DHARAMSHALA & DEVI

Community Programmes 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

NOTE: DEVI HAS CLOSED

The Dharamshala Earthville Institute (DEVI) was a small, volunteer-run community service project based in KhanaNirvana Community Café that offered the first volunteer placement programme in the Dharamshala/McLeodGanj area. DEVI was a charitable initiative of Earthville Network, founded in 1997 by a group of volunteers with guidance from leaders and luminaries in the community and run by its refugee staff.

DEVI closed permanently in December 2012, and its assets were transferred to the Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, which serves a similar mission with a broader scope of activities.

If you are interested in volunteering in the Dharamshala area (including McLeodGanj, Sidhbari, et al), see this page.


The information below is preserved for archival purposes, for the benefit of those who are interested.

 

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 programmes 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 programmes 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 Programmes & 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 in the Dharamshala Area

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

About McLeodGanj & Dharamshala

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