TEMPLES, STORIES & DOSA: A CULTURAL IMMERSION
TO BANGALORE AND MYSORE
Immersion only: 13-18 Dec 2025 (Sat-Thu)
Mysuru Utsava extension: 18-21 Dec (Thu-Sun)
Last December, I brought a study group to attend the Mysuru Utsava, a Yoga festival started by my friends at INDICA Yoga, which brings together amazing teachers in the traditions of Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedanta. I remember feeling really emotional when I saw some very respected senior teachers like Leslie Kaminoff and Eddie Stern. If not for their steadfast work paving the way for teaching Yoga in the past decades, I don’t think teachers from my generation, and after, would enjoy the relative ease we have today. I truly felt grateful and humbled to be able to study with the OG torchbearers of the wisdom traditions, some of whom would never accept students for a one-time ‘drop in’.
Last year’s trip was more casual and spontaneous. I’d like to do our things differently this year, with more time diving into the spiritual and cultural heart of Bangalore, before we venture into Mysore. My friends and I have put together some special, off the beaten tourist trail experiences including visiting a slum, hanging out with schoolchildren, and kirtan night! You have the option to only attend the immersion, or stay on an extra four days for the Mysuru Utsava festival (highly recommended for sincere seekers).
I love bringing Yoga practitioners to India because nothing gives context to the practice like experiencing the culture and country from which the tradition originated. At the same time, nothing quite supports us to get to know a place quite like meeting its people, and there are some amazing ones in Bangalore and Mysore. I hope you'll join me!
Our immersion begins on Sat 13 Dec, with three nights in Bangalore — we’ll visit temples and markets in an old-world neighbourhood, tear into dosa at the city’s tiffin institutions, visit a slum to experience the challenges and resourcefulness of its residents, spend a morning at a NGO that provides meals to underprivileged schoolchildren (we will also have lunch with the children at one of the schools), visit a lovely independent bookshop, and relax at one of the city’s lovely cafes.
We will then journey on to Mysore, stopping enroute to visit an awe-inspiring 13th century temple complex and a charming village temple. In Mysore, we will have a free afternoon — to relax at one of the many cafes in Gokulam, or visit one of the iconic sites like the Mysore Palace or Chamundi Hills, before we reconvene for kirtan and dinner that my friend is organising.
On the final morning (18 Dec), you can journey back to Bangalore to catch a flight home or stay on for the festival — highly recommended for serious seekers.
Programme fee
Immersion only: S$1900
Immersion + Mysuru Utsava: S$2500
Single occupancy top-up (Bangalore): S$300
*This is not a Yoga retreat, so there will not be daily led practice (though I always welcome you to find time to do your own sadhana, as will I), as we will be on the move quite a bit.
Inclusions
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3 nights of twin-share accommodation in Bangalore (we will be staying in my friend's retreat centre, which is clean and comfortable like an idyllic ashram; no A/C but it is cool in Bangalore then, and all rooms have attached Western-style toilets) + 2 or 5 nights of single occupancy accommodation in Mysore (we will stay in a hotel close to Gokulam and near the festival venue; hotel are only outfitted with double beds hence not suitable for sharing).
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All transport for group travel, including airport pickup and drop-off if you travel on recommended flights
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All meals, except lunch on free and easy afternoons (one each in Bangalore and Mysore)
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For those attending Mysuru Utsava, full festival ticket, which covers 3 meals daily
Exclusions
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Air tickets
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Visa fees
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Compulsory travel insurance
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Expenses incurred should you fall ill in India. Please make sure your travel insurance adequately covers this.
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Any necessary Covid or medical tests, if border regulations require them then
- Personal expenses like shopping, trips out and about on your own
- If need be, auto rickshaw/Uber fare from Mysore hotel to festival venue (only a few SGD)
- Gratuities (optional) — your fee already includes tips that I will give on behalf of our whole group
Recommended flights
Immersion only
Sat 13 Dec Singapore Airlines SQ 508, departs Singapore 08:55 hrs, arrives Bengaluru 10:45hrs
Thu 18 Dec Singapore Airlines SQ 511, departs Bengaluru 23:10 hrs, arrives Singapore 06:10 hrs (+1 day)
Immersion + Mysuru Utsava
Sat 13 Dec Singapore Airlines SQ 508, departs Singapore 08:55 hrs, arrives Bengaluru 10:45hrs
Sun 21 Dec Singapore Airlines SQ 511, departs Bengaluru 23:10 hrs, arrives Singapore 06:10 hrs (+1 day)
If you are choosing different flights/dates but woudl like to avail of the inclusive transport, please arrange to be at Bengaluru's Kempeowda International Airport by 11:45am on 13 Dec.
If you are extending your stay in Bangalore/India, the transport will drop you off at the same airport on 18 or 21 Dec — please arrange for your own transfer from the airport.
Booking and cancellation policy
The immersion will go on so long as international travel regulations allow quarantine-free travel between India and Singapore. Please stay updated with the latest information on the ICA website here.
Please email Leigh to register. A non-refundable S$500 deposit will be required to secure your spot. Your space is not confirmed until I confirm that I have received your deposit. The remaining fee is to be paid in full by Fri, 10 October 2025.
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Cancellations communicated before Fri 14 Nov 2025 will receive a 25% refund.
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No refunds will be made after Fri 14 Nov 2025.
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To avoid paying the cancellation surcharge, you can get someone else to take your place on the retreat.
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The policy above will remain in place regardless of your reason for cancellation, including spikes in global health risks and acts beyond our control. This is a risk you assume upon registration. Please purchase adequate travel insurance upon confirmation of your participation on the retreat.