The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.”
― John Muir
With the intent to strengthen our community and deepen understanding of our world, inner & outer, we are seeking to go on a journey this May. A Walking Pilgrimage (पद-यात्रा) into the mountains.
Padh-Yatra, a walking pilgrimage, celebrates the idea of a silent conversation with nature. Padh-Yatra was born 10 years ago in the cohort of ONUS - (2014-15) as a journey into the mountains, a mere journey churned such profound meaning for each Yatri that it shed its skin on its own and turned into a pilgrimage. The Yatra aims to create a space where you fetch what you seek, where the horizon is the inspiration and nothing is the limitation, where you let nature be your facilitator.
What does it entail?
As the name suggests, the program is focused on practicing and going deeper into the experiences of mindful walking, silence and being one with nature. We hold each other during this pilgrimage as a community, retreat from the city for a few days into the vastness and expanse of the snow-covered mountains, camp in a jungle far away from the crowds, the rush and the madness we have become accustomed to, thus offering moments of complete rest, stillness and peace to our body, mind and soul.
We invite you to this inner and outer adventure, to hold each other's hands and walk together in the wilderness, keeping our individuality and silence intact. We will have reflective and contemplative processes, mindful writing and journaling, immersion into the local culture of Kareri village and community strengthening exercises, apart from a 3-4 hrs trek with mid level difficulty into the meadows on an off-beat trail, not usually ventured into and explored by the tourists.
Padh Yatra 2024
The 3-Day Walking Pilgrimage (पद-यात्रा) from 10 May - 12 May 2024
Date: 10th May Morning (Arrival in Dharamshala) - 12th May Evening (Departure for Delhi).
Place: Kareri Village, Near Dharamshala (at a distance of approx 25 kms), Himachal Pradesh. *Please note we are not going for the famous Kareri Lake trek, but an alternate route nearby.*
Travel: Participants need to arrive in Dharamshala on 10th May morning by 8 a.m. latest. Travel by overnight bus from Delhi is recommended, train option also exists till Pathankot.
*Based on the number of participants from Delhi, we can do a group booking as well once everyone confirms.
Accommodation: A homestay in Kareri Village for first night with shared dorm style rooms and tents, second night will be camping in the wilderness with all equipment, tents etc. arranged by the homestay staff.
Participation: The participation is capped at 18-20 participants for an intimate, deep reflective space during the program. We shall close the applications once we reach the desired number. The program is open to all YA alumni, and you are also welcome to invite and register a friend, colleague or partner whose values and mindset align with our community. Please have them speak to a member of the organizing team.
Suggested Contribution: INR 4500 which covers the logistics (two nights stay, meals and camping equipment). You are welcome to contribute more for design, facilitation and coordination costs to motivate the team organizing the program. Financial contribution, in any case, cannot limit you to be part of the journey. Please note that travel to and from Delhi is not included in this amount, local commute from Dharamshala to Kareri is included.
Space holders: Alumni Gagan and Rishabh along with YA team member Shipra are organising and facilitating this Padh Yatra 2024.
FAQs
1. Can you share more details about the location?
A small yet beautiful village situated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh (near the main cities of Dharamshala & McLeodganj) , overlooking the majestic Dhauladhar mountain range. Situated at 2934 meters above sea level, Kareri is a pristine village surrounded by thick forests and nature. Mostly popular in the region for the Kareri Lake trek which is likely to be crowded with tourists from April onwards. So, we will be taking an alternate route after spending one day in the homestay at Kareri village.
2. Will the accommodation be shared at the homestay and in the tents?
Yes, there will be shared accommodation for about 3-4 people on both the nights. The idea is to live together as a community and support each other.
3. Will there be support in carrying our stuff during the trek?
Yes, there will be support, however we encourage you to travel light and carry only the basic requirements. We also strive to be mindful about consumption and the waste we generate in nature, hence carrying a lot of plastic, single use items or disposables needs to be avoided as much as possible.
4. Are there any restrictions during the program?
Alcohol and use of any kind of drugs are strictly not allowed at any point during the program. Cigarette smoking at designated spaces may be possible. The request here is also to be considerate of not causing discomfort to the community members and the shared space.
5. Are we also going to visit McLeodganj and Dharamshala?
The schedule and design of the program does not allow us to include these visits on the first two days. On the last day, we will wind up by lunch and depending upon your bus timings, you can go to these places if interested.
6. Will there be a re-fund of the contribution amount if I withdraw before the program?
The following refund policy would be applicable for Padh Yatra 2024 with genuine reasons for withdrawal:
A week or 10 days before the program i.e. 1st May onwards - No refund would be possible
Between 21st - 30th April: Rs. Partial refund (i.e. INR 2250 will be refunded)
Before 20th April: Full refund
Check out the last few Padh-Yatras: Western Ghats 2019, Prashar Lake 2018, Churdhar 2017, Palampur 2016, Kausani 2015
Alumni Reflections
Ritu
'And you shouldn’t be surprised when I say I fell in love with you, with her, with him and the mountains or the birds or the flowing river, after all, we all met in a place where only love seems to exist!' Read her full reflection: I felt like I was home even when I had never been there before.
Ashita
'I witnessed human connection at the very raw form in these two days where nobody (mostly) knew other names to everybody feeling connected deeply with each other, happened. I witnessed the magic of an open and free space where we could cry out loud, we could display immense gratitude for the motivation to climb up despite of the physical uneasiness, where our privacy is valued without any judgments. That is the power of group.' Read more
Rachit
'Our silence talked, I discerned how silence being the universal language is ‘spoken’ across biodiversity, transcends the demarcations of men and nature alike. Rumi puts it best “Silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation”. As the dusk fell we huddled back to our beautiful nest, quickly earthed deep into our comfy beds envisioning the walking pilgrimage that we were to take the following day.' Here's the full reflection: The lust of a mountain goat
Heena
'Meeting all of you passionate souls along with nature's magic enriched my soul. More than any questions or answers, I went with a burden that I have subjected my soul to, from last 8 years. I had tried everything I could to free myself from these shackles and I believe I have finally been able to do that.' Read more..