Planning Tips

 

Visa

As an Citter Retreat participant, you are responsible for securing the appropriate visas and travel documents you need to travel to India in which your retreat is located.

 

What to Bring

You are traveling to India. That’s awesome! Taking some time off your usual 9-to-5 life can be the foundational step towards self-growth, evolution, and new opportunities. Your Spiritual Journey to CITTER RETREAT will integrate mindfulness and compassion that is a necessary prerequisite in order to begin a new chapter and understanding of your life.

​

You’ve booked your flight to India, arranged your visa, and organized yourself. Now, what to pack?

​

Even if you’re a seasoned traveler, packing for a trip to India is its own ballgame. Whether you’re spending three weeks at a spiritual retreat or vagabonding around the country for months on end, this packing list will help you to be perfectly prepared for your journey.

 

Luggage

Choose the wrong luggage for India and you’ll end up very frustrated. Pack a suitcase if you’re definitely staying in one or two places only. Pack a backpack if you’re traveling to any more than two places. Rarely will you find a paved sidewalk to smoothly roll your suitcase. And carrying your luggage on your back makes navigating through crowded, bustling train and bus stations manageable. Choose a small to medium-sized pack so you won’t be weighed down. Also, bring a small purse or handbag. Choose something that you can sling over your shoulder rather than another backpack.

Clothing

When it comes to clothing, India is very conservative. You must respect the culture by covering yourself properly. Bring a few outfits that you won’t mind leaving behind, and buy the rest when you arrive in India. Clothing is cheap and you’ll feel more comfortable in Indianesque dress.

For women

Long skirts or loose pants. Loose, cleavage-hiding cotton shirts that cover the shoulders. Loose pants and T-shirts. A lightweight, thin scarf – you can also buy this when you get there. Flip flops and sneakers for comfortable walking.

For men

Cotton Pants & Shorts. Breathable cotton shirts. Loose pants and T-shirts. Flip flops and sneakers for comfortable walking.

First aid

Various sized Band-Aids. Wound disinfectant. Non-refrigerated probiotics. Sunscreen. Mosquito repellent. A sufficient supply of your medications if necessary. Most everything else can be cheaply and readily purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription

Toiletries

Travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste – you’ll run out but these are cheap and readily available in India. Soap. Toothbrush. Dental floss. Tongue scraper. Nail clippers. Tweezers. Tampons – not so easy to find in India. Minimal makeup.

Technology

Debating whether or not to bring your laptop? If you can survive without it, leave it behind. It will only weigh you down and Wi-Fi is rare. More touristy areas of India offer internet cafes. Unlocked smart phone and charger if you plan on getting a SIM card. Headphones. Camera and charger. Converter and plug adapter – for iPhones and Macs, only an adapter is needed

Useful odds and ends

Several copies of your passport and credit cards – also email yourself scans of everything in case all luggage gets lost. Journal. Silk sleep sack – great for trains and not-so-clean beds. Lightweight camping towel. Sunglasses. Headlamp or torch light, Padlock. Earplugs. Sleeping mask. Pocket knife

​

If you’re headed for high altitudes you’ll need some warm gear. You will find beanies, socks, leg warmers, and ponchos in the Himalayas, but otherwise selection is limited.

​

Once you’ve gathered your gear, fitting it all into your backpack becomes the real challenge. Tightly roll clothes. Then organize toiletries, first-aid items, and odds and ends into lightweight or Ziploc bags. Pack the heaviest items in the middle of your backpack, close to where your back will be. It takes some trial and error to get everything to fit, but once you’ve mastered the puzzle, you can pack the same way each time.

​

NOTE :

Passport Size Photos

Remember, you might have to produce a few pictures at various places to get a registration. Instead of getting it clicked at a local photography studio in a hurry, it would be better to have a few in the bag.

You will NOT BE PERMITED to use your cell phones within and outside the Citter Kurukulam in the 16 days you reside with us.

​

Application Deadline

All Applications must for 2023 be made in advance minimum one month before the booking month and a deposit of 10% to be paid to hold your booking.

​

Applications submitted after the due date will be considered on an individual basis and may not be processed in time to grant admission.

​

Our 16 Day Spiritual Retreat is a programme offered on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although all our tourist spiritual programmes have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your interest to experience something different that can bring about changes in your life.