94Th Urs of Hazrat Pir-O-Murshid Inayat Khan Delhi, India, February 3-9, 2021

94th Urs of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan Delhi, India, February 3-9, 2021

Travel & Planning Briefing

We most cordially invite you to join Pir Zia and Pirani Sartaj Inayat Khan next year, in celebration of Murshid’s return to the Beloved, with a special retreat following three days of music, talks, ceremony, and ritual.

There will be activities at the Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan in two parts:

Part I: February 3-5, 2021

Our Annual Urs Celebration with friends from many Inayati lineages. Will include music, poetry, talks, ceremony, ritual, shared meals, and much chai! (Free)

Part II: Feb 6-9, 2021

A special retreat with Pir Zia at the Dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan. All net proceeds from the retreat will go to support the Hope Project. ($300 US Dollars)

Registration for the Urs 2021 Retreat w/ Pir Zia will be open by Summer 2020

Please plan to arrive in Delhi by Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 and to depart no sooner than Wednesday, February 10th, 2021. You will be responsible for all travel visas, flights, ground transportation, accommodations, and most of your meals.

Several tour operators plan to lead retreats either right before or right after the retreat, including Saki Lee, Imam Salim & Tara Chishti, Akbar Miller of David Less Tours, and Nizam un Nisa Husain. Details about these tours are forthcoming and will be arranged directly with the tour operator.

Imam Salim has been kind enough to prepare the following detail on traveling to India, with a few additional pieces of information collected from Kenneth Sparks of the Astana staff, and also Akbar Miller of David Less Travel. Thank you to all for helping guide our sacred pilgrimage to India!

Hazrat Inayat Khan Dargah

129 Basti Hazrat, Lodhi Rd, Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Delhi 110013, India

Traveling to India

Visas: All visitors need a visa for India except citizens of neighboring Nepal and Bhutan. The Indian government has now introduced one-month, one-year, and five-year electronic visas for citizens of most countries. The e-visas are available for tourism, business, medical, and conference purposes.

Tourist Visas: Tourist visas are issued to people who want to come to India to visit people and go sightseeing or attend a short-term yoga program. Although tourist visas can be granted for more than six months, it's not possible to remain in India for longer than six months at a time on a tourist visa without a two month gap between exiting and reentering the country. There are, however, some some exceptions.

India now has a popular electronic visa (e-Visa) scheme in place for citizens of most countries. Under this scheme, visitors can easily apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization online, and then get a visa stamp for entry into the country upon arrival. E-Tourist visas of one-month, one-year, and five-year validity are now available. The scope of visas under the program has also been widened to include short-term medical treatment and yoga courses, and casual business visits and conferences. Previously, these required separate medical/student/business visas. Tourists visiting India on a cruise ship can get an e- Visa as well.

• How to Obtain a Tourist Visa For India • How to Obtain an E-Visa on Arrival For India

Flying: Many airlines fly in and out of Delhi, India. Please arrange with the most affordable, or your preferred, carrier, planning to arrive by February 2nd, 2021 and to depart no sooner than February 10th, 2021.

Arriving in India

Money –

1. Most places will take a credit card so you may not need to change a lot of money. The exchange rate is the best when you use a card. But you should remember to call your credit card company before you land in India and let them know you will be travelling. This avoids a red flag on your purchases there.

2. If you want to exchange cash, we recommend changing your money at the airport. The rates are good and the kiosks are reputable. If you are changing a significant amount of money you must keep your receipt so that you can get dollars back when you leave. Request Indian money in small denominations because many places are not able to make change, especially taxis and small retail stands.

3. Money can also be exchanged in the Basti (neighborhood where the Dargah is located). There is a very reliable money exchange in walking distance of the Dargah. Ask Imam Salim when there. This exchange can also arrange plane and train tickets.

4. Take only as much cash with you as you think you might need that day. Your hotel room should have a safe and you should put all valuables in that safe, including cash, when you are out of the room. If you plan on using your credit card then you will usually only need a small amount of cash each day for things like taxis or street vendors.

Getting to Your Hotel or Guest House:

In all cases have the name of your hotel, the address and the phone number with you. The best thing to do is to arrange with your hotel beforehand. They can arrange to have a taxi pick you up at arrivals. They will be waiting outside the terminal with a sign with your name on it. If that is not an option then there are taxi service kiosks just outside the terminal. I have found them to be reliable and the drivers are good but sometimes they need guidance if the hotel is small and not well known. The phone number is a good idea all drivers have cell phones and they can call the front desk to get directions to the hotel. Phones:

Bring an unlocked phone with you, that way you can get an Indian sim card which is the least expensive way to make calls while you are in India. You can also wait till you get to India and buy a phone there. Best bet is to get a sim card for an Indian phone company. In the past, India has limited the availability for tourists to get sim cards but you should go to the phone company kiosks at the airport to see if they will sell you one. Usually the cards you get at the airport are local to Delhi so if you travel to another city there will be roaming charges.

When you get a sim card you will need your passport and the address of where you are staying – so another good reason to have your hotel’s address with you handy.

India has changed the rules about tourists getting sim cards in the past so be sure to check it out before you travel.

Hotels:

Prices for hotels vary quite a lot from maybe $300+ per day to under $40. As you might imagine, the places vary also accordingly. Here are listed a few of the places nearby the Dargah that people have stayed. You can check them out on the internet for prices, reviews and amenities. They are all listed in the usual booking web sites so you can google the name and get several sites.

Jukaso Inn – in Sundar Nagar - https://jukaso-inn-in.book.direct/en-gb?utm_source=gmb Pretty nice place with good food and close to Dargha, maybe 1.5 miles. Medium priced.

La Sagrita – in Sundar Nagar – https://www.lasagrita.com for information and booking. Lots of people have stayed there and the reports are good. Also about 1.5 miles from the Dargha and Medium priced.

Sufian Residency – in Nizamuddin - https://www.justdial.com/Delhi/Sufian-Residency-Near- Nizamuddin-Police-Station-Near-Bangla-Wali-Masjid-Nizamuddin/011P5458590_BZDET within walking distance of the Dargha. Friends of mine that stayed there were mostly Indians. But the place is clean and close by and less expensive.

Ziyarat Guest House – in Nizamuddin - https://www.justdial.com/Delhi/Ziyarat-Guest-House-Near- Dargah-Hazrat-Nizamuddin/011PXX11-XX11-111014191526-R2D8_BZDET within walking distance of the Dargha. Very nice, authentic atmosphere. Probably best for seasoned travelers. Less expensive.

Oberoi Hotel – close by - https://www.oberoihotels.com/hotels-in- delhi/?utm_source=GMBlisting&utm_medium=organic Very large western style hotel about 2 miles from the Dargha. Restaurants in the hotel. Expensive.

Akbar Miller’s Hotel Suggestions:

Mantra Amaltas $$ - http://www.mantraamaltas.com/home.aspx

Crowne Plaza Okhla - https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/newdelhi/ndeol/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=GoogleMaps-_-CP-_-IN-_-NDEOL

Shangri-La Eros Hôtel $$$ - https://www.shangri-la.com/newdelhi/erosshangrila/

Note: there are hotels for as little as $5/night in Paharganj near old delhi although I don’t usually stay there we could find options for people, likely $30+

Other Notes from Iman Salim:

1. I suggest learning as much as you can about Delhi before you get there – do online searches and read books. Find a good travel guide for Delhi and get to know it. There are usually good tips in those books. 2. Try to pick out a few things you would like to do while there. When you are at the Dargah talk to people who have been before and get together to go on a trip to places you want to see like The Red Fort, or shopping places. 3. Shop at the stores around Nizamuddin and don’t be afraid to haggle. 4. Tours can usually be arranged, ask around at the Dargah or ask your hotel. 5. Auto rickshaws (or simply Autos) are good for getting around short distances. They are smelly but good transport and the drivers usually know the area very well. 6. Imam Salim will most likely be spending at least one day going to other Dargahs in Delhi. If people want to come along and want to learn more about that they can contact him directly by email at [email protected]. No details are available yet but closer to the event there will be more info. Also, they can talk to Imam Salim or Tara at the Dargah.