Day 5: Feb 3
Our last morning in Varanasi was so very special. The group engaged in a vigorous yoga asana practice in the morning with Robin and then I led everyone through a meditation continuing to focus on the intent that each person brought with them on the trip and on manifesting their purpose. We then spent time chanting mantras together. Mid-morning we said goodbye to our beautiful hotel and the friendly staff we met during our stay... and sailed away along the Ganges.
We then flew southwest to our next stop- Khajuraho, the ancient spiritual home of the Chandela dynasty. Khajuraho is known for its superb Indo-Aryan architecture. The temples here are breathtakingly beautiful.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these temples were built about a 1,000 years ago by the Chandela dynasty, only about 25 remain from the original 85 that were constructed. Commonly known more for a few of its sensual carvings, the temples here voice a deeper message for the masses. The magnificent carvings are said to represent the purusharthas, the four goals of a house-holders life as described in the Vedas, namely kama (love), artha (wealth), dharma (right action) and moksha (liberation from rebirth).
We spent the afternoon exploring these ancient sites and the unbelievably beautiful and intricate carvings.
