Dharmalaya Institute is Earthville’s campus in the Himalayas. In this article, Dharmalaya’s assistant manager and architect Anushka Joshi shares about her experience of the impact of COVID-19 in the village.
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A stream of articles related to the lifestyles of people aspiring to improve themselves, their communities and our world.
Didi Contractor Receives India’s Highest Civilian Honor for Women
On International Women’s Day of 2019, Didi Contractor, co-founding Professor Emeritus of the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture at Dharmalaya Institute, was presented with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian honor recognizing women who have made great contributions to India. The award was presented by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
Dharmalaya Institute’s Autumn 2018 Season Begins with Reflections on Compassion
After the invigorating monsoon season, autumn is a natural time for reflective engagement as we return outdoors to work with the earth. Dharmalaya Institute’s autumn 2018 program season began with a five-day silent meditation retreat, led by mindfulness trainer Ellen van Iersel from the Netherlands, which set a contemplative tone. We then welcomed a lovely […]
Didi Contractor Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Didi Contractor, a celebrated earthen architect and co-founding Professor Emeritus of the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture at Dharmalaya Institute (a project of the Earthville Network in the Indian Himalayas), was honored with WADe Asia’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in natural building in the Himalayas, which has inspired countless architects in India and beyond.
Film on Earthen Building Featuring Earthville Project Debuts at DIFF
After years in the making, a new feature-length documentary film entitled “Didi Contractor: Marrying the Earth to the Building” premiered at the 2016 Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) in India. Directed by Steffi Giaracuni of Switzerland, the film explores the life and work of acclaimed earthen architect (and artist and designer) Didi Contractor, whom some […]
Putting Meditation into Action in the Himalayas
Last month, friends new and old from all corners of the globe (five continents!) came to Dharmalaya to participate in our fourth annual SanghaSeva retreats at Dharmalaya. As usual, we were feeling like family by the end, and mountains were moved — both outside and in.
New Season of Service-Learning Programs in the Himalayas
After an unprecedented four-and-a-half-month monsoon, the Dharmalaya Institute in the Indian Himalayas is reopening its brand-new (and still-to-be-varnished) doors to volunteers, students, and interns, with a series of volunteer, service-learning, and retreat programs spanning the next eight months.
ACTION: Ask US Senators for Prudent Regulation of Monsanto
A majority of US Citizens want mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods, but the US government is letting the fox run the henhouse. You can help!
Parallel Paths to Peace: A Libya-Tibet Nexus in Switzerland
By chance, world leaders and I are in Geneva today, on peace missions of different sorts. Events of the past two weeks spur reflection on the ways in which their big mission and my little one intersect.
ACTION: Tell the US FDA: GMOs Are Not “Natural”
Some food companies have begun selling food products that are labeled as “natural” despite the fact that they contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients.