This tour was designed to give you a taste of other realms of existence. And that can mean two things. For the believers in spirits, future predictions and faith healing then this tour will bring you into a world where this is an everyday reality. For the people who are slightly less convinced, this tour will show you how on an earthly level the people of Ladakh encompass the mystical in all that they do. If anything their faith in something that can’t be seen, tasted, touched or smelled will bring you into a different realm of existence with regard to beliefs, behaviors and traditions.
As a natural believer in magic and mystery, Lisa Tully designed this tour based on what she would love to experience. She is an authentic seeker, who respects whatever environment she is in, who aspires to give back before she receives, and who has researched and collaborated with the best of local contacts. For those of you who share her passion and values, this tour is her gift to you. Pass through the back of that wardrobe in a world where magic will forever alter your view. You will get to partake, if you wish, in various ceremonies as well as get to watch masters in action. Tibetan oracles jumping blindfolded from one building to another while seeing with the eyes of the spirit that has taken over their body. Local people traveling from far and wide to have their future predicted, fears eased and bodies healed by oracles who have been meditating for months in preparation for the occasion. We will travel an authentic trail where we eat and pray in the homes of the local people, both monastic and lay, Tibetan and Ladakhi, yogi and shaman.
It all starts in Delhi where we meet up as a group. You are picked up at the airport by our dedicated drivers and from that point the magic of India begins! We will be staying near the airport for the first night so we can rest before flying to Leh very early the following day. The evening of arrival, for those of you eager to get exploring we have a trip to the Sufi quarter of Delhi planned. The Sufis are the mystic of Islam and many of you may know the more famous Sufi member, Rumi. He was a 13th century spiritual poet who lived most of his life in Turkey and is now the No. 1 selling poet in the US. The Sufis are known for their music or Qawwali sessions where the mystical music is known to bring their audiences into a blissful trance.
Leh, Ladakh
Leh is the capital city of Ladakh and is situated at an altitude of 3,524 meters (11,562 feet) therefore it is essential that we acclimatize upon arrival. For those traveling by road into the region, it takes many days, therefore their bodies are usually in fighting fit by the time they arrive. For us who will be flying, we are at a much greater risk of altitude sickness. We will need to build up more red blood cells to deal with the lack of oxygen, and this happens when we sleep. We will also eat apricots and glucose drinks that are the local remedy for helping the body adjust.
So our first two days in Leh are going to be very low key so we can enjoy the rest of our trip in full health. It will be worth the wait! After being closed to outsiders for 30 years, for military and strategic reasons, Ladakh was partly opened in 1974. Once this happened, tourists who were interested in Buddhism and Tibetology flocked to it. Often considered to be an extension of Tibet, Ladakh actually has its own language and social and cultural identity. It is situated in the Northwest Indian state of Kashmir. With a size equal to that of Scotland, the population of this land is at a mere 150,000. It has a unique eco-system which brings desert-like summers and frozen winters where parts of Ladakh are inaccessible for several months of the year. Home to incredible wildlife and fauna, its most locally revered inhabitant being the Snow Leopard. It is believed that Buddhism actually came from India to Ladakh before Tibet, 300 years before Christ. What existed prior to this was a religion in which aspects of the environment were worshipped. A fusion of the two belief systems is what has resulted in a highly esoteric religion that contains magical formulas, the exorcism and destruction of demons, divinations and of course oracles.
Oracles & Shamans
Ladakhis believe earth, water, air, rocks and trees all have spirits. Some of which are good, some of which are bad. The lamas or monks act as the intermediaries for the lay people, helping them to avoid offending these spirits or appease them if they have unknowingly evoked their wrath. The lamas may use their understanding of astrology to assist in matters of business, farming and travel for example. Some however give assistance by becoming vehicles for particular spirits, during which they speak with the very voice of the spirit. These are the infamous oracles and the most famous ones in Ladakh are those of Matho Gompa, the festival we attend during our tour. The Matho oracles are chosen by lot every three years. In preparation for the festival they are purified by months of fasting and meditation, after which they become the receptacle for the Rongsten Karmar deity.
Once this happens they perform incredible feats such as jumping along the tops of the monasteries blindfolded, seemingly immune from falling down into the rocks of the valleys below. While in this state they answer questions about Ladakh and Matho for the coming year. Individuals also put forward questions about their own spirituality and welfare. But skeptics be warned, the spirit is said to be able to detect when their powers are being tested through questioning, resulting in a dramatic display of anger! Sometimes a spirit will spontaneously inhabit the body of a lay person, usually a woman. For example, this can occur at the time when she has moved into the matrimonial home. Anthropologists trained in the west liken it to hysterical disturbance due to their change in circumstances. The locals have another way of viewing it. The woman is usually sent to train with other oracles or lamas to ensure the spirit that has taken over is not a bad one and to train in controlling the
Spirit-force so it can be used to heal. When this has been accomplished, she will start regular practice as a healer becoming a revered member of the community. During this tour we will attend two winter festivals of the oracles, the Stok Guru Tsechu Festival and the Matho Nagrang Festival, as well as attending a more local shamanic session with a female lay oracle where the opportunity for personal healing should you want it is there. We will also have a talk by a local expert before attending the Oracle festivals.
Green Tara
On our tours we like to make sure you have a mindful souvenir to take home with you so that you can continue to develop yourself should you wish. On this tour we are focusing on the Tibetan goddess Green Tara. Tara is a female aspect of the Buddha who was originally born as a princess called Yeshe Dawa. Upon achieving enlightenment she was told by some monks of that period that if she made prayers to receive a male body they would be fruitful. However her response was: “Many work for sentient beings with male bodies, but few with female. Therefore I shall work for all sentient beings as a female until samsara ends.” There are 21 Taras in total, of which one of them is Green Tara. Many realized people in both India and Tibet have attained that state through working with this deity. The Green Tara mantra, “Om Tara Tuttara Ture Svaha” is useful in any area of your life you need swift action with, for example the sale of a house, success of a business venture or resolving of any relationship issues. In pictures of Green Tara she has her right leg extended out. This is representative of the fact that she is always ready to take action to assist us and no request is too big nor small! By repeating the Green Tara mantra, if we can up to 108 times a day, we are calling on her loving and fast acting intervention. During this tour we will meet with a rinpoche or high level monk who will give a Green Tara blessing so that every time we say the mantra it has more power to heal. We will also pay a visit to a Tara temple in the Tibetan Quarter of Delhi where repeating the mantra there or making even a small nominal donation to her statue will reap greater results for our prayers if they are for the highest good.
“Om Tara Tuttara Ture Svaha”
What about the basics?
Weather
A desert type climate is typical of Leh with dry winds blowing throughout the day and summers being hot and humid. On your visit to Leh, you will face the cold desert climate which occurs from October to March. In winters the temperatures are extreme, dipping below freezing point. Snowfall is common in winter, especially at night. However winter days are sunny and bright. The average temperature for Leh in March is around -5 Celsius or 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Considering the extremities that you face here, make sure to carry winter jackets, woolen wear and snow boots. We will give you a full list of what to pack when you book.
Accommodation
Sometimes it is necessary for us to be staying at different hotels from one another especially for late sign ups. The standard is Indian 3 or 4-star in Delhi and Leh. We will be staying at a hotel with heating in Leh, which is a total luxury in the Himalayan region and will keep us nice and cozy.
Health
We will provide you with a list of suggestions on keeping healthy in India when you book the tour. It covers things such as what to eat, water, sickness prevention and what to wear.
Room allocations
If you have opted for sharing we will do our very best to find you a roommate, but if we can’t find one then you will have to pay the single room subsidy. We pair people up on a same-sex, first come first served basis. When choosing which room you get we put the room numbers in a hat and you pick one out. This does not include the hotel in Delhi at the start of the tour when we will be putting people in rooms according to when they arrive. If you are traveling as a pair from the date of sign up we will of course put you in the same room if that is your preference. For sign ups who want a single room we will do our best to get you one but please bear in mind it may not always be possible with India being India.
Visas
To take part in our tours you will most likely need a tourist visa. We urge you to check with your local Indian embassy as soon as possible as it can take longer than anticipated. For example in the UK if you can’t prove residency by providing the necessary utility bills you have to apply via a different process which takes significantly longer.
Who else will be on the tour?
Tour Host
Lisa Tully is your tour host, and she has been hosting these tours for a few years now. Her background is Irish and her travels to India first began when she was 21. Her spiritual journey began over 10 years ago and she is now a practicing Tibetan Buddhist having sought refuge with the Dalai Lama in his hometown of McLeod Ganj, India. When she is not running tours in India she spends as much time as possible there on personal retreat and attending Buddhist teachings and initiations to further her own personal practice. She is also always on the lookout for novel ways to improve the tours. On top of that she is known to find local projects in need of assistance and fund raise for them when back in the West. It was one such project that led her to face her biggest fear of heights and skydive out of a moving plane at 10,000 feet! As a result there is now a Tibetan Buddhist temple in a very poor part of Delhi which is clean and safe for the monks living there. Constantly working to raise awareness about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, she also researches and writes about the Tibetan struggle for freedom. It is this work that has inspired her to study photojournalism so she can be of even more benefit to her displaced friends.
Local Help
Lisa has a team of local Tibetans, Ladakhis and Indians who assist her on her tours who you will meed in India. They all have varying backgrounds and in the case of the Tibetans have a story to tell about how they escaped to India. By running these tours we are creating local employment for the community, raising awareness and providing you with the opportunity to create global friendships. When choosing drivers and hotels we select the best available. Your safety and well being are our number one priority.
Tour Sizes
We keep the tour size to 10 people maximum. The age range is usually between late 20s to early 60s. Our main concern is that you are fit and well as India is a challenging country at the best of times so your flexibility mentally, emotionally and physically is a must.
Know Lisa-la that the work you are doing is changing people’s lives forever.
– Barbara, Canada
The trip was the most profound trip I have ever taken and I would not trade it for any other one I have taken.
– Debra, USA
Amazing spiritual experience and a lot of fun. Very well organised and a host that rocks. It’s definitely on my agenda for a Part 2 experience with Lisa and the monks.|
– Katerina, Australia