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KALACHAKRA
By His Holiness The Dalai Lama
At Amravati, Andhra Pradesh, India
January 4-16, 2006

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Detailed Itinerary

Program for the Kalachakra Empowerment Amaravati 2006 (Shri Dhanyakataka)

Jan 3-5 Kalachakra Preparatory Rituals (public not allowed to participate or witness)
Jan 6-9 Preliminary Teachings
Jan 10 Kalachakra Ritual Offering Dance
Jan 11 Preliminary Empowerment
Jan 12-14 Kalachakra Empowerment
Jan 15 Long Life Empowerment for the Public

NOTES: Singapore has a flight arriving Hyderabad Jan 4 910 pm. This would give you one day in Hyderabad to rest before the early morning train ride on Jan 6 to Guntar. Lufthansa has a flight arriving in Hyderabad but only 3 days a week. As we need to be in Amaravati on Jan 6, the only way this flt can work is with arrival on Jan 6 at 110 am and without much rest, continue by train dep 640 am. There is no hotel in Amravati unless a tented camp is put up. We have to overnight in Guntur about a 30 min drive away.

Jan 4 Arrival in Hyderabad 910 pm Silk Air 476. Transfer to hotel Aditya Park Inn.

Jan 5 Relaxed morning for rest and orientation. Late morning begin sightseeing including: The Charminar, Falaknuma Palace, Golconda Fort and Salar Jung Museum.

Jan 6 Train to Guntar: Intercity Exp. dep 0640/arr 1100 and drive to Amravati (37 kms) Amaravati is located on the banks of river Krishna about 35 kms from Guntur. During the reign of the Satavahanas from 2nd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D., Buddhism flourished in Andhra Desa. Dharanikota or Dhanyakataka whose modern name is Amaravati was the capital of the Satavahanas. Overnight in Guntar. The Amaralingeswara Swamy temple, on the banks of river Krishna, is a prominent pilgrim center. We have to overnight in Guntur as there is no hotel in Amravati unless a tented camp is put up.

Jan 7-14 Attend the Kalachakra There are some interesting Buddhist sites around Amravati and we will plan a couple of excursions during our time here. Jan 14 at 0148 hrs is the full moon and final day of the teachings.

Jan 15 Morning viewing of the mandala and long life offering to His Holiness; rest of day free (we have no idea what time this will be scheduled for or how long it will take so we are leaving the day open for it.

Jan 16 Train back to Hyderabad dep 1300/arr 1720. Transfer to Green Park (near airport) for quick wash/change/dinner (shared rooms). Transfer to airport for Silk Air flt 475 dep 910pm.

Excursions and Places to visit around Amaravati:

Chandavaram - Buddhist site, 120 kms from Guntur. Chandavaram is located on the right bank of the river Gundla Kamma in Pakasam district. There is a very interesting stupa constructed on an elevated terrace which is the first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh and is compared to Sanchi Stupa, in elegance.

Monuments and Antiquities: The excavations have revealed 24 beautifully decorated Buddhist slabs, some of which were also inscibed. Excavations also unearthed viharas, votive stupas, satavahana coins, brahmi label inscriptions and other early historic cultural materials datable to 2nd BC to 2nd AD. The Buddhist establishment is situated on a hillock known as Singarayakonda. The establishment consists of remains of stupas, chaityagrihas and vihara complexes. The other minor antiquities are coins, and pottery particularly black and red.

Bhattiprolu - Budhist site - 75 kms from Guntur Chirala - a textile village 75 kms from Guntur. A large quantity of oil is used in preparing yarn for weaving . Once the fabric is ready it is wrapped with wax & clay before being dyed in selected colors . Bedspreads, curtains, tapestry fabrics & sarees are popular offerings.

Archaeological Museum (closed on Friday) The collection includes the antiquities from other Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh belonging to the 3rd Century BC to about the 12th Century AD, a gold necklace from Gummadidurru, relic-caskets with bone-relics and gold flowers. The exhibits in the museum are arranged in three different galleries. Gallery I contents: This gallery displays some of the selected examples of the art-tradition of Amaravati, besides an inscribed relief of Buddha from Gummadidurru. Image of Buddha, Coins, Beads, Terracotta, Pottery, Drum slabs, Dome-slabs, Pillars & Rail fragments and Miscellaneous Sculptures. Gallery II contents: The exhibits in the gallery comprise a few early relics of the 2nd Century BC, inscribed pillars, drum & dome slabs,Two Buddha images from Alluru and a stone-wheel from Lingarajapalli

Festivities: during our stay, Pongal, also known as SANKRANTI is celebrated with much fun with kites, cock flights, bull fights and different cuisines etc on 13, 14, and 15th of January in this area. Villages where these activities take place have been identified. During your stay at Guntur / Vijayawada we could organize visit to one of these villages.

Group Size: Maximum of 16 people

Price: $1955 per person based on min 10 people; single room supplement: $425

Includes:

• acommodations
• accompnying escort
• daily breakfast + dinners
• arrival, departure transfers
• sightseeing and land transport in ac coach except Amaravati portion., Transport at Amaravati in ac Toyota Qualis (4 people in one jeep)
• Professional local guide during sightseeing in Bombay, and Hyderabad as per itinerary
• All monument entrance fees
• Train tickets in two tier A/C Hyderabad-Guntur-Hyderbad
• Porterage
• Mineral water during long drives
• India Gov Service Tax 4.08%

Does not include:

• International Air
• Insurance
• Airport departure taxes
• Meals other than mentioned above
• Tips
• Any expenditure of personal nature such as drinks, telephone phone calls, laundry etc.

AMARAVATI

Amaravati is located in Sattenapalli Taluk of Guntur District and it is famous as the seat of a temple to Lord Shiva worshipped here as Lord 'Amareswara' and also for the Buddhist sculptures. 'Amareswaram' is considered sacred because of three things: its location by the holy Krishna River, an important Kshetra with a 'Sthalamahatyam' and the Sri Mahalinga Murthy, which are three sacred principles embodied in one. It is of importance to both Buddhism and Hinduism. The sanctity and the holiness of the place attract thousands of pilgrims even now.

A Sacred Place Of Worship: In this 'Punyakshetra', Lord Siva is in the form of five lingas: Pranaveswara, Agasteswara, Kosaleswara, Someswara and Parthiveswara. The Lord Amareswara here is worshipped with his consort 'Bala Chamundika' who is considered as the fourth of the 18 goddesses. There are also other deities inside the temple. The origin of the temple is shrouded in mystery, though there are many legends, puranic and historical, about it.

It is believed that the temple was originally Buddhist in origin and later on was readapted for Hindu worship. There is some evidence in this contention, since in the 'Amareswara Swami' temple the foundations are laid with the characteristic Buddhist slabs only. Just above the 'Mula Virat' in the Garbhagriha, one can still see a white marble lotus Medallion, done in the delicate and ornate style of the early Buddhist 'Silpas'. The Mula Virat is a long vertical cylinder made of white marble, which is so extensively used in the Buddhist monuments.

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