Throughout ancient times, when the world sought wisdom, it looked east—towards Bharat (India). This sacred land has always been home to seekers, where the highest pursuit of human life has been Moksha, or liberation—an end to the cycle of birth and rebirth, dissolving back into the source of all creation, the Divine.
In the modern era, science is beginning to echo what the seers of ancient India knew long ago. Physicists now claim that 99.99% of the universe is empty space—absolute nothingness or, paradoxically, everything. It exists beyond the grasp of human perception, beyond what can be understood through the five senses.
Yet, the ancient beings—revered as gods, sages, and enlightened ones—developed the ability to perceive and understand existence in its complete depth. Their wisdom was not theoretical; it was experiential. Through deep meditative states, yogic practices, and inner exploration, they uncovered profound truths about the nature of existence and shared them with humanity.
However, in today’s world, only a few remain who can access such truths through direct experience. As materialism and external pursuits take precedence, the path of inner seeking is often overshadowed. Yet, for those who turn inward, the eternal wisdom of Bharat remains a guiding light, offering a way to reconnect with the boundless reality that lies beyond perception.
The journey of self-realization is timeless, and the wisdom of ancient India continues to inspire those who seek not just knowledge, but the ultimate truth.
“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.“
“So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.“
“India has two million gods, and worships them all. In religion, all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire”
– Mark Twain
Kashi, also known as Varanasi, is a city on the banks of the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, India. it is the holiest of the seven sacred cities – Sapta Puri.
The Sapta Puri are seven holy pilgrimage centres in India. They are Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Ujjain and Dwarka.
The city’s religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Kashi.
Kashi has been a cultural centre of northern India for several thousand years, and is closely associated with the Ganges. Hindus believe that dying here and getting cremated along the banks of the holy Ganges river allows one to break the cycle of rebirth and attain moksha, making it a major centre for pilgrimage.
The city is known worldwide for its many ghats, embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead.
According to mythology, Kashi was founded by Lord Shiva, one of three principal deities, along with Brahma and Vishnu. Varanasi is therefore considered an extremely holy site.
The city continued as an important centre of Hindu devotion, pilgrimage, mysticism and poetry, which further contributed to its reputation as a centre of cultural importance and religious education.
Tulsidas wrote his epic poem on Rama’s life called Ramcharitmanas in Kashi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas.
Kashi is said to be the most ancient city on Earth. The ancient traditions and the culture are a result of human genius.
The famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva Temples. The main deity is known by the name Shri Vishwanath and also by the ancient name of the deity Vishweshwara (means Ruler of the Universe).
Bodh Gaya is the most holy place for Buddhists. Situated by the bank of river Neranjana in the Indian state of Bihar, King Ashoka was the first to build a temple here.
Buddha was born in 563 BC in what is now Nepal on the following auspicious Baisakhi purnima. As Siddhartha, he renounced his family at the age of 29 in 534 BC and travelled and meditated in search of truth.
After practicing self-mortification for six years at Urubela (Bodh Gaya) in Gaya, he gave up that practice because it did not give him Vimukthi. Then he discovered Noble Eight-fold path without help from anyone and practiced it. Then he attained Buddhatva or enlightenment.
Enlightenment is a state of being completely free from lust (raga), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha).
At this place, the Buddha was abandoned by the five men who had been his companions in earlier austerities. All they saw was an ordinary man; they mocked his well-nourished appearance.
He then told them the path which is neither easy (a rich prince) nor hard (living in austere conditions practicing self-denial). The five ascetics became the Buddha’s first disciples in Deer Park, Sarnath, near Kashi.
Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.
A pilgrimage is a journey where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about self, others, nature, or a higher good, through experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim is evolved to a higher state of consciousness.
The pilgrimage is of huge importance in almost every religion. The pilgrimage sites are considered as high energy centres and a human body is energy itself, which gets recharged when it gets in close vicinity of a high energy centre.
Rishikesh is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, in northern India, it is known as the Yoga Capital of the World and Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas.
It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places in India. Sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge.
The Ganges, one of the most sacred rivers in India, flows through Rishikesh. Here the river leaves the Shivalik Hills in the Himalayas and flows into the plains of northern India. Several temples, ancient and new, are along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh.
Rishikesh, nicknamed “Yoga Capital of the World”, has numerous yoga centres that attract visitors from all over the world.
Ganges (Ganga) flows through Rishikesh and Ganga is not only a river, she is a Divine Mother. She rushes forth from the Himalayas as the giver of life, carrying purity, bliss and liberation in her waters. She is the Mother Goddess – giving freely to all with no discrimination, hesitation or expectation. At many locations in Rishikesh, Ganga is worshipped every day in the evening by Ganga Aarti.
Yoga was 1st transmitted by Lord Shiva to his 7 disciples (rishis) in the Himalayas. The 7 rishis later took Yoga across India and made it a part of people’s daily lives. Thus, Lord Shiva is also called the King of Yogi’s and the Lord of Lords. The tradition continued through the process of Guru – disciple transmission and has survived many thousands of years.
India has produced any number of Yogi’s in every century who have made it their life’s purpose to promote Yoga and meditation for the welfare of humanity.
Yoga is a journey towards a reality in which you experience the ultimate nature of existence as borderless unity, a state of being where the individual experiences a state of union with the whole of existence.
International Day of Yoga is celebrated every year on 21st June to promote Yoga and meditation across the world.
Kumbh Mela is one of the largest spiritual gatherings of people on Earth. It is celebrated four times over the course of 12 years, the site of the observance rotating between four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers — at Haridwar on the Ganges River, at Ujjain on the Shipra, at Nashik on the Godavari, and at Prayagraj on the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati. Each site’s celebration is based on a distinct set of astrological positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, the holiest time occurring at the exact moment when these positions are fully occupied.
Attendees at the Kumbh Mela come from all walks of life, ranging from sadhus (holy men), who remain naked year-round or practice the most severe physical discipline, to hermits, who leave their isolation only for these pilgrimages, and even to silk-clad teachers using the latest technology. Vast crowds of disciples, friends, and spectators join the individual ascetics and organizations.
Kumbh Mela which happens in Ujjain is also known as Simhasth. The name derives from the fact that it is held when Jupiter is in Leo.
Key Monastery (Kye Gompa) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located on a picturesque hilltop at an altitude of 4,166 metres above sea level, close to the Spiti River, in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. The monastery has the distinction of being the oldest and the biggest in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India.
It is believed that the monastery is at least a thousand years old. It accommodates nearly 250 monks, who reside within the sacred walls in winter, and stay during the summer with their parents or brothers.
There are three floors, the first one is mainly underground and used for storage. One room, called the Tangyur, is richly painted with murals. The ground floor has the beautifully decorated Assembly Hall and cells for many monks.
Key Monastery in Spiti Valley was a secluded place earlier, but now it has started getting a lot of attention from travelers around the world. Most of these travelers go there to meet the monks who stay in the monastery, especially the little ones.
NASA has been at the forefront of integrating Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies to enhance various aspects of space exploration, astronaut training, and public engagement.
NASA’s View headset from 1992 is already quite close to the design of today’s VR headsets. This system could not only remotely control a stereoscopic camera, but also display either the real 3D scene or a virtual environment. The picture shows the full version with 3D sound and gloves for real interaction with the telepresent world.
NASA employs VR to immerse astronauts in simulated space environments, enabling them to practice complex tasks and procedures before actual missions. The Virtual Reality Laboratory (VRL) at the Johnson Space Center offers high-fidelity training systems for integrated simulations. These simulations allow astronauts to rehearse extravehicular activities (EVAs) and interact with robotic systems in a controlled setting.
Additionally, NASA has developed the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) Virtual Reality Trainer (VRT), which provides astronauts with a 3D simulation of the International Space Station (ISS). This tool aids in training for spacewalks and emergency rescue scenarios.
VR assists in mission planning by allowing scientists and engineers to visualize and interact with 3D models of spacecraft and celestial bodies. For instance, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) utilizes VR to simulate Martian terrain, facilitating the planning of rover missions.
To engage the public and inspire interest in space exploration, NASA offers VR experiences that allow users to virtually experience space missions. The “NASA SLS VR Experience” enables users to explore the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, providing an immersive experience of space exploration.
Through these initiatives, NASA leverages VR and AR technologies to enhance training, mission planning, public engagement, and operational efficiency, thereby advancing the field of space exploration.