be touched with every breath. The rooms at Paramgati yoga village are spacious, including shared 3-person rooms and some 2-person rooms (double bed for couples). Single accommodations will be available, but outside of the retreat center, a 10 minute walk or a 3 minute drive. (We can arrange your pickup and dropoff, the cost of which is included in your package.)
In Vrindavan, we will be staying at the most beautiful MVT Guest House, protected walled-in gardens provide peace from the chaos, yet it is in the heart of a busy temple town where pilgrims flock worldwide.
At Govardhan, we will be staying at the Govardhan Retreat Center, right next to the most famous sacred mountain Govardhan, a mountain worshipped and walked around for centuries. A sacred mystical mountain that awakens love in those who pray there.
Before March 31, 2026: A full refund will be issued if cancellation is made before this date.
After March 31, 2026: The retreat deposit becomes non-refundable.
After June 1, 2026: Only 50% of the retreat fee will be refunded in the event of cancellation.
After Sept 1, 2026: No refunds.
We kindly recommend that all participants purchase travel insurance to protect against unexpected emergencies or changes in travel plans. Life can be unpredictable, and travel insurance provides peace of mind should unforeseen circumstances arise.
You will be required to fly into Calcutta arriving Oct 11th, and departing Delhi Oct 23rd (overnight flight) .
Pick up will be arranged and a time will be set as we get closer. Group drop will be arranged according to the majority of the group departure time . Usually flight are overnight so we plan to arrange group drop in one bus for the first overnight flight. Some individuals may need to wait longer, unless they choose to pay for their own transportation back to the airport .
Delicious and plentiful vegetarian meals are provided to the group every day of the retreat. (You are responsible for your own meals if you choose not to eat with the group.)
Beginning the night of Oct 18th through and including the night of Oct 29th, rooms are provided.
Group transfer to and from the airport or a hotel near the airport, but only if within the retreat time frame itself. Daily internal travel is also covered.
Food purchased outside of the provided group meals.
Beverages outside of those provided at group meals. (This may include bottled water that you might choose to purchase while out and about.)
Each morning begins with yoga and meditation, followed by a nourishing breakfast to ground and prepare the body for the day’s sacred adventures. Every day in Mayapur unfolds as an inner excavation—each place we visit revealing another layer of the soul’s pilgrimage.
Our journey will include visits to:
The Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur): A magnificent temple and spiritual center dedicated to illuminating the universal teachings of the Vedas and Bhakti philosophy.
The Sacred Birthplace of Sri Chaitanya: The golden Avatar of Divine Love and Compassion, whose presence continues to bless this holy land.
Srivas Angam: The sacred courtyard where kirtan first blossomed into a divine revolution—where music and mantra merged to awaken the world’s heart.
A Kirtan Mantra Boat Ride on the Sacred Ganges: Gliding upon the holy river, we’ll visit the homes and memorials of saints and sages who lived and breathed devotion.
The Ancient Jagannātha Temple: The temple of the Lord of the Universe—where love, surrender, and celebration flow like waves.
The Temple of Viṣṇu Priyā: The abode of the Divine Feminine, whose presence radiates compassion, patience, and grace.
Throughout our pilgrimage, we will weave meditation, storytelling, and sacred chanting into each visit—creating a living connection to the grace of these holy places. Each mantra, each story, each breath becomes a thread in the tapestry of remembrance—awakening the heart to the divine love that pervades all.
In Vrindavan, the city of divine play, devotion breathes through every street. Amidst the swirl of colors, sounds, and movement, there is a stillness—a calmness in the chaos—that reveals itself only to the listening heart. Thousands of pilgrims flow through its alleys each day, their fervor and love so tangible it feels like the air itself is chanting the names of the Divine. To walk among them is to feel devotion in motion, to be caught in the current of living Bhakti.
Our pilgrimage through Vrindavan will include visits to sacred sites and experiences that awaken the heart’s deepest remembrance:
The Famous Krishna-Balaram Temple: Sit in the vibration of the 24-hour kirtan, an unbroken mantra circle that has continued since 1982. This sacred sound field is a living portal—a doorway into timeless devotion, where voices merge in the eternal song of love.
Old Vrindavan: Wander through its ancient backstreets and alleys, where every turn reveals a hidden temple or a whisper of divine history. We’ll explore sandstone shrines, temples of Lord Shiva, and the sacred places that celebrate the great dance of love. Each temple doorway entered with Gopi becomes a threshold—transforming perception and awakening the heart to the deeper essence of Bhakti.
A Boat Ride on the River Yamuna: Drift upon her sacred waters, the lifeblood of Vrindavan. The river carries the prayers of countless souls, her flow mirroring the timeless rhythm of love and surrender.
Visit to a Girls’ Charity School: In partnership with Vrindavan Food for Life, we will visit a school that offers hope to young girls rescued from poverty—providing education, nourishment, and love. Here, we witness how, one heart at a time, the circle of compassion expands, changing the destiny of a generation.
In Vrindavan, devotion takes form—in sound, in service, in every gaze and gesture. It is here that love is not only remembered, but lived.
The pilgrimage continues to Govardhan, one of the most sacred places in all of India—where the essence of Bhakti is felt in every stone and breeze.
Here, we will walk the sacred mountain—a 14-mile journey around Govardhan Hill—alongside thousands of pilgrims chanting and singing as they move in devotion. Each step becomes an offering, each breath a prayer. This ancient parikrama (circumambulation) is said to cleanse the heart, awaken humility, and deepen one’s connection to the Divine.
We will also visit Barsana and Radha Kund, the beloved holy sites of Śrī Rādhā, the Divine Feminine herself. These lands are imbued with her tenderness, her love, and her mystery—places where divine longing meets fulfillment, and devotion takes form in beauty.
Amidst these sacred experiences, there will be time for deep reflection, rest, and quiet integration—moments to listen, to absorb, and to share from the heart. Here, the outer journey begins to dissolve into the inner one, and the pilgrim becomes the pilgrimage itself.
