Over 400 prticipants join meditation and self-realization programs over seven days
KATHMANDU, MAY 20
A seven-day residential spiritual retreat led by Samarthguru Siddharth Aulia concluded this week, drawing more than 400 participants from across Nepal. Held in two phases in Kathmandu (May 12–14) and Pokhara (May 15–17), the event featured sessions on meditation, self-realization, and love-based awareness.
The Kathmandu session, held at Hotel Himalaya, coincided with Buddha Purnima and centered on themes such as Dhyan Yog (blissful life through self-realization) and Dharma Dristi (vision of truth). Over 350 individuals attended the three-day retreat, which included guided meditations, discussions, and the presentation of the Ananda Upanishad, a spiritual text authored by Samarthguru based on his teachings, informed Manju Sharma, President and National Co-ordinator at the Samarthguru Sangh Nepal.
"Ananda is not just a fleeting pleasure," he shared. "It is the very foundation of your being - beyond fear and change."
The second leg of the retreat was conducted at Hotel Mount Glory in Pokhara under the title PREM Pragya. It brought together around 150 participants for sessions exploring love as a foundational human experience, through meditation, sound healing, and interactive discussions.
"What is PREM?" Samarthguru asked - not just as a question, but as an invitation to transformation. The retreat also included an overnight stay in Sarankot, offering participants a reflective setting amid natural surroundings.
"True spirituality does not reject the world," he said. "It embraces it, transforms it, and lives it - consciously, joyfully, lovingly."
Participants visited Fewa Lake and Devi's Falls as part of the program, aimed at connecting inner silence with the external environment. The final session was held at Dwarika's Hotel in Kathmandu, concluding the retreat with a group reflection and closing remarks.
Organizers called the back-to-back retreats a rare spiritual phenomenon - a fusion of dharma and love, stillness and celebration, truth and transformation.
A participant described the retreat as "a movement" and added, "It's not about becoming new; it's about remembering who we truly are - in love, truth, and presence," according to a statement from the organizers.
Speaking at the end of the retreat, Sharma shared plans to continue such initiatives. "We are committed to expanding access to Yog and Pragya programs across Nepal," Sharma said. "Level 3 Nirati Yog and Mangal Pragya sessions will be announced soon."
