Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Swami Dayananda Ashram (Arsha Vidya Pitham)
Week-long Vedanta and Gita study retreats
Details checked on the official site, October 2026 · We never take bookings or commissions
Founded by the late Swami Dayananda Saraswati, this riverside gurukulam at Muni Ki Reti is a place for serious study of Vedanta, Sanskrit and Vedic chanting rather than a casual retreat stop. Each spring it hosts a run of week-long memorial retreats on texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, alongside long residential courses.
Traditional Vedanta teaching on the Ganga
Week-long scripture retreats with senior swamis
Daily Sanskrit, chanting and Vedanta classes
By donation
pay what you can
- Stay
Runs on voluntary donations by bank transfer; guests asked for a reasonable contribution
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 courses, or arrive any day
Couples
Not stated: ask the retreat
Phones
Not stated: ask the retreat
Food
Not stated: ask the retreat
Booking
Apply on their site
Taxes
Not stated: ask the retreat
Great for
- spiritual seekers
- deep practice
- solo travellers
Maybe not for
- Anyone wanting private luxury or room service
- Short breaks: the minimum is 7 nights
Good to know before you go
- It is a Vedanta gurukulam, not a guest house: general stay requests need a reference from an Arsha Vidya teacher or devotee and at least 15 days' notice.
- Memorial-retreat applications close 90 days before the start date, with confirmation about 45 days ahead; arrive the day before and leave the day after.
- A fraudulent look-alike website exists — book and donate only through dayananda.org.
Programs & stays
Rooms: Ashram rooms for approved study guests; no room details published
Program names and lengths change. Check the retreat's calendar for current dates.
When to go
Best Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov. Memorial retreats run Feb–Apr; Oct–Mar is pleasant, May–Jun is hot, Jul–Sep monsoon
- Post-monsoon · Oct–Nov
Getting there
Nearest airportDehradun (DED), ~45 min drive
By trainYog Nagari Rishikesh, ~15 min
- ~6 hr drive from Delhi NCR
- ~1,760 km from Kolkata, best to fly
- ~1,810 km from Mumbai, best to fly
- ~1,910 km from Hyderabad, best to fly
Researched from the retreat's official website and public sources. Details change, so confirm prices, dates and policies with Swami Dayananda Ashram (Arsha Vidya Pitham) before booking.
- Photo: Paradise Chronicle, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Travel With Enfield, Unsplash
- Photo: Prashant Bamnawat, Unsplash
- Photo: Ashish Lathar, Unsplash
Run Swami Dayananda Ashram (Arsha Vidya Pitham)? Claim this listing to correct details and answer questions as the official team.
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