Recent Retreats

Annually from 1-10 December Neema Majmudar and Surya Tahora conduct a retreat in one of the three ashrams established by their beloved teacher Pujya Swamiji (Anaikatti, Rishikesh and Manjakkudi). This year Swamiji’s birthplace Manjakkudi was selected. As demand for the retreat was so high, Neema and Surya decided to organize a second retreat (13-20 December) also.

Swamiji’s presence is still clearly felt on the Manjakkudi streets and within Jñānapravāha and other buildings. Jñānapravāha, meaning the ‘perennial flow of knowledge’ is a perfectly chosen name for the Vedanta Study Centre. The flow with which Neema taught us about the brilliant dialogues between Lord Yama & Nachiketā and Kṛṣṇa & Arjuna made it easy for us students to see the timelessness of this unique tradition. By her unique interactive style of teaching, Neema herself creates dialogues in her classes and inspires her students to discuss what they have learned with one another.

Surya’s guided morning meditations helped us to understand and connect with the basic person. The person who can temporarily give up his roles but as an individual cannot give up his connection with the total. To see this clearly invokes naturally the bhakta within us. Similarly, we had a silent morning walk during each retreat through the beautiful nature and rice fields with the idea to see Īśvara everywhere.

We went to see the Swami Dayananda Veda Patasala in Kodavasal where the boys blew us away with their chanting… We took part in a cow puja in the goshala and our teachers took us to a few important temples in Kumbakonam and to the famous Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur. Everywhere we went, we were warmly welcomed and given a rare opportunity to chant in front of deities.

I leave Manjakuddi with a prayer- May we all aspire to be bhaktas described by Lord Kṛṣṇa in chapter 12 and become a brilliant student like Nachiketa.

Being in Manjakkudi is a blessing. The birthplace of Swami Dayananda is very special place, I felt very welcome, at home and at ease. The serenity of the environment stimulated the learning tremendously and fostered an exceptional process of understanding.

Neema´s style of teaching is precise, practical and full of empathy and dedication. Surya´s mediations are unique and make the teaching sink in deeply. It became very clear that studying Vedanta is not just intellectual or another academic pursuit, but it is about you and understanding your own emontional life as well as the truth.

The unfolding of the journey of Nachiketa towards understanding life and death fully was really inspiring. My heartfelt gratitude to both of you for fostering my journey.