Dhamma Banga

Dhamma Banga (Bengal Vipassana Kendra), meaning 'Dhamma in Bengal', is at Bamangachhi, Kochpukur, in the Sonarpur area of south Kolkata. The centre's site describes it as Kolkata's second Vipassana centre, after Dhamma Ganga, the long-established centre at Sodepur. VRI gives 2021 as the year it was set up; the first 10-day course was held in 2024. The land covers 200 kathas. The centre's site says it will accommodate around 80 meditators in separate men's and women's compounds, in single and double rooms with attached bathrooms, with separate rooms for Dhamma servers; its construction plan includes 60 student residences, a 2,500 sq ft Dhamma hall and a kitchen and dining area. On the day a course begins, the centre provides transport for confirmed students from New Garia metro and railway station and Patuli crossing; auto-rickshaws also run from Baruipur railway station, and the centre can be found as 'Dhamma Banga' on Google Maps and Uber. Courses are taught in Hindi and English: 10-day courses, short courses for old students and 7-day courses for teenagers. The city office is at Stephen House, BBD Bag.

How to apply

Apply online through the centre's page on dhamma.org (in Nepal, start from np.dhamma.org). New students must first complete a 10-day course, and there is no charge.

What is taught here

Donation-funded 10-day courses taught with S. N. Goenka's recorded instructions, in the line of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, at centres in Nepal and worldwide. Read about Goenka (U Ba Khin).