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

Bharari, about 23 km from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre

Name: 10-day Vipassana course, Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre
Start: 2026-12-10
End: 2026-12-21
Location: Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre

Free 10-day silent Vipassana courses near Bilaspur

Retreat centre
Meditation
Silent retreat
Spiritual
Countryside

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 Bharari village, about 23 km from Bilaspur and 8 km from Kargi Road station. It runs free residential 10-day silent courses in Hindi and English for about 60 students, funded by donations from earlier students.

Our take · editors' note

Suits: Suits adults aged 20 or over in Chhattisgarh who want a free 10-day Vipassana course in Hindi and English at a small centre near Bilaspur.
Maybe not for: Not for anyone under 20 on current 10-day dates, or wanting phones, talking or a flexible schedule; the centre holds only about 60 students.

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

Rural centre about 23 km from Bilaspur, running courses since 2011
Courses roughly every two weeks through the winter
Instructions in Hindi and English

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

Rooms: Residences for about 40 men and 20 women

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

Practical facts

Classes in · Women · Age

Classes in
Hindi, English
Women
Men and women live, eat and sit in fully separate areas for the whole course; places for about 20 women.
Age
Age 20 and over for the late-2026 10-day courses

Upcoming dates

All dates in the calendar

Oct30
3-day course for old students
Open
30 Oct – 2 Nov · 3 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Nov13
10-day Vipassana course
Open
13–24 Nov · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Nov27
10-day Vipassana course
Open
27 Nov – 8 Dec · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open
Dec10
10-day Vipassana course
Open
10–21 Dec · 11 nights
Hindi, English
Open

All dates in the calendar Official schedule

From Dhammagarh 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 … 8:15–9:30 pm group meditation, open questions; lights out 9:30

4:00 amWake-up bell
4:30–6:30 amMeditation in the hall or your room
6:30–8:00 amBreakfast and rest
8:00–9:00 amGroup meditation in the hall
9:00–11:00 amMeditation in the hall or room, as the teacher directs
11:00 am–12 noonLunch break
12 noon–1:00 pmRest; private questions to the teacher
1:00–2:30 pmMeditation in the hall or your room
2:30–3:30 pmGroup meditation in the hall
3:30–5:00 pmMeditation in the hall or room, as the teacher directs
5:00–6:00 pmTea break (tea and fruit for new students)
6:00–7:00 pmGroup meditation in the hall
7:00–8:15 pmRecorded evening talk by S.N. Goenka
8:15–9:30 pmGroup meditation, open questions; lights out 9:30

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

What's included

Included

Teaching, room and meals at no charge
Simple vegetarian breakfast and lunch
Tea at 5 pm, with fruit for new students
Meditation cushions; chairs if you can't sit on the floor

Not included

Evening meal (only tea at 5 pm)
Washing machines; small items are hand-washed in breaks

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 Bharari, about 23 km from Bilaspur, 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), ~3 hr drive (about 140 km)
By train
Kargi Road, ~15 min drive (8 km); Bilaspur Jn ~45 min
From big cities
- ~880 km from Kolkata, best to fly
- ~880 km from Hyderabad, best to fly
- ~1,160 km from Delhi NCR, best to fly

From your town

See the drive, the nearest airports and the easiest way to get to Dhammagarh 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 Dhammagarh 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; Dhammagarh 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; there are 10-day courses most months
Kargi Road station is about 8 km away
Phones and valuables are handed in for the whole course

What to pack

1 thing the retreat asks you to bring, plus 1 tips

The retreat asks you to bring

Enough loose, modest clothes for the full 12 days

Also useful

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

A torch for paths after dark

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

Day, inclusions, packing and facts from Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre's official information, checked October 2026: dhamma.org/en/about/code, dhamma.org/en/about/qanda, dhamma.org/en/schedules/schgarh, garh.dhamma.org, garh.dhamma.org/en/contact/. Ask them if anything matters for your stay.

Read before you go

Contact Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre

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

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

Email: info@garh.dhamma.org

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

Questions people ask

How much does a stay at Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre cost?

Dhammagarh 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: Teaching, room and meals at no charge; Simple vegetarian breakfast and lunch; Tea at 5 pm, with fruit for new students; Meditation cushions; chairs if you can't sit on the floor. Not included: Evening meal (only tea at 5 pm); Washing machines; small items are hand-washed in breaks.

What's the minimum stay?

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

When is the best time to visit Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre?

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

8 more questions

How do I get to Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre?

Nearest airport: Raipur (RPR), ~3 hr drive (about 140 km). By train: Kargi Road, ~15 min drive (8 km); Bilaspur Jn ~45 min. Times are rough estimates by road.

Can couples stay together?

No. Couples stay in separate rooms at Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre.

Can I use my phone?

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

What food is served?

The food is vegetarian.

How do I book Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre?

You book directly with Dhammagarh 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?

Men and women live, eat and sit in fully separate areas for the whole course; places for about 20 women.

What language are classes in?

Classes are taught in Hindi and English.

Is there an age limit?

As the retreat states it: Age 20 and over for the late-2026 10-day courses.

Answered from our research on Dhammagarh 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 Dhammagarh Vipassana Meditation Centre before booking.

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