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Photos show the Central & East India region. See the retreat's own site for its rooms and grounds.

Thanod, near Durg, Chhattisgarh

Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre

Name: 3-day course for old students (boys), Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre
Start: 2026-12-25
End: 2026-12-28
Location: Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre

Free 10-day silent Vipassana courses near Durg-Bhilai

Retreat centre
Meditation
Silent retreat
Spiritual
Countryside
Riverside

Details checked on the official site, October 2026. We never take bookings or commissions.

More in Chhattisgarh More meditation retreats

A Goenka-tradition Vipassana centre at Thanod village near the Shivnath river, about 10 km from Durg and 40 km from Raipur. It has run free residential 10-day silent courses since 1994, in Hindi and English, supported by donations from earlier students.

Our take · editors' note

Suits: Suits Hindi speakers in Chhattisgarh wanting a strict 10-day silent course near Durg and Raipur.
Maybe not for: Not for anyone who wants to keep their phone, needs non-vegetarian food, or can’t stay for all 12 days.

Written by RetreatAdvisors editors from the retreat's official information, October 2026. Not a guest review, and nobody paid for it.

Great for

deep practice
spiritual seekers
digital detox

Maybe not for

Short breaks (11-night minimum)
Staying reachable by phone

One of the older centres in the region, running courses since 1994
Near the Shivnath river, about 10 km from Durg on the Rajnandgaon road
About 40 km from Raipur

Reviews elsewhereGoogle Maps

Price and dates

Free

donation-based

Stay
Meals
Meditation

10-day course is free incl. food and lodging; only past students may donate

Courses here are free or by donation. Never pay an agent or another website to book.

Indicative. Checked on the official site, October 2026.

Fixed course dates · apply on their site

10-day Vipassana course11 nights
3-day course (old students)3 nights
Teenager course (June)8 nights

Rooms: Simple residential rooms; men and women housed separately

Programme names and lengths change. Check the retreat's calendar for current dates.

Practical facts

Classes in · Women

Classes in
Hindi, English
Women
Women are asked to bring a dupatta; men and women are fully separated

Upcoming dates

All dates in the calendar

Nov11
10-day Vipassana course
Open
11–22 Nov · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Nov25
10-day Vipassana course
Open
25 Nov – 6 Dec · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Dec9
10-day Vipassana course
Open
9–20 Dec · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Dec25
3-day course for old students (boys)
Open
25–28 Dec · 3 nights
Hindi, English
Open

All dates in the calendar Official schedule

From Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre's published schedule, checked October 2026. Open, full and wait-list labels are as of October 2026; after three weeks we show “Check site” instead. Dates change: confirm on the official site before you plan travel.

A typical day

4:00 am wake-up bell … 9:30 pm lights out

4:00 amWake-up bell
4:30 amMeditation in the hall or your room
6:30 amBreakfast and rest
8:00 amGroup meditation in the hall
9:00 amMeditation as the teacher directs
11:00 amLunch, then rest; teacher interviews at noon
1:00 pmMeditation in the hall or your room
2:30 pmGroup meditation in the hall
3:30 pmMeditation as the teacher directs
5:00 pmTea break (fruit for new students)
6:00 pmGroup meditation in the hall
7:00 pmRecorded evening discourse by S.N. Goenka
8:15 pmGroup meditation, then questions until 9:30
9:30 pmLights out

As the retreat describes it. Schedules change with the season and the programme.

What's included

Included

Course teaching at no charge
Lodging for the whole course
Simple vegetarian meals

When to go

Best Nov–Feb. Nov–Feb is dry and cool; Apr–Jun is very hot; Jul–Sep is monsoon

Winter · Dec–Feb

Weather by month

13° to 41°C through the year · wettest in July

Average daily high and low (°C) and rain for the month (mm).

Best monthsRain: dry to very wetHighs: cool to hot

Long-term averages (1981–2010) for the area around Thanod, near Durg, on a grid of about 1 km; any one year can differ. Data: CHELSA V2.1 (Karger et al., 2017), CC0.

Getting there

Nearest airport
Raipur (RPR), ~1.25 hr drive (about 55 km)
By train
Durg Jn, ~25 min drive (about 11 km)
From big cities
- ~680 km from Hyderabad, best to fly
- ~1,020 km from Kolkata, best to fly
- ~1,220 km from Mumbai, best to fly

From your town

See the drive, the nearest airports and the easiest way to get to Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre from where you live. The trip estimate below uses it too.

Estimate your trip

Free or by donation: just the travel to plan

Nights

People

Stay at Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre: Free · donation of your choice

Rough estimate from the published starting price; set your town in “From your town” above to add the drive. Rooms, seasons and programmes change the total; Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre's own quote is final.

Before you book

Arrival
Fixed course dates only
Couples
Couples stay separately
Phones
Phones handed in
Food
Vegetarian food
Booking
Apply on their site

Not stated on their site: taxes. Ask the retreat before you book.

Good to know

Apply online through the dhamma.org schedule; confirm by email once accepted
Phones and valuables are handed in for the whole course
Instructions are in Hindi and English

What to pack

8 things the retreat asks you to bring, plus 1 tips

The retreat asks you to bring

Watch or clock
Torch
Water bottle
Umbrella in the rainy season
Toiletries, detergent and clothes clips
Regular medicines (check expiry dates)
Dupatta or stole for women (required)
Loose, modest clothes (no tights, leggings, shorts or three-quarters)

Also useful

General tips for the setting and the months people go, not from the retreat.

Quick-dry clothes and sandals for the riverside

Tick things off as you pack. Nothing here is saved.

Day, inclusions, packing and facts from Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre's official information, checked October 2026: ketu.dhamma.org/direction.html, dhamma.org/en/schedules/schketu, dhamma.org/en/about/code. Ask them if anything matters for your stay.

Read before you go

Contact Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre

Ask about dates, rooms and programmes directly. They take bookings themselves; nothing passes through us.

Call +91 99077 55013 Email

Courses here are by application

Apply on their official site; they confirm a place by email. Please don't send them booking enquiries.

Apply on their site

Centre: +91 99077 55013
Email: info.ketu@vridhamma.org

From Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre's official website, checked Oct 2026.Their contact page

Questions people ask

How much does a stay at Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre cost?

Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre doesn't charge a fixed fee; it runs on donations. 10-day course is free incl. food and lodging; only past students may donate.

What's included in the price?

The official site lists: Course teaching at no charge; Lodging for the whole course; Simple vegetarian meals.

What's the minimum stay?

Stays follow fixed course dates, and the shortest is 11 nights.

When is the best time to visit Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre?

The best months are Nov–Feb. Nov–Feb is dry and cool; Apr–Jun is very hot; Jul–Sep is monsoon.

7 more questions

How do I get to Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre?

Nearest airport: Raipur (RPR), ~1.25 hr drive (about 55 km). By train: Durg Jn, ~25 min drive (about 11 km). Times are rough estimates by road.

Can couples stay together?

No. Couples stay in separate rooms at Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre.

Can I use my phone?

Phones are handed in at Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre, so plan to be unreachable during your stay.

What food is served?

The food is vegetarian.

How do I book Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre?

You book directly with Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre, by applying on their official website. Courses run on fixed dates, so check their calendar first. RetreatAdvisors doesn't take bookings or commissions.

What should women travellers know?

Women are asked to bring a dupatta; men and women are fully separated.

What language are classes in?

Classes are taught in Hindi and English.

Answered from our research on Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre's official information. Details change, so confirm prices, dates and policies with them before you book.

Researched from the retreat's official website and public sources. Details change, so confirm prices, dates and policies with Dhamma Ketu Vipassana Meditation Centre before booking.

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