A Unique 13-Day Sacred Pilgrimage through the Sacred Geography 
of Śaiva and Śākta Mysticism

This sacred journey is named for Ekākinī, the solitary one who walks with nothing but inner fire. This Yātrā traces the luminous path of Akka Mahadevi, the 12th-century poet-saint who cast away the world and all coverings in her search for Śiva as Chenna Mallikārjuna, her deathless Beloved.

Rooted in devotion, inner renunciation, fierce clarity, and divine longing, Akka’s path as Ekākinī is a call to those who seek freedom beyond dogma and love beyond form. Each site in this Yātrā marks a living vibration of her journey, and of the vibrant spiritual traditions that shaped and supported her flowering.

This pilgrimage includes immersive daily satsangs and contemplative and initiatory practices with Saundaryāmbikā, interweaving Akka’s vachanas (sacred, pithy poetic teachings in Kannada, Saundaryāmbikā's native language), interwoven with the nondual teachings of Śākta and Śaiva traditions of Śrīvidyā and Kashmir Śaivism.

Together, we will explore Akka's vachanas, her defiance, her sweetness, and her ultimate merging with the divine, with glimpses of the teachings and sacred vibratory sites where Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat movement, lived, taught, practiced, and attained Mahāsamādhi (or aikya, in Kannada).

Sacred Sites Along the Yātrā

Optional Prelude: Srisailam

This is an add-on to the yātrā, where we visit the forests of Srisailam, and begin our journey where Akka Mahadevi’s journey completed. Srisailam is home to the Jyotirliṅga of Mallikārjuna Śiva and the Śakti Pīṭha of Brāhmarambā Devī. Akka is believed to have attained Mahāsamādhi or Aikya here, dissolving into oneness with her Beloved Chenna Mallikarjuna. The forested hills, the ancient river, and centuries of worship make Srisailam a potent gateway for the Yātrā. If you wish to join us here, there is an additional charge.

Basava Kalyana
“I have seen the great lord in all things – and now I see nothing else.”

Once the capital of the Kalyani Chalukyas, Basava Kalyana was transformed into a revolutionary center of mystical egalitarianism by Basavanna and his fellow saints. Here, the Anubhava Mantapa was established, a spiritual parliament that brought together seekers like Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi, and Channabasavanna. We visit these sites to honor the roots of the Lingayat movement and to meditate and practice in the highly charged spots that hold the energies of all these great mystics.

Kudalasangama

At the confluence of the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers, Kudalasangama is where Basavanna merged with Śiva in the form of Kudala Saṅgama Deva. The Aikya Mantapa commemorates his final union. Surrounded by flowing waters and open skies, this is a place to reflect on surrender, legacy, and divine absorption.

Hampi

“Better to roam the forest naked than decorate a body destined for the fire.”

The hauntingly beautiful ruins of Vijayanagara frame this ancient pilgrimage site. Hampi houses the Virupākṣa Temple, dedicated to Śiva as the consort of Pampa Devī. Other sacred spots include the Hemakuta Hill and Achyutarāya Temple. The landscape here speaks in stone and silence, where devotion and art once reigned as one. Here in Hampi, we will visit lesser known temples that effortlessly elevate the consciousness of seekers.

Udutadi

The birthplace of Akka Mahadevi, Udutadi is a quiet village where she is honored not just as a saint, but as the wild yoginī who walked away from palace life to find the Beloved in the forest. The temple and surrounding land invite stillness and a return to what is essential. Here, we have traced Akka's journey back to her roots, having explored her life and teachings along the way, opening to the next stage of the Yātrā.

Kollur – Mookāmbikā Temple

This temple in the foothills of the Western Ghats is dedicated to Mookāmbikā Devī, a fusion of Sarasvatī, Lakṣmī, and Durgā. Worshipped as the goddess of wisdom and sound, she is revered by Śākta, Śaiva, and Vedantic traditions alike. The sanctum has a deep tantric energy, and many saints, including Śaṅkara, are said to have had visions here. Here, we will immerse in the Śrīvidyā teachings and practices of Devī.

Śṛṅgeri

Established by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, Śṛṅgeri is the southern seat of Advaita Vedānta and home to the powerful Śāradā Devī temple. Nestled on the banks of the Tunga River, this place embodies Śakti as knowledge, clarity, and stillness. This is a sacred site of supreme importance in the Śrīvidyā tradition.

Horanadu and Kalasa

In the sacred valley of Horanadu, the temple of Annapūrṇeśvarī glows with the grace of nourishing Śakti. Pilgrims are offered meals and blessings without distinction. Nearby Kalasa is home to Kalaseshvara, a form of Śiva associated with sacred rivers and fertility. These spaces bring the earthy, life-sustaining aspects of the Divine Feminine into focus. The temple here in Horanadu is absolutely spectacular, and its memory will be etched forever in your heart.

Belur and Halebid

The temples of Cennakeśava in Belur and Hoysaleshvara in Halebid are some of the greatest examples of living sacred architecture in India. Every inch is carved with devas, devīs, yoginīs, dancers, and mythic stories. These are temples not just to be visited, but to be entered like yantras—each sculpture a door into divine rasa.

Chikkamagalur Region

We conclude in the green heart of Karnataka. Chikkamagalur is a place of repose, reflection, and inner integration. Surrounded by hills and coffee-scented air, we close the Yātrā in contemplation and shared silence.

Highlights of the Yātrā:

• Practices beginning long before yātra
  
• Immersion in profound Śaiva and Śākta philosophy and practice
• Hidden gems not usually included in any other itinerary (since Karnataka is where Saundaryāmbikā was born, raised, and initiated into the Lingayat tradition)
• Profound spiritual teachings and rituals with Saundaryāmbikā
• Retreat time for deep practices in high energy vortices

Who is this Yātrā for?

This Yātrā is for ALL sincere seekers who seek inner union.

Though inspired by the life of Akka Mahadevi, this pilgrimage is not only for women. It is open to all sincere seekers of truth, regardless of gender.

Akka’s path was one of radical surrender, fierce devotion, and fearless insight -  qualities that transcend gender or any other identity

Why This Yātrā is Unique

This Yātrā is not just a guided tour of sacred sites. Nor is it guided by academic knowledge. It is a deeply personal, living transmission of devotion, lineage, and intense inner work.

She walks the path of Śrīvidyā as a senior upāsikā, with additional initiation and empowerment in nondual Śaiva Tantra (Kashmir Shaivism). These lineages converge within her not as identities, but as the confluence of a single stream of wisdom and beauty.

What makes her path especially resonant is that she walks it as an Ekākinī in essence, while fully engaged in the world as a physician, wife, mother, and householder.

Her life is a living inquiry into what it means to burn with inner longing while tending to the responsibilities of daily life. This synthesis of outer commitment and inner fire offers a uniquely grounded and integrated gateway into the teachings of her lifelong ideal, Akka Mahadevi.

To walk this Yātrā with her is to enter a field woven from lived experience, initiation, scholarship, and love. What she offers is not just information, but a headlong immersion into core of the living tradition of Ekākinī.

Pic: Saundaryāmbikā worshiping her Ishta Linga.