Camp Miri Piri location, transportation and accommodations

Location

Camp Miri Piri takes place on the beautiful grounds of Hacienda de Guru Ram Das Ashram (HGRD) and the Dasam Darbar in the heart of northern New Mexico’s Rio Grande River Valley, between Santa Fe and Taos. New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment” for its unique, natural beauty (see more about New Mexico below).

HGRD is a vibrant spiritual community of about 350 people living in Northern New Mexico just outside the city of Española. While many of the members of the community practice Sikh and 3HO lifestyles, the ashram welcomes all faiths in the philosophy that an ashram is a place where spiritual seekers join together to study, grow and excel.

The ashram was founded by Yogi Bhajan in 1970. He named it the Mother Ashram with the vision of it being place where people could come to experience spiritual growth and individual, community and planetary healing.

The name Hacienda de Guru Ram Das means “home of the wisdom of service to all” It merges the local Hispanic word for “large home” with the name of a 16th century saint from India, known as Guru Ram Das, whose teachings of service with humility are a guiding light to the community.

Hacienda de Guru Ram Das is also the home of the beautiful gold domed Siri Singhasan e Khalsa Gurdwara.

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Travel

When booking your travel arrangements, the closest airports are Albuquerque, NM (ABQ) or Santa Fe, NM (SAF). The camp is located in Española, NM. Albuquerque is 1.5 hours away and Santa Fe is 30 minutes away. Generally, there are more flight options and they tend to be cheaper coming into Albuquerque, but more flights have become available at the Santa Fe airport recently, so check on availability at both airports.

Camp programming begins on Friday, June 12th, so morning travel is best in order to arrive in Española, NM and get settled before the Welcome Dinner. You may also wish to arrive the day before in order to have some extra time to acclimate.

Camp ends with a special dinner and a visit up the mountain to Ram Das Puri, home of the annual Summer Solstice Celebration. It will be best to make your travel plans to leave the following morning, Wednesday, June 17th. You may also wish to extend your stay to experience the Summer Solstice Sadhana, or to take in some of the beauty and culture of New Mexico (see the “Enjoy New Mexico” section below for more details).

If you have questions about your travel plans, feel free to contact us at: [email protected].

Here are options for ways to get from the airport to Española:

Car Rental

The CMP site is rural, so for maximum flexibility in your travel, it is most convenient to rent a car at the airport. If you’re interested, we can also try to pair you up with other CMP participants arriving at a similar time, so you can share the cost of a rental car with each other.

Shuttle from Albuquerque Airport to Santa Fe

There is a shuttle via Groome Transportation which can pick you up from the Albuquerque airport (1 1/2 hours from the camp site in Española) and bring you to Santa Fe (30 minutes from the camp site in Española) You can make a reservation online with Groome Transportation or call them toll free at 888-775-5696 or at 505-474-5696. If you choose this shuttle option, contact us about arranging a ride from Santa Fe to Española.

Yogi Mobile

If you’re arriving at an odd time and it’s not convenient to take the Sandia Shuttle, you can try Doug French. Doug is an individual who has provided shuttle services for several years to people attending 3HO, KRI and Sikh Dharma events like summer solstices, camps and courses in New Mexico and winter solstices in Florida. He is an individual service provider who loves helping out at these events, but is not officially affiliated with any organization.

For a ride from the Albuquerque airport to the Camp Miri Piri site, the rate is $30 per person each way for two or more, or $60 for a solo run. If you would like to schedule a ride with the Yogi Mobile, you may call Doug at 231-492-6951 or email him at [email protected] to make arrangements for him to pick you up.

Train

Rail Runner Express is a beautiful train ride from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, with free shuttle from the airport to the train station. Tickets are $10 one way. More information about the train can be found here. If you choose this option, contact us about arranging a ride from Santa Fe to Española.

Please contact OngKar Kaur, the Camp Director, at (505) 629-1562 (extension #4) if you have any further travel questions or if you need to contact someone during your travels.

Accommodations

The cost of accommodations is separate from the basic CMP tuition. Here are the options for lodging:

Nivas Housing On Site: The recommended accommodation option is Nivas housing at the site of our CMP campus. When you stay in a nivas, you will be closest to all of the CMP activities and it is convenient to take a quick shower or rest during the busy schedule. There are separate nivas offerings for women and men or couples/families. The nivas’ are comfortable and convenient and less expensive than nearby hotels. You also do not need a vehicle, since the nivas’ are within walking distance to all of the CMP activities. Cost ranges from $35 to $60 per night depending on single, double or triple occupancy. When registering, you may choose and pay for this option. Click here to see more about these accommodations.
Staying with community members: If you know people in the local sangat, you may wish to stay with them during your visit. If you do not know anyone locally, but would like to stay with a community member, let us know and we will assist you with finding a place. (It is customary to make a nominal offering to your host family for their hospitality, TBD upon discussion with your host). In some cases, your host may live within walking distance; others live farther away and you may need a vehicle to ensure you can get to the CMP activities.
Hotel: You may also stay in a hotel, although the Nivas’ are quite comfortable and a preferable location for ease of participation in all activities. Note: if you choose to stay in a hotel, you will need a vehicle since the hotels are not within walking distance to the CMP activities. Pricing varies depending on the hotel. Click here for a link to some of the hotels nearby.

If you have any questions about accommodations, please contact [email protected] or (505) 629-1562 (extension #4).

Things You Need to Know

Things to Bring

(if staying in a nivas), bath towels (bed linens are provided, but not towels)
Comfortable clothing for physical activity (mornings and evenings can be chilly; during the day, it can be quite hot)
Clothing to wear at gurdwara
Comfortable walking shoes
Light jacket, shawl, etc. (it can get chilly in the evenings)
Head coverings (to wear in gurdwara and while reciting banis, etc.)
Visor or hat for protection from the sun
Sunscreen
WATER BOTTLES (mark with your name– guaranteed, you’ll leave it somewhere and this can help get it back to you!). Water will be provided for you to refill your bottles. You will need to make sure you drink a lot of water (see acclimation info below)
Yoga mat and/or sheep skin/pillow to use for sitting on the floor while doing yoga, meditation and reading banis. (There are some yoga mats available onsite, but no guarantee that there will be enough for everyone).
TOWELS (if you are staying in the nivas housing, towels are not provided, so please bring bath towels with you)

Acclimation

It often takes two to three days to acclimate to the high desert environment. It is very important for you to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration. Carry your water bottle around with you everywhere. There is filtered water available in the Nivas houses and Sadhana Nivas to refill your water bottle. The temperature during the day is usually warm, in the high 80s and low 90s F (28-35C). In the evenings, the temperature cools down to low 50s and 60s F (15-20C).

HGRD Ashram Rules

With the exception of married couples and families, separate facilities are provided for men and women
Camp Miri Piri is for adults 18 years and older; 13-17 year old participants are welcome if accompanied by a parent
No drugs, smoking or alcohol are allowed
This is a vegetarian environment, so no meat please
No pets are allowed
Vehicles must be parked in designated areas only

Enjoy the Enchantment of New Mexico

PLAN TO STAY A LITTLE LONGER!

New Mexico is called the “Land of Enchantment”. The desert landscape is quite unique and enticingly beautiful. The sky is very expansive and the sunrises and sunsets are amazing. It is not uncommon to see full double rainbows (if you’re lucky enough to be around during one of the rare rains!)

Directly after Camp Miri Piri is a beautiful spiritual event, the Summer Solstice Sadhana, held in the desert mountains just outside of Espanola on the deeply healing land of Ram Das Puri. Sikhs, yogis and seekers of all types look forward to this all year long and fly from every part of the globe to attend. It is a once in a lifetime experience and we encourage everyone to check it out! International Peace Prayer Day is celebrated at the event on Saturday June 20th; it is an all day free program. On Sunday June 18th, there is a large Gurdwara program with over 1,000 people in attendance and often a wedding! Each day there is a group Sadhana with over 1,000 people reciting Japji together, chanting, yoga and a Gurdwara program. Throughout the course of the event there are two Akand Paths, two Nagar Kirtans, and a Ransabhai on the last night. If you are looking for something to do between the end of camp and start of these events there are many amazing places to visit close by, such as the arts community of Taos, NM, Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest, the famous Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Santa Fe, and the city of Santa Fe itself.