Photos show the Kerala region. See the retreat's own site for its rooms and grounds.
Cheriyanad, near Chengannur, Kerala
Dhamma Ketana (Kerala Vipassana Centre)
Ten days of silent Vipassana among Alappuzha paddy fields
Details checked on the official site, October 2026 · We never take bookings or commissions
Dhamma Ketana is Kerala's first Vipassana meditation centre, on a semi-forested five-acre plot at Cheriyanad near Chengannur. It runs 10-day silent courses in the S.N. Goenka tradition, with food and lodging provided free and costs met by donations from past students.
Kerala's first Vipassana meditation centre
Semi-forested 5-acre site backing onto paddy fields and coconut groves
Courses in the S.N. Goenka tradition, free of charge
Free
donation-based
- Stay
- Meals
- Meditation
10-day course incl. food and lodging; donations accepted only from past students
Courses here are free or by donation. Never pay an agent or another website to book.
Indicative. Checked on the official site, October 2026.
Before you book
Arrival
Fixed course dates only
Couples
Couples stay separately
Phones
Phones handed in
Food
Vegetarian food
Booking
Apply on their site
Taxes
Not stated: ask the retreat
Great for
- deep practice
- digital detox
- budget travellers
- spiritual seekers
Maybe not for
- Anyone wanting private luxury or room service
- Short breaks: the minimum is 11 nights
- Anyone who needs to stay reachable by phone
Good to know before you go
- Apply online for a specific course date; busy dates go to a wait list
- Noble silence, no phones and full attendance for the whole course
- Arrive on the first afternoon; the course ends on the morning of day 11
Programs & stays
Rooms: Simple centre accommodation; men and women are housed separately during courses
Program names and lengths change. Check the retreat's calendar for current dates.
When to go
Best Oct–Feb. Courses run year-round; Nov–Feb is the most comfortable, Mar–May is hot and Jun–Sep is monsoon
- Winter · Dec–Feb
- Post-monsoon · Oct–Nov
Getting there
Nearest airportKochi (COK) or Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), about 3 hr by road
By trainChengannur, ~8 km
- ~570 km from Bengaluru, best to fly
- ~790 km from Chennai, best to fly
- ~1,240 km from Hyderabad, best to fly
- ~1,560 km from Mumbai, best to fly
Researched from the retreat's official website and public sources. Details change, so confirm prices, dates and policies with Dhamma Ketana (Kerala Vipassana Centre) before booking.
- Photo: Arjun MJ, Unsplash
- Photo: Manas Nandurkar, Unsplash
- Photo: Vivek Kumar, Unsplash
- Photo: Swastik Arora, Unsplash
Run Dhamma Ketana (Kerala Vipassana Centre)? Claim this listing to correct details and answer questions as the official team.
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