*If you've previously been to Delhi & Agra and want to skip this portion, you may deduct $500 from the cost of the trip and join the group in Chennai instead.

Start your journey in New Delhi and Agra, visiting sites like the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, and getting to shop in Old Delhi!

If you're traveling from the U.S., you'll likely leave on February 3, connect somewhere in Europe (often Paris or Amsterdam for Delta Partners), and arrive in Delhi early the morning of February 5.

We'll then fly to Chennai (formerly Madras), where you'll get to visit St. Thomas Mount (the burial place of St. Thomas the Apostle) and historic Dravidian temples. You may see a banyan tree that is approaching 200 years old. 

We may also visit Gurukul Lutheran Seminary and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI), a communion of twelve Lutheran denominations across India.

The beautiful seaside city of Pondicherry, situated on the Bay of Bengal, is known as "The French Riviera of the East" after the advent of French colonization in India.

In Pondicherry, you may visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram or nearby Auroville, heralded as the "first and only experimental township," with its golden-domed Matrimandir, adding to your religious and cultural experience. 

Following Pondicherry, you'll have the opportunity to see the boarding schools where sponsored students live and study. You may even get to meet the student you sponsor and visit their village! 

You will visit village schools, where students benefiting from ALC's English+ program will read, sing, and perform for you. Teachers and staff will be excited to show you their libraries and demonstrate e-learning tools, funded with support from LPGM. In addition to meeting staff and spending time with students, you will have time to reflect with the group as together you process what you are learning, experiencing, and questioning.

Other stops might include the Timothy Center for Women and Children's Empowerment, and the Lebanon Home and weaving center, where you can purchase beautiful towels, placemats, and more, woven by widows who have found community and a livelihood.

During this time, you'll also engage in interfaith dialogue at the Quo Vadis Interfaith Dialogue Center in Tiruvannamalai, which is run by our partner, the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC). Interfaith conversations include elements of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism. Excursions may include a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, and a Lutheran Church, as well as other holy places and sacred spaces. There will be engaging conversations and time for contemplative prayer and reflection.

You may get an opportunity to hike to the top of Annamalai Mountain, which Hindu legend says is a manifestation of the lord Shiva. 

From Tiruvannamalai where the ALC is located, we'll travel to Bangalore. Here, you'll have a chance to visit the Indian Music Museum.

We may also visit the United Theological College and learn more about the contributions of Dalit Theology to our understanding of the Christian Gospel.

From Bangalore, we'll start our journey home, full of the sights, sounds, and experiences of India!