NCR Weekend Retreat in Pune

26-28 March, 2010 Schedule

(More details below)

ARRANGEMENTS AND COSTS

This weekend is an informal gathering of friends. We'll help you make your own travel and accommodation arrangements. There are alternatives for both, depending on your budget and schedule. A donation between Rs. 1,000 and 1,500 is suggested for retreat meals and activities.

FLIGHTS

Acharyas Keshava and Daya Taylor recommend and will be taking the following flights and invite you to accompany them. You would make your own bookings . . . a good idea to do right away, as costs are rising.

From Delhi. IndiGo flight # 6E-105, departing Delhi 14:20 on Friday 26 March, arriving Pune 16:30. Current cost is about Rs. 3,100.

From Pune. Indian Airways flight # 1C-850, departing Pune 18:40 on Sunday 28 March, arriving Delhi 20:45. Current cost is about Rs. 3,300.

TRAINS

Although several trains run between Delhi and Pune, the only one with good availability at this time is the non-stop bi-weekly Duronto Express. The experience of riding this colorful, newly inaugurated train, one of India’s fastest, could be a special pleasure for rail fans, easily offsetting the slightly higher basic fare of Rs. 1,985 for 2A and Rs. 1,455 for 3A accommodations. Meals are available at extra cost. Several of us plan on going to Pune on this train, and we’d love to have you join us!

Please note: the Duronto from Delhi arrives early on the morning, some hours before the weekend activities begin, and the earliest Duronto after the weekend is on Tuesday, which will require a stay over both Sunday and Monday nights, but there is much we can recommend to fill in that time.

From Delhi
Thursday 25 March:

TRAIN #
TRAIN NAME
LEAVE DELHI
ARRIVE PUNE
2264
Duronto Express
11:00
H. Nizamuddin Station
07:20 Friday
Pune Junction

From Pune
Tuesday 30 March:

TRAIN #
TRAIN NAME
LEAVE PUNE
ARRIVE DELHI
2263
Duronto Express
11:10
Pune Junction
07:10 Wednesday
H. Nizamuddi

LODGING

The closest indoor accommodations to our community are at the Centurion Spring Hills Resort, a 3-star hotel just a 10-to-15-minute drive away in a quiet country location. Keshava and Daya plus a number of others will stay at the Centurion and would be happy to have you join them.

Rooms are comfortable with attached bath, air conditioning, and coffeemaker. The per night charges, including tax, are double rooms: Rs. 3,300; single rooms, Rs. 2,640. You’d make your own booking directly with Kunal Y. Shah, Front Office Manager, who offered the above prices to Keshava. He can be reached by mobile phone at +91-985-097-3131, or e-mail at kunal.fom@springhillsholidayresort.com .
Hotel address: Lavasa Link Road, Mukaiwadi, Pirangut, Pune (location map)
Main telephone: 020-2517-2800

A FEW ALTERNATIVES

Tents: Some tents are available on our land with primitive shower and toilet facilities for those who enjoy “roughing it”. If you’d like to stay in a shared tent, please contact me to reserve space for you.

On your own in Pune City: If you do this, you'd have to arrange transportation to and from the community, around an hour or so away.

Roommate match-up:

If you’d like to share a double room or tent but don't have a roommate, I’ll be happy to try matching you up with someone of the same gender.Ground Transportation

To and from the hotel:

If you take the same flight as the Taylors, you can join their taxi entourage to the Vanshaj Apartments and then to the Centurion. Otherwise, finding a taxi is relatively easy from either the airport or train station.

To and from our retreat:

We’ll make arrangements for transportation between the Centurion and the community, most likely via the hotel taxi service. You can cover the charges with your fellow passengers.

Please let us know by e-mail (pkirby@anandaindia.org) as soon as possible if you plan to come for this retreat with Swamiji.