Ditch the depression and anxiety of life in the west for a month and come soak up the atmosphere of the east. We may not have lives of riches here in India but we certainly have rich lives!

Live amongst us, participate in yoga and meditation, share our simple healthy vegetarian diet, learn new skills from our weavers, shoemakers, organic farmers and textile workers; join in our amazingly colourful festivals! You can even learn our folk songs and folk dances!

We’re based in Mandya, which is mid-way between Bangalore and Mysore in Karnakata state in South India. We’re in a city of 130 000 people with smaller villages around. Close by you’ll find

* The Island fortress at Srirangapatna, built by Tipu Sultan, Tiger of Mysore.
* Sriranganatha Temple, famous for the idol of Lord Vishnu in a sleeping posture on the Great Snake, Anantha.
* Ganjam where the mortal remains of Tipu Sultan and his parents were laid to rest. See the beautiful ivory inlay on the doors and the exquisite architecture of the building.
* in the Cauvery river there are 6 small islets housing the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, a favourite haunt of bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
* the well laid Brindavan Gardens in Srirangapatna on the banks of the Krishna Raja Sagar dam.
* The beautiful Shivanasamudra falls
* Kokkrebellur, home to migratory birds in October and November. You can watch painted cranes, spot billed pelicans and other variety of birds in their natural habitat .
* the ancient Cheluvanarayanaswamy and Yoganarasimhaswamy temples.

There’s clean food and water and plenty of western-level health facilities. The population density is about 7500 persons per square kilometre. The city area is 17.2 square km.

Bangalore is one of the world’s leading IT centres with western levels of income and world-class shopping. Mysore, the old capital, offers some of the best of Indian architecture, history and culture. There are bus and train connections to each on average each hour during waking hours.

In days of economic contraction a new iPod will not make you happier, but singing along with a group of villagers at a huge neighbourhood party will. Converse sneakers will not make you happier, but shoes you made yourself will. Evian mineral water will not make you happier, but water from a project you helped build will.

Our village expeditions offer a chance to experience a side of India you won’t get from staying in five-star hotels and visiting sites like the Taj Mahal. It’s also a chance to see how three-quarters of India’s population lives on less than 2 euros a day despite India’s spectacular rise in the world.

Vikasana is the first non-profit organisation in India to offer this type of tourism and view of India. We offer you a window into an unseen world. Despite our people working everyday to make a living in cottage industries, most survive on less than one euro a day and 75 percent live without sanitation.

We can arrange to take you into a rural village for an overnight stay, where you can spend more time with local craftspeople, see first-hand the difficulties of subsistence farming, get to understand India’s water shortage and the exodus of young people from rural India to the cities.

We recommend against bringing gifts or handing out money to residents of the village, who might come to expect that of all visitors. All our income goes to helping the rural poor. We are a non-profit organisation.

Living somewhere which is simple and safe, where food is plentiful and cheap, with new healthy diet and exercise will give you the inner strength to tackle the problems which lie ahead in your home country. It helps us, too because it provides skills and jobs for our people, and incomes provide housing, education for children and security all around.

A 14 night, twin share holiday with us including

1. private accommodation in our training centre
2. breakfasts and evening meals in our training centre (packed lunches for the road available at extra cost of Rs 70 each)
3. personal yoga sessions on 10 days by a qualified Yoga practitioner
4. personal ayurvedic medical diagnosis by a qualified Yoga practitioner
5. 4 hours per day with a guide/translator on 10 days
6. village visits to craftspeople, organic farms, school projects, weaving centre and shoe factory with transport in autorickshaw;
7. two days’ chauffeured car hire

starts at Rs 20 000/ A$624/ Euros 312 per person.

For accommodation in local hotel air-con room add Rs 3500/A$110/Euros 55 per person twin share.

Tips for Travellers

* Tourists planning to take a village tour should be sensitive to local customs and sensitivities when it comes to dress, meals and money.
* Women should dress modestly as they would elsewhere in India by avoiding showing legs and shoulders. Men too should avoid wearing shorts.
* When sharing a meal, always use your right hand to eat and avoid touching your food with your left hand.
* Pay in Rupees (small notes) in cash. There are no credit card facilities in the villages. Foreign currency is not widely accepted and there are no foreign exchange facilities in Mandya. The Euro and Australian Dollar are more accepted than the US Dollar.