I went on a tour to the following places.
Kasi
Gaya
Triveni Sangamam
Chitrakootam
Ayodhya
Naimi Saranyam
I started on 1st Sep 2017 and ended the tour on 8th Sep.
You will find useful information plus the contact details of guides, hotels and the vadhyar (purohits) swamigals for Gaya Srardham.
Kasi:
I took a flight to Varanasi (Kasi) from Bangalore on 1st September. It's a 2 and a half hour flight. I was picked up at the airport by a prearranged car and stayed at Hotel Puja Residency at Varanasi. It is the best hotel in Varanasi. Very spacious a/c room with free breakfast. It is located next to the Passport office. Excellent staff who offered great service.
Phone number: 0542 2364999
The food quality is very good. Do not order anything South Indian; you won't like it.
You would need a guide. Name: Chandan Phone: 8736805076
He is a very knowledgeable guide and speaks English. It is very rare to find one who speaks English.
He was arranged by the Balaji Travels who arranged my entire trip by car.
Balaji Travels Phone number: 0542 2450438 Sunil: 7388890091 He is a very friendly person.
Website: https://balajitravels.org/
I have published a detailed review of them at http://www.respoviews.com/2017/09/balaji-travels-varanasi-review.html
You need to travel by boat to see many places in Kasi. Bargain very hard. They ask for exorbitant rates. Do not pay more than Rs.500 I was taken for a ride and paid up Rs.3000.
Gaya:
I went to do Gaya Srardham. I contacted the Nattukottai Chathiram. Ph: 0631-2226480
They speak Tamizh and arranged for a vadhyar swamigal named :Damodharan. Most of these so called vadhyar swamigals are only brokers. The srardham and the pinda dhanam were done by the native pandas who also happen to speak some Tamizh.
One Mr.Ganesh sastrigal did tharpanam, pinda dhanam and srardham (homam) for me. He is arranged by Mr.Dhamodaran. He is very good and charged only Rs.3000 If you ask around, you will be shocked to hear high rates up to Rs.15,000. All the contacts that you will find on the internet are based in Kasi and they will take a big cut in arranging pinda dhanam at Gaya.
You can also contact Damodharan (hails from Karokidi) directly at 9934473405
Do not search around for Gaya Srardham sastrigal. You contact the above person only. For the Tamizh brahmins, he is the best.
Pinda dhanam was done at Phalguni river, Vishnu Padam temple and at Akshya vatam. (Aala maram)
Bhojanam was arranged at a brahmin's house. The food was very basic but satvikam. Surprisingly, the phalguni river was full because of rains.
The above photos were of river Phalguni, shot from my car.
Pinda dhanam, tharpanam, and the srardham were carried out in an old Ramar temple, adjacent to the famous Vishnu pada temple, just on the bank of the river Phalguni. This location saves you a lot of time and energy. Very ideal location chosen by the Damodhara sastrigal.
Remember to carry the list of names and gothrams for doing pinda dhanam. Gothram is required only for father, mother and the spouse side relatives. For others, only the name is sufficient.
The Pinda dhanam and the tharpanam will be over in two hours. For homam, it will take another half an hour.
Don't expect to be served separately. Many will join but the sastrigal is very experienced to perform as per your custom.
Stayed at Hotel Bodh Vilas, Bodh Gaya. The hotel is situated in the midst of paddy fields. It is an excellent hotel, very friendly staff, and good food.
Order food 30 minutes before. All the hotels where I have stayed served good north Indian
food but only 30 minutes after ordering.
Hotel Bodh Vilas: Phone: 75450 01299
Triveni Sangamam
The boat man asked for Rs.6000 but settled for Rs.600
The boat will take you to the exact meeting place of the three rivers, a few minutes distance away only. There will be two boats parked there and a wooden platform was hung between the two boats for a risk-free bathing.
Chitrakootam
Stayed at hotel Ram Kripa Inn. It was very basic but the food was very good. It is located far away from the important places of seeing in Chitrakootam. The first place you will see is the Ram Ghat on the banks of river Mandakini. Another boat ride and another hard bargain. Pay only 10% of the asking rate which will be Rs.3000 The river was not clean. The temples have to be reached by climbing up steep steps.
The following places are worth seeing:
Anasuya Ashram. The way to this place is beautiful.
Gupt Godavari If you can climb 100 steps, you can visit the caves.
Janaki Kund-Sita's bathing place. You must climb down 90 steps to reach the place where the Mandakini water is very pure.
Kamadgiri-a small hill behind the temple. You will be asked to shell out a few thousands of rupees to fulfill your desire. Don't yield. Be firm and move away.
You require a guide to go around. Name of the guide is Raja Nishad; Phone: 95545 05691 83590 15026
He is very knowledgeable but speaks only Hindi.
All the places are away from each other. Without a car, you cannot move around.
These photos were taken at the river Gupt Godavari.
Below are of Janaki Kund, Chitrakootam.
Hotel Ram Kripa Inn: 05278 232111
Only Hindi here.
In fact, you will find the tour to these places in North India, very unpleasant if you don't know Hindi. Not even a basic English is understood here.
Ayodhya
Not much to see except a snanam in the river Sarayu. The Ram Janma Bhoomi seeing means only walking in a fortress like a place for 20 minutes. Nothing sacred is found here except in your beliefs. Very strict security is posted and you are frisked 3 times at three different places.
It seems several hundred Hindus sacrificed their life during the Babri Masjid incident. The Hindus are very passionate about the birth place of Lord Rama. We the south Indians have not done anything in support of their movement. Shame on us.
Stayed in hotel Ram Prastha. Ph: 05278 232111
Very basic one but seems to be the best there. Only Hindi. Food is very good. Remember the 30-minute rule. Friendly staff.
Guide Sandeep phone; 98899 69572 He speaks English Bargain the service fee.
Naimisaranyam
I expected the place to be beautiful but was disappointed. Except for the Chakra Theerth, Balaji temple, and a Human temple, I did not find anything worth recommending. You need a car and a guide. Without a guide, it is not possible to go around. Be ware of monkeys here, in Ayodhya and in Chitrakoot.
Stay in Lucknow and visit this place.
This photo was taken outside the Balaji Temple, Naimisaranyam.
I stayed in Hotel Nest Inn, Lucknow. Super hotel.
Excellent food. Free breakfast.
Ph: 0522 272 0433
Kasi
Gaya
Triveni Sangamam
Chitrakootam
Ayodhya
Naimi Saranyam
I started on 1st Sep 2017 and ended the tour on 8th Sep.
You will find useful information plus the contact details of guides, hotels and the vadhyar (purohits) swamigals for Gaya Srardham.
Kasi:
I took a flight to Varanasi (Kasi) from Bangalore on 1st September. It's a 2 and a half hour flight. I was picked up at the airport by a prearranged car and stayed at Hotel Puja Residency at Varanasi. It is the best hotel in Varanasi. Very spacious a/c room with free breakfast. It is located next to the Passport office. Excellent staff who offered great service.
Phone number: 0542 2364999
The food quality is very good. Do not order anything South Indian; you won't like it.
You would need a guide. Name: Chandan Phone: 8736805076
He is a very knowledgeable guide and speaks English. It is very rare to find one who speaks English.
He was arranged by the Balaji Travels who arranged my entire trip by car.
Balaji Travels Phone number: 0542 2450438 Sunil: 7388890091 He is a very friendly person.
Website: https://balajitravels.org/
I have published a detailed review of them at http://www.respoviews.com/2017/09/balaji-travels-varanasi-review.html
You need to travel by boat to see many places in Kasi. Bargain very hard. They ask for exorbitant rates. Do not pay more than Rs.500 I was taken for a ride and paid up Rs.3000.
Gaya:
I went to do Gaya Srardham. I contacted the Nattukottai Chathiram. Ph: 0631-2226480
They speak Tamizh and arranged for a vadhyar swamigal named :Damodharan. Most of these so called vadhyar swamigals are only brokers. The srardham and the pinda dhanam were done by the native pandas who also happen to speak some Tamizh.
One Mr.Ganesh sastrigal did tharpanam, pinda dhanam and srardham (homam) for me. He is arranged by Mr.Dhamodaran. He is very good and charged only Rs.3000 If you ask around, you will be shocked to hear high rates up to Rs.15,000. All the contacts that you will find on the internet are based in Kasi and they will take a big cut in arranging pinda dhanam at Gaya.
You can also contact Damodharan (hails from Karokidi) directly at 9934473405
Do not search around for Gaya Srardham sastrigal. You contact the above person only. For the Tamizh brahmins, he is the best.
Pinda dhanam was done at Phalguni river, Vishnu Padam temple and at Akshya vatam. (Aala maram)
Bhojanam was arranged at a brahmin's house. The food was very basic but satvikam. Surprisingly, the phalguni river was full because of rains.
The above photos were of river Phalguni, shot from my car.
Pinda dhanam, tharpanam, and the srardham were carried out in an old Ramar temple, adjacent to the famous Vishnu pada temple, just on the bank of the river Phalguni. This location saves you a lot of time and energy. Very ideal location chosen by the Damodhara sastrigal.
Remember to carry the list of names and gothrams for doing pinda dhanam. Gothram is required only for father, mother and the spouse side relatives. For others, only the name is sufficient.
The Pinda dhanam and the tharpanam will be over in two hours. For homam, it will take another half an hour.
Don't expect to be served separately. Many will join but the sastrigal is very experienced to perform as per your custom.
Stayed at Hotel Bodh Vilas, Bodh Gaya. The hotel is situated in the midst of paddy fields. It is an excellent hotel, very friendly staff, and good food.
Order food 30 minutes before. All the hotels where I have stayed served good north Indian
food but only 30 minutes after ordering.
Hotel Bodh Vilas: Phone: 75450 01299
Triveni Sangamam
The boat man asked for Rs.6000 but settled for Rs.600
The boat will take you to the exact meeting place of the three rivers, a few minutes distance away only. There will be two boats parked there and a wooden platform was hung between the two boats for a risk-free bathing.
Chitrakootam
Stayed at hotel Ram Kripa Inn. It was very basic but the food was very good. It is located far away from the important places of seeing in Chitrakootam. The first place you will see is the Ram Ghat on the banks of river Mandakini. Another boat ride and another hard bargain. Pay only 10% of the asking rate which will be Rs.3000 The river was not clean. The temples have to be reached by climbing up steep steps.
The following places are worth seeing:
Anasuya Ashram. The way to this place is beautiful.
Gupt Godavari If you can climb 100 steps, you can visit the caves.
Janaki Kund-Sita's bathing place. You must climb down 90 steps to reach the place where the Mandakini water is very pure.
Kamadgiri-a small hill behind the temple. You will be asked to shell out a few thousands of rupees to fulfill your desire. Don't yield. Be firm and move away.
You require a guide to go around. Name of the guide is Raja Nishad; Phone: 95545 05691 83590 15026
He is very knowledgeable but speaks only Hindi.
All the places are away from each other. Without a car, you cannot move around.
These photos were taken at the river Gupt Godavari.
Below are of Janaki Kund, Chitrakootam.
Hotel Ram Kripa Inn: 05278 232111
Only Hindi here.
In fact, you will find the tour to these places in North India, very unpleasant if you don't know Hindi. Not even a basic English is understood here.
Ayodhya
Not much to see except a snanam in the river Sarayu. The Ram Janma Bhoomi seeing means only walking in a fortress like a place for 20 minutes. Nothing sacred is found here except in your beliefs. Very strict security is posted and you are frisked 3 times at three different places.
It seems several hundred Hindus sacrificed their life during the Babri Masjid incident. The Hindus are very passionate about the birth place of Lord Rama. We the south Indians have not done anything in support of their movement. Shame on us.
Stayed in hotel Ram Prastha. Ph: 05278 232111
Very basic one but seems to be the best there. Only Hindi. Food is very good. Remember the 30-minute rule. Friendly staff.
Guide Sandeep phone; 98899 69572 He speaks English Bargain the service fee.
Naimisaranyam
I expected the place to be beautiful but was disappointed. Except for the Chakra Theerth, Balaji temple, and a Human temple, I did not find anything worth recommending. You need a car and a guide. Without a guide, it is not possible to go around. Be ware of monkeys here, in Ayodhya and in Chitrakoot.
Stay in Lucknow and visit this place.
I stayed in Hotel Nest Inn, Lucknow. Super hotel.
Excellent food. Free breakfast.
Ph: 0522 272 0433
Thanks for the details. Are the sankalpam and others done as per Srivaishnavam practice or we are at their mercy?
பதிலளிநீக்குIt is done as per your sampradayam. Done with great sincerity.
பதிலளிநீக்கு