Community Programs in McLeodGanj & Dharamshala

‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama is pleased to support the programmes of the Dharamshala Earthville Institute… [that] reflect his interest in all the great wisdom traditions of the world with a view to finding the common ground and appreciating the richness of the differences.’

- Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama

DEVI: A Gathering Place for Caring Global Citizens in McLeodGanj/Dharamshala

The Dharamshala Earthville Institute (DEVI) is a small, volunteer-run community service project offering educational and service-learning programs and promoting cross-cultural appreciation and personal empowerment. It is located in the unique Himalayan town of Dharamshala (also spelled ‘Dharamsala’, ‘Dharmshala’ and ‘Dharmsala’) in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

Housed in KhanaNirvana Community Café, DEVI serves the local community and domestic and international visitors who come to Dharamshala to learn and to serve. DEVI makes its programs and facilities available to all who wish to ‘break through the tourist bubble’ and make a meaningful connection with the faces and places around McLeodGanj and the greater Dharamshala area.

DEVI’s Community Programs & Services

Our main activities include:

• Sunday@Sunset public talk series at KhanaNirvana Community Café, featuring former Tibetan prisoners of conscience and other topics of interest
• Volunteer opportunities for anyone who wants to make a difference (see below)
• Education and training including English classes, computer education and vocational training for Tibetan refugees
• Showings of documentary films on India and Tibet as well as other topics of regional, global and spiritual interest
• Dharma talks and interfaith dialogues
• Concerts and performances including a weekly ‘Open Stage’ (‘open mic’ without the mic) featuring music and poetry from around the world
• ‘I Love Dogs’ campaign, which has vaccinated hundreds of street dogs against rabies and other diseases, helping to stop an epidemic rabies outbreak and saving the lives of dogs and humans.

Volunteering

If you are interested in the possibility of doing volunteer service work in McLeodGanj or the greater Dharamshala area, you can find information on our Volunteer page.

About Dharamshala

For general information about McLeodGanj and Dharamshala, see our Dharamshala general information page.

Support DEVI

To find out how you can support DEVI’s programs in Dharamshala, visit the Dharmalaya support page.