Dear Friends and Well-wishers,
We are happy to announce that a summer retreat on “Practical Spirituality” will be organized at Madhuban in Talla Ramgarh (Uttarakhand) from 27 May to 2 June 2017 by Overman Foundation and Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre, Kolkata.
According to Sri Aurobindo, the aim of spirituality is to mediate God and man but nothing is more difficult than to bring home the greatness and uplifting power of the spiritual consciousness to the natural man forming the vast majority of the race. This is so because the senses as well as the mind of man are turned towards the external calls of life and its objects are never inwards to the Truth which lies behind them. Spirituality enables a man (if he has a spiritual life independently of his mental formations and the set boundaries in which he lives) to cross the religious principles and enter something higher and greater. This ‘something higher and greater’ is the Truth-Consciousness which in due course of time becomes the architect of one’s destiny. According to the Mother, religious teachings belong to the past and halts progress while spiritual teaching belongs to the bright future that illumines the consciousness and prepares it for future realization. Moreover, as spiritual teaching is above religion, it strives towards a global Truth and teaches us to enter into direct contact and relation with the Divine. And according to Sri Aurobindo, the highest spirituality moves in a free and wide air far above the lower stage of seeking which is governed by religious forms and dogmas. Spirituality does not easily bear the shortcomings of religion but if it ever does so, it transcends them. To quote his own words, it lives ‘in an experience which to the formal religious mind is unintelligible.’ The spiritual life of a person commences when he is in communion with the Divine. Every thing changes or transforms once man becomes spiritualized. The higher perfection of the spiritual life would come by a spontaneous obedience of spiritualized man to the truth of his own realized being, that is, when he has found his own real self.
Through this summer retreat on “Practical Spirituality” at Madhuban, workshops on varied themes would be conducted to enable the participants to reach the higher perfection of living and make life beautiful.
Accommodation:
Madhuban is an extension of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Delhi Branch. A campsite situated on a fruit orchard of about 30 acres, Madhuban is about 1.5 hours drive by road from Kathgodam Railway Station and situated at a height of 5000 feet above a picturesque village in the Kumaon range of the Himalayas. Madhuban is the place where the beekeeping association of India took birth more than 50 years ago.
Accommodation facilities are as per the standards provided at Madhuban. Since the camp is being held in the Ashram campus, a strict discipline is to be maintained throughout and all participants are required to follow the rules and regulations of the Ashram and uphold the sanctity of the place.
The food served during the camp is nutritious and entirely vegetarian. We seek cooperation in matters of food. Since people from many states and family backgrounds participate, it will not be possible for us to satisfy everybody’s taste.
How to reach Madhuban:
Trains include (i) Ranikhet Express from Old Delhi railway station leaving at 10:45 p.m. and reaching Kathgodam at around 6:30 a.m. the next morning (ii) Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express leaving Old Delhi railway station at 4:00 pm reaching Kathgodam at around 10:00 pm the same day (iii) Shatabdi leaving New Delhi railway station at 6:00 am, reaching Kathgodam at around 11:50 am the same day and (iv) north-east states, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa etc. can change trains at Lucknow for Kathgodam by Broad Gauge 3019 Bagh Express or Metre Gauge 5308 Nainital Express to Lal Kuan and catch a bus for Talla Ramgarh. One can also reach by a flight which goes from Delhi to Pantnagar. The distance from Kathgodam railway station and Madhuban can be covered by taxis.
Interested persons are advised to kindly check for detailed information from the internet or get in touch with the organizers for further information. From Kathgodam, taxis are available on hire basis—mobile numbers of drivers (at Kathgodam) available from the organizers.
Important :
All participants are advised to carry necessary identity proof like PAN / ADHAAR / VOTER ID, etc. for their journey as well as stay and also the receipt to be issued from Overman Foundation after acceptance of the registration fees.
The Programme:
Workshops on the following topics would be conducted during the weeklong summer retreat at Madhuban:
- Spiritual Duties of a Householder
- Yoga and Spirituality in Daily Life
- Preparing the Path of Psychic Opening—Theory and Practice
- Training of the Vital
- Overcoming Depression
- Effective Life Management
- Marital Life: Problems and Solutions
- Art of Parenting
- How Work becomes Worship
Workshop Fee: Rs. 9000 (Nine Thousand only.)
Last Date of Registration: 15 March 2017.
Registration:
The Registration Charges of Rs. 9000 covers stay and fooding at Madhuban from 27th May to 2nd June, 2017 (both days inclusive), programme kit and other programme expenses to be incurred by the organizers. Traveling to Madhuban and back is to be organized and borne by the participants.
To download the registration form, please click on the following link:
How to Register:
Download the registration form, fill it up and send it to the following email address: overmanfoundation@gmail.com. Payment of registration fees can be remitted through money-order, demand-draft, cheque and NEFT. Kindly note that the registration will be confirmed only after the receipt of the registration fees.
Kindly fill up the form and send it along with your multi-city cheque/DD payable to ‘OVERMAN FOUNDATION’ by speed-post/courier to:
Overman Foundation
Anjali Apartments,
36/3, Prince Ghulam Mohd. Shah Road,
Golf Gardens,
Kolkata, Pin-700033
(West Bengal)
OR
Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre Trust
532 Block – M, New Alipore,
Kolkata, Pin – 700053
(West Bengal)
In case you like to pay through BANK TRANSFER, kindly contact Sri Anurag Banerjee of Overman Foundation.
The registration forms are also available at the offices of Overman Foundation and Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre, New Alipore and registration charges can be deposited there.
Terms and Conditions:
- Since seats are limited, confirmation of participation would be done on a first-come-first serve basis.
- Registration will be confirmed only on full payment of workshop fees. An email would be sent to the participant confirming his/her participation for the workshop once he/she has completed all the procedures for registration.
- The workshop fees include boarding and lodging at Madhuban, not the travel expenses.
- Lodging will be provided to participants on a twin-sharing basis.
- Participants would have to manage their own travel arrangements to Madhuban. Contact details of taxi-drivers would be provided to the participants if they inform us of their travel details in advance.
- Registered participants are kindly requested to reach the venue on 27th May around afternoon and leave on 2nd June post-lunch.
- People with high blood pressure and other diseases, who have problems with high altitude and / or living at the first and second floors, and also those needing special facilities, food or care, should not apply. Any medical expenses will have to be borne by the participants themselves.
- There will be no refund in case of cancellation request by the participants. However, a transfer of registration will be allowed wherever feasible at the discretion of the organizers.
- The organizers have the right to allow or refuse any registration application.
For further details, kindly contact:
- Mr. Partha Sarathi Bose at (0) 98310 40853; admin@sriaurobindocentre.org
- Mr. Anurag Banerjee at (0) 98302 44192; overmanfoundation@gmail.com.
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Photographs of Madhuban
Shrine housing the sacred Relics of Sri Aurobindo.
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Overman Foundation 