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Tamil Nadu:
An Intersection of Dharma, Tyāga, and Bhakti
December 28, 2027 - January 6, 2028

Check out our first info session!

Yoga came to the West through a myriad of teachers over the last 100 years, and now it’s time for those of us who have made the practices of this lineage a part of our lives to journey to India, the place where it all began.

Join Dr. Kelli Sammis on a Yatra (Pilgrimage) through Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India as we explore the intersection of Dharma, Tyaga, and Bhakti – Purpose, Sacrifice, and Devotion – both in the ancient teachings being held for us in Tamil Nadu and in each of our own lives. Long before travel became an element of tourism, sacred journeys were a part of life, bringing seekers to a deeper understanding of and connection to the truth and light already within them.

Why Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu is the spiritual heartbeat of southern India, home to thousands of ancient temples, and is where Bhakti Yoga is lived out in the lives of people every single day.

Towering temples, kind-hearted people, and spicy food are all the things that you will experience during a visit to this southern state of India. Pilgrimages connect centuries-old traditions with spiritual energy, so that you won’t merely see and tour beautiful and revered temples, but you will also experience a profound sense of personal and universal peace. Tamil Nadu truly is a cornerstone of India’s sacred heritage, and we are honored to share it with you.

The best time to visit southern India is October to March, which means that our weather will be much milder than it is during the monsoon season of summer. Daytime highs are predicted to be between 83 and 86°F with nighttime lows around 67 to 70°F.

Meet Your Guides

Dr. Kelli Sammis

Dr. Kelli Sammis is an E-RYT-500 yoga studio owner, Masters of Wisdom Meditation Teacher, scholar of the Bhagavad Gita, and student of The Sutras, Upanishads, and The Tao , but what’s most important to know about Kelli, as your host for this pilgrimage, is that her journey is no different from yours. Through life-threatening and heart-breaking traumas AND incredible moments of joy, peace, and celebration, she has learned that no matter what life has for her today, tomorrow, or in the years to come, the only way to navigate it all is through Sadhana, her daily spiritual practice.

From the mat the last 20 years and from the cushion the last 40 years, Kelli  has developed a deep and sustaining practice of Svadhyaya (self-study) and Santosha (contentment), and what these two principles have taught her is that our everyday living as spiritual beings is a beautiful blend of 3 integral parts -- DHARMA, TYAGA, and BHAKTI. 

The Dharma is her purpose, her duty, the honor that she feels about being part of something bigger than herself that contributes to the welfare of the world.

Tyaga is her sacrifice. At its root, Tyaga is renunciation and was given as a way to show what needs to be released and removed from our lives in order to live out the Dharma.

Bhakti is devotion, deep, heart-felt love for the Beloved, the Divine, for God. And it's the Bhakti that makes the Tyaga feel like an honor instead of a forced giving up. 

Kelli believes and teaches that in those moments when Dharma feels impossible and Tyaga feels hard, Bhakti stirs up the overwhelming love within for God and reminds her that while it is hard, it is SO VERY possible.

Dr. Kelli Sammis is an E-RYT-500 yoga studio owner, Masters of Wisdom Meditation Teacher, scholar of the Bhagavad Gita, and student of The Sutras, Upanishads, and The Tao , but what’s most important to know about Kelli, as your host for this pilgrimage, is that her journey is no different from yours. Through life-threatening and heart-breaking traumas AND incredible moments of joy, peace, and celebration, she has learned that no matter what life has for her today, tomorrow, or in the years to come, the only way to navigate it all is through Sadhana, her daily spiritual practice. Read more...

Dr. Kelli Sammis

Ganesh is our “boots on the ground”, remover of obstacles host in India. He has worked side by side with Kelli to curate an experience for you that feels welcoming, safe, and shows that someone has already thought of every detail for your pilgrimage experience before you ever arrive in India! 

He lives in Chennai, but will travel with us from the beginning of the Pilgrimage until we return to Chennai on day 10 to head back home. 

He has a deep understanding of what it means to have a spiritual practice that guides how you live and how you conduct your professional business life and that deep commitment will be felt as you experience every location that we travel to during our ten days together in Tamil Nadu.

Note: In January 2027, we will share possible add-on excursion ideas for those that want to stay in India after our pilgrimage together ends, and Ganesh will be the one to coordinate these for you as a small group or as an individual

Ganesh is our “boots on the ground”, remover of obstacles host in India. He has worked side by side with Kelli to curate an experience for you that feels welcoming, safe, and shows that someone has already thought of every detail for your pilgrimage experience before you ever arrive in India!  Read more...

Details of the Pilgrimage

Day 1: December 28, 2027 | Arrival in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Day 1: December 28, 2027 | Arrival in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India​

 

We will have airport transfers ready to greet you at the Chennai airport.

You will settle into your first night in India at The Residency Towers, Chennai, located in the vibrant district of T Nagar. 

Check in time is 1pm on the 28th, but if you arrive before then, we can help you book a room for any extra nights you’d like. 

Check out the hotel!

We will have airport transfers ready to greet you at the Chennai airport. You will settle into your first night in India at The Residency Towers, Chennai, located in the vibrant district of T Nagar. Read more...

Day 1: December 28, 2027 | Arrival in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India​

Walking tour of the T Nagar district and dinner together in the city center. 
 

We will meet together as a group for evening asana to ease the body after long travel days and ensure everyone feels at ease before bedtime!

Walking tour of the T Nagar district and dinner together in the city center. Read more...

Day 2: December 29, 2027 | Chennai to Mahabalipuram

Day 2: December 29, 2027 | Chennai to Mahabalipuram​

 Early morning Aarti at the Kapileshwar Shiva Temple in Chennai.
Early morning Aarti at the Kapileshwar Shiva Temple in Chennai.
Krishna's butter ball

Day 2: December 29, 2027 | Chennai to Mahabalipuram​

Depart Chennai for a coastal drive south to Mahabalipuram, where we will stay for 1 night at the Radisson Blu hotel along the Bay of Bengal.

We will tour the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, marveling at the ancient rock-cut temples, monolithic stone chariots, and massive open-air relief carvings built during the 7th and 8th centuries.

These great stone monoliths are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and have withstood the test of more than a thousand years of extreme weather. We will see Arjuna’s Penance, the Shore Temple, and of course, Krishna’s Butter Ball.

Depart Chennai for a coastal drive south to Mahabalipuram, where we will stay for 1 night at the Radisson Blu hotel along the Bay of Bengal. Read more...

Day 3: December 30, 2027 | Mahabalipuram to Tiruvannamalai by way of Kanchipuram

Day 3: December 30, 2027 | Mahabalipuram to Tiruvannamalai by way of Kanchipuram​

We begin to make our way to Tiruvannamalai, but will stop at Kanchipuram, the "City of a Thousand Temples.”

We will visit Ekambareshwarar Temple, a massive ancient Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and represents the Earth element of Prithvi that was built in 800AD.

The mango tree within the temple courtyard is more than 3500 years old.

We will arrive in Tiruvannamalai later in the day and settle into our home for the next three nights at Sparsa, a lovely Eco resort in one of India’s holiest cities.

We will take a Tuk Tuk and/or walking tour of the city center so everyone gets their bearings as we will be here for three nights. Tiruvannamalai is the special place that beckoned Sri Ramana Maharshi away from his home at the age of 16. This is where he eventually made his way up to a cave on the mountainside of Arunachala, where he sat in deep meditation for 16 years.

Here's a link to the hotel!

We begin to make our way to Tiruvannamalai, but will stop at Kanchipuram, the "City of a Thousand Temples.” Read more...

Day 4: December 31, 2027 | Tiruvannamalai

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Day 4: December 31, 2027 | Tiruvannamalai​

We will spend the last day of 2027 at Sri Ramana Maharshi’s ashram and then make up our way up the mountain of Arunachala.

We will offer opportunities for you to sit in meditation and reflection in both the ashram and the Virupaksha Cave.

We will have a special New Year’s Celebration in community at Sparsa.

We will spend the last day of 2027 at Sri Ramana Maharshi’s ashram and then make up our way up the mountain of Arunachala. Read more...

Day 5: January 1, 2028 | Tiruvannamalai

Day 5: January 1, 2028 | Tiruvannamalai​

Today we begin the new year of 2027 with Girivalam, walking the sacred path around the base of Arunachala. 

This is a gentle walk, with many shrines along the way where we will pause for meditation, reflection, and self-inquiry, much like Sri Ramana Maharshi did during his years in Tiruvannamalai.

The walking of Arunachala is called Girivalam or Giri Pradakshina, a sacred 14-kilometer (8.7 miles) pilgrimage path that circles the base of Arunachala Hill.

Today we begin the new year of 2027 with Girivalam, walking the sacred path around the base of Arunachala.  Read more...

Day 6: January 2, 2028 | Tiruvannamalai to Kumbakonam (Swamimalai)

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Day 6: January 2, 2028 | Tiruvannamalai Kumbakonam (Swamimalai)​

We will journey south today as we bid farewell to Tiruvannamalai and make our way to Kumbakonam. We will be staying in a suburb of the village called Swamimalai. 

Stay in INDECO, a Unesco world heritage site that is a museum-hotel for 2 nights.

We will journey south today as we bid farewell to Tiruvannamalai and make our way to Kumbakonam. We will be staying in a suburb of the village called Swamimalai.  Read more...

Day 7: January 3, 2028 | Kumbakonam (Swamimalai)

Day 7: January 3, 2028 | Kumbakonam (Swamimalai)​

While we are in Kumbakonam, we will have a Bharanatatyam dance show just for our group.

We will also have a cooking class that is focused on all the traditional Indian dishes we have experienced during our pilgrimage.

While we are in Kumbakonam, we will have a Bharanatatyam dance show just for our group. Read more...

Day 8: January 4, 2028 | Kumbakonam to Madurai

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Day 8: January 4, 2028 | Kumbakonam to Madurai​

Our last stop on our pilgrimage takes us southwest from Kumbakonam to Madurai.

We will stay at the Heritage Resort for 2 nights.

One of the most known figures in the history of India is Mahatma Gandhi. He is also the person that inspired and informed the beginning of Kelli’s path of yoga in 1986. 

While in Madurai, we will visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum.

Our last stop on our pilgrimage takes us southwest from Kumbakonam to Madurai. Read more...

Day 9: January 5, 2028 | Madurai

Day 9: January 5, 2028 | Madurai​

Today we visit the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

This temple is a 2,500-year-old masterpiece, renowned for its towering gopurams, intricate carvings, and cultural legacy in the city of Madurai.

Today will be your day to shop and explore and buy gifts for those back home. By now you will be an experienced Tuk tuk passenger, so you will have time to explore Madurai on your own or in smaller groups.

Today we visit the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Read more...

Day 10: January 6, 2028 | Madurai to Chennai

Day 10: January 6, 2028 | Madurai to Chennai​

We will take a domestic flight as a group from Madurai to Chennai, ensuring you are all back in the city in time for your flights home.

Our last day in Chennai will be determined by the departure times for those in our group and is TBD.

Note: If you plan to stay in India and extend your trip beyond our 10 days, we will help you coordinate travel plans from Chennai to your next destination.

We will take a domestic flight as a group from Madurai to Chennai, ensuring you are all back in the city in time for your flights home. Read more...

What else is on the agenda?

What else is on the agenda?​

Beyond the beautiful offerings in each city and village that we visit throughout Tamil Nadu, we will also have regular Meditation and Asana practices together as a group. The asana will be accessible and inclusive and very intentionally curated to support where we are that day and what our bodies need most. 

We will also visit a rice field and learn more about how India has become the world's largest producer and exporter of this important staple dish around the world. 

We will plan to visit a village school and learn a bit more about education in India, as well as the all important production of tea in India. 

There will be many lovely additions along the way, some planned and others will be our ability to pause and notice something wonderful happening right in front of us. 

Ceremonial Aarti at the various temples we visit will be something we talk about as a group both before we go and in the practices we will share together.  Tamil Nadu is considered to be the birthplace of the Bhakti Yoga movement in India, which means that each activity we engage in and each site we visit will all be supported by the love and devotion that is a result of this beautiful practice we will share together. 

Beyond the beautiful offerings in each city and village that we visit throughout Tamil Nadu, we will also have regular Meditation and Asana practices together as a group. Read more...

What is included?

  • Airport transfer to Chennai hotel upon arrival
  • All meals starting with dinner on Dec 28, three meals a day from Dec 29 to Jan 5, and breakfast on Jan. 6.
  • 9 nights of accommodations from the night of Dec 28 through the night of January 5
  • Air Conditioned Bus for the duration of the pilgrimage from when we leave Chennai on December 29 through our arrival to the airport in Madurai on January 6
  • Filtered Water on the bus that you can use to fill your water bottle
  • Fruit snacks in the bus for our longer drives
  • Entrance fees at all Monuments
  • Tuk Tuk ride in Madurai
  • Domestic airfare from Madurai to Chennai on departure day

What is not included?

  • Air travel to/from Chennai
  • Tips for hotels and bus driver
  • Tuk tuk rides you take on your own
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Visa fee

Accommodations:

Single Occupancy | $3400

(Note: there are only 7 rooms with single occupancy)

Private room + private bathroom

SINGLE OCCUPANCY

Double Occupancy | $2800

Price is per person

 Includes a private bathroom

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY

Just a note about double occupancy rooms if you are a single traveler. Kelli met a friend for life, Tina, when she traveled to Tamil Nadu in 2025. They had never formally met each other until they arrived at the Chennai airport, but became fast friends and supports to one another throughout the entire journey. This might be your time to save some money on your booking and meet a lifelong friend.

Ready to Secure Your Spot?

 

 

We offer payment plans (with no interest or fees) so that the earlier you book, the smaller your per month payment will be. 

Also, please don’t delay to secure your spot, as we have a set number of spots available and once they are filled, you will be added to a waiting list.

SINGLE OCCUPANCY
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY

The Yelapa Retreat offers 200 & 500hr Yoga Instructors 20 hours of Continuing Education in the areas of Yoga philosophy, Asana, and Techniques/Tools.

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