In 1958 and 1972, Swami Kriyananda (a close and direct disciple of the great Indian spiritual master Paramhansa Yogananda—author of Autobiography of a Yogi) traveled to India, meeting a number of great saints in that distant land and writing about his experiences in a series of letters to spiritual friends, and brother and sister disciples. This book captures the spirit of Yogananda's classic autobiography and other enlightening accounts of sacred experiences in the East. In Visits to Saints of India we walk alongside Kriyananda and see India and its spiritual representatives through his eyes—the eyes of an advanced Western yogi and truth seeker. As Kriyananda wrote in the prologue to this book: India! Land of great saints and yogis. One has only to set foot on that sacred ground, if he is sensitive, to feel the blessings rising up therefrom. Fittingly did Paramhansa Yogananda end his life with the last words of his poem, “My India”: “I am hallowed. My body touched that sod.”

In this book, Sri Mrinalini Mata, president of Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, recounts her experiences of traveling with Sri Daya Mata during a trip to India in 1961. Sri Mrinalini Mata's experiences in India were truly remarkable, for she not only came in contact with two of India's most revered twentieth-century saints Sri Anandamoyi Ma and Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath but she also was night and day in the presence of Daya Mata, who today is widely revered as a saint herself. There are more than 40 color and sepia tone images in this beautifully presented book. Many of the photos were taken by Sri Ananda Mata, sister of Sri Daya Mata, and also by Mrinalini Mata herself. As 2017 marks the centennial of Paramahansa Yogananda's work in India, it is a fitting occasion to bring out this inspiring account for the first time in book form.

In 1958 and 1972, Swami Kriyananda (a close disciple of the great yoga master Paramhansa Yogananda--author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi) traveled to India, meeting a number of great saints and writing about his experiences in a series of letters to spiritual friends. In Visits to Saints of India, we walk alongside Kriyananda and see India and its spiritual representatives through his eyes--the eyes of an advanced Western yogi and truth-seeker.

Here is a timeless collection of traditional stories that recount the personal spiritual journeys and true acts of selflessness by saints from various religious traditions indigenous to India, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Sufism. The authors present a diverse selection of these inspirational tales—about both men and women saints, from a variety of time periods, and from all over India—and make them relevant for a modern audience. The stories reveal that, despite their perceived differences, the same spiritual principles underlie all the great religious traditions.

This book takes us along on a search for the feminine face of God. We travel with Linda Johnsen for a fascinating investigation of the great women saints of India who manifest the divine in their lives. Together with her we comb the scriptures, meet the holy ones, and are led, step by step, to sit in awe at the feet of six remarkable, contemporary women.