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.

All of these programs are open to the public and most are offered on a donation basis.

November 1-30, 2013: Sustainable Living in the Himalayas, a one-month service-learning program providing hands-on training in eco-friendly earthen building (adobe, stone, and bamboo), organic gardening, natural landscaping, and an optional meditation program.  › more

December 1, 2013, through March 15, 2014: Open Volunteer Period, offering informal volunteer opportunities to both residential and non-residential participants.  › more

March 17-24, 2014: Silent meditation retreat led by Zohar Lavie and Nathan Glyde of SanghaSeva. Simple accommodation in tents/dormitory in a beautiful Himalayan setting.  › more

March 25 to April 4, 2014: Sustainable Living Work Retreat with SanghaSeva and the Dharmalaya faculty. Residential service-learning retreat program combining meditation with volunteer work doing green building, organic gardening, and other forms of karma yoga.  › more

April 5 to May 9, 2014: Open Volunteer Period, offering informal volunteer opportunities to both residential and non-residential participants.  Details TBA and subject to change

May 10 to June 10, 2014:  Sustainable Living in the Himalayas, a one-month service-learning program providing hands-on training in eco-friendly earthen building (adobe, stone, and bamboo), organic gardening, natural landscaping, and an optional meditation program. Details TBA and subject to change

In addition to these programs, Dharmalaya’s ongoing Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture will continue throughout the year.

About Dharmalaya

The Dharmalaya Institute is a “campus for compassionate living” and an experiential education project of the Earthville Network. Dharmalaya’s programs offer precious opportunities for participants to explore inner and outer sustainability while enjoying the magic of its eco-campus in a pristine Himalayan village surrounded by forest, with views of the Himalayan snow peaks and the plains of India.

To stay in the loop with the Dharmalaya Institute’s programs and events, you can follow the Dharmalaya calendar at http://dharmalaya.in/events/.