Every journey begins long before the first step is taken.
Questioning what we know, what we carry and what asks to change. The Wander traces the path behind what made the Girl go in search of The Goddess. A movement across continents, traditions, and inner landscapes. What began as a personal search gradually unfolded into encounters, questions, and transformations that would shape the film itself.
Follow the places, teachings, and moments that marked Priyanka’s passage through uncertainty, healing, and discovery.
Before we wander, we wonder.
Wander unfolds through places that became teachers in themselves — each encounter leaving a mark on both the film and the person behind it.
Peru
Listening to knowledge carried through sound, ritual, and memory.
Himalayas
Returning to stillness, where the body becomes the first teacher.
Nepal
Questioning the mind and the stories it learns to believe.
Studies and Practice
Searching for healing where ancient systems meet lived experience.
The journey is the film, told through stories, reflections, and conversations.
Every journey leaves traces beyond the film.
Wander unfolds through places that became teachers in themselves — each encounter leaving a mark on both the film and the person behind it.
As The Girl With The Goddess travels across India, this journal follows the places, people and traditions that shape its story. It is a glimpse behind the scenes, but also beyond them, into living cultures, sacred landscapes, enduring rituals and the authentic flavours that define each region through indigenous ingredients, local recipes and centuries-old culinary traditions.
Consider this an invitation to travel alongside the journey of The Girl With The Goddess, discovering the many layers of India that often remain unseen.
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Rishikesh
Where the River Remembers
At the foothills of the Himalayas, where the sacred Ganges begins her journey towards the plains, lies Rishikesh, a place that has drawn seekers, sages and pilgrims for centuries.
Here, the river is not simply a landscape. She is a presence. Every morning, as the first light touches the water, the banks awaken with prayers, meditation and the quiet rituals of devotion. The rhythm of life follows a different pace, one shaped by ancient practices, the changing seasons, and a deep reverence for nature.
Known as the birthplace of yoga as a global movement, Rishikesh remains rooted in something much older than the modern search for wellness. Its ashrams, temples and forest pathways carry the memory of generations who came here seeking knowledge, clarity and connection.
A journey to Rishikesh is an invitation to listen, to the river, to the mountains and perhaps most importantly, to the quieter voice within ourselves.
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Mysore
The Art of Devotion Through Practice
There is a particular kind of beauty in repetition.
In Mysore, practice is not simply something one does, it is a way of living. The city has long been a centre of learning, craftsmanship and devotion and is recognised around the world as the home of Ashtanga Yoga. A place deeply connected to Sri Vidya and inner study. A spiritual anchor in South India.
Yet beyond the yoga shalas, Mysore reveals itself through everyday rituals: the morning flower markets overflowing with jasmine and marigolds, the scent of sandalwood drifting through the streets, the intricate work of artisans and the graceful architecture of its palaces and temples.
Here, discipline is not about restriction. It is about devotion. The patient cultivation of presence through small, meaningful acts repeated over time.
Mysore reminds us that transformation rarely arrives suddenly. More often, it is created quietly, one breath, one gesture, one day at a time.
Places:
Chamundi Hill Temple - At the top of the hill stands the Chamundeshwari Temple. A space of protection, power and devotion. Come Early. Walk slowly. Feel the stillness.
Devaraja market - Flowers, incense, offerings. A living ritual of colour and scent. Perfect for capturing the spirit of the city.
What to Buy and Where - Silk scarves and sandalwood. Fresh flowers and local offerings. Traditional South Indian meals, simple, soulful and nourishing.
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Dharamshala
Where the Mountains Teach Stillness
High in the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by cedar forests and mountain mist, Dharamshala carries a unique energy, one shaped by both ancient wisdom and the resilience of a people who have rebuilt their lives far from their homeland.
Home to the Tibetan community in exile, the region has become a place of contemplation, compassion and cultural preservation. Monasteries sit quietly among the hills, prayer flags move with the mountain winds and the sound of chanting rises from spaces dedicated to reflection and learning.
Dharamshala invites a different kind of travel. One that asks us not to consume an experience but to be present within it.
Among the mountains, time seems to soften. The landscape encourages stillness and stillness creates space, for listening, for reflection and for a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between all beings.
Places:
Dalai Lama Temple Mcleodganj
Stupa
Dharamkot
Flagpoint
Dharamkot
Where to Eat - Bodhi Greens, Sunset Cafe Gallu, Chonor House, The Other Space
Best Trails - Gallu waterfall, Triund, Supa in Dharamkot, Naddi
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Kathmandu
Between Earth and Sky
Kathmandu has always existed between worlds: a city where ancient temples rise beside bustling streets and where Hindu and Buddhist traditions continue to shape everyday life.
The Kathmandu Valley is a living archive of devotion, where sacred stupas, courtyards and temples remain places of prayer, gathering and connection. From intricate craftsmanship and centuries-old architecture to quiet moments of worship, the city reveals a culture where spirituality is woven into daily existence.
A highlight of the journey was Pashupatinath, one of Nepal’s most sacred temples, along with the many stupas and the tantric temple routes that reveal Kathmandu’s deeper spiritual layers.
Where to stay and eat - Dwarika’s Hotel: a beautiful reflection of Nepalese heritage, with focus on fresh, local and organic cuisine. The food is wholesome, rooted in tradition and deeply connected to the land.
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Ladakh
The Landscape of Silence
At the edge of the Himalayas, where vast deserts meet snow-covered peaks, Ladakh feels almost otherworldly. Often called the "Land of High Passes," it is a place of striking contrasts. Rugged mountains softened by wildflowers, ancient stupas scattered across the landscape and skies that become a new canvas every morning.
The wisdom of Ladakh extends beyond its monasteries. It lives in the simplicity of village life, where many families still grow their own barley, wheat and vegetables and in a cuisine shaped by both Tibet and Kashmir. Discover local ingredients such as apricots, apples and vitamin-rich seabuckthorn, alongside nourishing staples like momos, soups and traditional barley dishes.
In Ladakh, silence becomes part of the experience. Its vast landscapes invite stillness, while its people, traditions and deep connection to the land offer a quiet reminder that the simplest ways of living often hold the greatest wisdom.
Places:
Where to stay - The Postcard in the Himalayas, Leh: a peaceful retreat where nature slows the pace and true rest comes effortlessly. Dolkhar, Leh: a beautiful boutique stay with tranquil gardens, exceptional hospitality and outstanding local cuisine.
Where to eat - Namza, Leh: one of the best places to experience authentic Ladakhi cuisine. Alchi Kitchen, Alchi: led by Nilza, a pioneer in reimagining indigenous Ladakhi recipes, blending tradition with contemporary flavours. Don't miss the signature khambir pockets.
Local treasures - Pashmina, handcrafted brass spoons, herbal remedies for skin and immunity, apricot kernel oils and seabuckthorn skincare are among the region's most treasured local crafts and ingredients.
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![Young monks praying with hands in a prayer position, with their eyes closed or looking downward, inside a temple or religious setting.]()
Kathmandu, Nepal
AUGUST 2022
The rupture had already happened. Kathmandu was not an escape — it was a crossing. Between the life she had built and the one she could no longer ignore.
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![Two women outdoors with mountains and trees in the background. One woman is holding a tray and the other woman is serving herself food.]()
Pokhara, Nepal
AUGUST 2022
Stillness by the water. The mountains did not offer answers, only silence wide enough to hold the questions.
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![Traditional Indian religious setup with colorful rangoli designs, incense, floral offerings, candles, and a framed photograph, likely for a shrine or ceremony.]()
Haridwar, India
DECEMBER 2022
On the banks of the Ganges, devotion became visible. Fire rituals, chants, surrender — the sacred no longer abstract, but embodied.
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![Person transferring a small object, possibly a gift or offering, to another person's hand during a religious or spiritual ceremony, with flower petal decorations and traditional items on a tray.]()
Rishikesh, India
MARCH 2023
Where seekers gather. Where discipline meets longing. Where the self begins to unravel under the weight of practice.
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![A girl in pink clothes walking down a stone pathway toward an ornate archway, with old temple structures and trees on either side, in a peaceful outdoor setting.]()
Karnataka
OCTOBER 2023
A pilgrimage through temples, goddesses, and ancient symbolism. Not tourism — initiation.
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![Three women are performing a traditional ritual or prayer outdoors under a large tree with hanging bells. They are leaning over a surface with a black statue or figure in the background surrounded by leaves and stones.]()
Auroville
OCTOBER 2023
Nine nights. Nine faces of the feminine. A confrontation with power, destruction, and grace.
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![Two women walking through a lush garden towards a historic monument, the Taj Mahal, in India.]()
Mumbai & Delhi
OCTOBER 2023
From chaos to mountains. From noise to stillness. The journey tightening inward.
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![A Buddhist monk in maroon robes sitting inside a temple surrounded by colorful textiles, flowers, and traditional decorations.]()
Dharamshala
DECEMBER 2023
Meeting Rinpoche. Healing not as comfort, but as exposure. The cold stripping illusion.
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![A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a multicolored sweater and light blue jeans, stands on a forest trail surrounded by trees and bushes.]()
Dharamshala
NOVEMBER 2025
Return. Not to repeat — but to witness who has changed.
About Priyanka
Priyanka Lugani’s life is defined by the intersection of wandering and wisdom. Born in Scotland, raised in Germany, and shaped by years across Europe, the Middle East, the Himalayas and India, her journey has always been one of deep inquiry rather than mere movement. These cultures and spiritual lineages guide her exploration of devotion in a modern world, where ancient wisdom is not nostalgia, but a living guide for contemporary life.
As a documentary filmmaker and cultural thinker, she is the creator of The Girl with the Goddess, a documentary series born from years of spiritual practice and research into Tantra, the Vedas, the Upanishads and India’s sacred landscapes. Moving beyond sensationalism, Priyanka reframes these traditions as a sacred science rooted in presence, surrender and self-realization.
Neither an outsider documenting belief nor a preacher asserting answers, Priyanka positions herself as a seeker. Her wider work, including Alma Kids and PARDĀ, continues this inquiry into healing, consciousness and social change, while The Girl with the Goddess remains the spiritual centre of her search: a bridge between the ancient and the modern, the body and the soul, the self and the sacred.