In January 2006, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give the 30th Kalachakra Empowerment in Amaravathi, the site of Buddha's first Kalachakra Tantra. Throughout these precious teachings, CAMP POTALA will offer its Dharma guests a serene and peaceful sanctuary, enabling guests to focus entirely upon the Kalachakra, while providing comfortable and hygienic campsite facilities. Located in Andhra Pradesh, Amaravathi is a small village on the banks of the Krishna River marked by a confluence of religious statues, the most notable of which will be a lotus posture Buddha from where His Holiness the Dalai Lama should give the Kalachakra.

Meaning wheel of time in Sanskrit (Kala means time, Chakra translates as wheel) the Lord Buddha gave first Kalachakra Tantra to King Suchandra of Shambala, at Amaravathi, over 2500 years ago. The special oral teachings of the Kalachakra continued to attract Buddhist practitioners for over 2 millennia, gaining greater significance and popularity in recent years as His Holiness the Dalai Lama has given the teachings in many places around the world. In 2005, the Kalachakra Tantra (complex ritual/ practice) took place in the holy site of Bodhgaya, where the Buddha gained Enlightenment. In commemoration of the 2550th anniversary of Buddha's death, the Kalachakra will return to the sacred home of the Kalachakra teaching, enabling participants to experience the Kalachakra Tantra in its most significant pilgrimage location.

CAMP POTALA

In a quiet location, near to the Kalachakra site, CAMP POTALA will provide a haven of serenity and tranquility to its guests. Using state of the art, lightweight tents, our guests will stay in cool, comfortable and spacious accommodation, away from the noise and congestion of the Kalachakra crowds in Amaravathi village and bustling Guntur town. In addition to creating a spacious sanctuary for the duration of the Kalachakra, CAMP POTALA will provide three nutritious vegetarian meals a day for guests, maintaining guests health by selecting the best produce and by bathing fruit and vegetables in an iodine solution. For our guests health we will provide filtered water, thus reducing the rubbish generated by multiple single use water bottles. Regularly serviced hygienic shower and sanitation facilities will complement the purification that the Kalachakra Tantra emphasizes, while additional yoga, meditation and Kalachakra discussion facilities will be provided to enhance our guests' appreciation of the teaching.

Having visited Amaravathi and the Kalachakra location, Potala Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd believe that CAMP POTALA will provide our Kalachakra clients with the best and most considerate accommodation in the area. By limiting the number of guests, we will attend to each guest's specific requirements, while providing the contemplative peace needed to fully appreciate these special teachings. Complemented by a fully equipped help and travel desk and service team, CAMP POTALA will also provide Doctor on-call service for the comfort of our guests.

Kalachakra Tantra

King of Tantric traditions

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The Kalachakra Tantra can be translated as a ritual teaching (Tantra) on the wheel or cycle of time (Kala-chakra). It is highly respected by many religious traditions, connecting the cycle of the planets to those of sentient beings, and relating these passages of time to the individuals' control over their energy, in order to open the path of enlightenment.

Called the "King of Tantric traditions" by the Sixth Panchen Lama, the Kalachakra teaching provides a system that connects the cycles of external environments to those of sentient beings, leading to the practice of an alternative cycle of time through which enlightenment can be achieved. Known as the Outer, Inner and Alternative Kalachakra's, the first component is a teaching of the external world and the cycles of the universe, the world and its sun, moon and planets. The Inner Kalachakra consists of the cycles of death and birth and the energy of the mind and body of living beings, while the Alternative Kalachakra describes a spiritual method that leads to enlightenment.

A sand Kalachakra Mandala will be created during the teaching, enabling participants to meditate on the interconnection of the three states of the Tantra, while marveling at the skill and precision of the monks who create it. The Kalachakra Mandala is a two-dimensional sand mural that represents the divine residence of the Kalachakra deity and his embodiment of the Kalachakra teachings. The mighty Kalachakra deity is referred to as Dukor (in Tibetan), and is represented in thangka paintings and sculptures with four faces, two legs and twenty-four arms. He embraces Vishvamati, his female consort, who has four faces, two legs and eight arms.

Amaravathi:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give the Kalachakra 2006. Large numbers of Buddhists are expected to attend this precious Kalachakra Tantra, held at the spiritual home of the Kalachakra teaching. Amaravathi is a unique location for the initiation, as it offers a return to the home of the Kalachakra Tantra, at South India’s most revered Buddhist pilgrimage site, within the rural sleepiness of Amaravathi village in Andhra Pradesh.

On the bank of the Krishna River, Amaravathi was once a Buddhist settlement of great repute. After Lord Buddha gave the first Kalachakra teaching here, Amaravathi became known as Palden Drepung (Tibetan) or Shri Dhanyakataka (Sanskrit). Today, archaeologists and Buddhist pilgrims throughout the world continue to visit the ruins of the 2000-year-old Buddhist stupa and small museum. Despite its small size and rural location, Amaravathi has a confluence of religious statues, temples and monuments, demonstrating its appeal to a number of religious faiths.

The nearest accessible town is Guntur, over 35km to the southeast, which will act as the travel hub for all Kalachakra pilgrims. The journey time between Guntur and the Kalachakra site is expected to take at least one hour during the teaching, due to the volume of traffic.

Location, Transfer and Travel info:

Located in Andhra Pradesh, Amaravathi can only be reached via Guntur (35kms away), which is 30km south of Vijayawada, the nearest domestic airport city. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, has the nearest international airport, with frequent international flights, daily flights to Amaravathi and several daily Express trains to Vijayawada. Passengers arriving in Hyderabad can take the domestic flight to Vijayawada (1 hour) and then be driven to Amaravathi (2 hours) or take a train to Guntur (6 hours) and than transfer to Amaravathi by coach (1 hour). Express trains from other international airport cities stop at Guntur, while at present the domestic airport here only receives flights from Hyderabad. Special coaches and local buses will run from Vijayawada and Guntur to Amaravathi and the Kalachakra site during the teaching.

Those using Potala Tours and Travels Pvt Ltd and our CAMP POTALA guests can make use of our transport services and have their entire travel arrangements taken care of by our efficient and dedicated staff, ensuring a smooth and trouble free journey to the Kalachakra site.

Practical information about Kalachakra Teaching:

During Kalachakra teachings people have suffered and complained of flu and cold like symptoms due to the large numbers of people and amount of dust generated by pilgrims. By limiting numbers and taking numerous health precautions, CAMP POTALA should reduce clients’ experience of such symptoms, providing a tranquil rest place. By providing a selection of medication, we will be equipped to manage minor health ailments smoothly and promptly, reducing our guests discomfort and enhancing their appreciation of the teaching.

Visiting India for the first time often creates worry due to the perceived health problems and need for vaccinations. Potala Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd recommends each visitor to make an appointment with his or her GP or Doctor for advised vaccinations and medication.

The climate in Andhra Pradesh during January is mild sub-tropical, ranging from 18- 27 C or 65- 80 F. Thus, guests coming from colder climates should pack lightweight clothing accordingly and remember to drink plenty of fresh, clean water while acclimatizing. During the evening we recommend lightweight long-sleeved shirts and trousers to reduce mosquito bites and maximize comfort.

In Amaravathi, Guntur, Vijayawada and Andhra Pradesh, Telugu is the main language, with little Hindi and less English being spoken in Amaravathi village and Guntur, although during the Kalachakra it is expected that there will be more English, Hindi and Tibetan speakers at hand. CAMP POTALA will have English, Hindi, Tibetan and Telugu speaking staff at hand to help with all requests.