In the second week of December, Vinish Gupta-led Centre for Holistic Learning (CHL) will organize a residential workshop in the Dharwad district of the South-Indian state of Karnataka. The camp is intended to help its participants take a fresh look into their lives and transform them into something better aligned with themselves and the rest of the world. In this endeavour, the CHL will have the assistance of a loose collective of individuals and families called the Dharwad Sukhi Jeevan Group (DSJG), which would serve as the host of this entire event.

Officially called the Jeevan Vidya Workshop (or Life’s Education Workshop), the camp will run through December 7-14, 2024 at Suman Sangam (or Sumana Sangama Kādu Thota, in Kannada)—a well-known forest-farm. Participants must arrange to arrive a day ahead of the event’s start—and they can register, attend only as individuals (and not with their partners or families). The camp has only 25 seats.

The workshop’s facilitator, Gupta is trained in linguistics as well as English literary studies. A bit of a polyglot with decades of combinatorial experiences in socioecological-spiritual work, university teaching and electronic repair-cum-recycling, he is a keen, passionate learner himself; he has been organizing, facilitating this workshop for many years.

The workshop happens to have two, separate linguistic variants: English & Hindi. This particular round in December 2024 will be in English.

There is no standard, prior fee for the camp. CHL’s website states the following in this regard:

The workshop is shared as a gift and the facilitator does not receive any payment for facilitation. The costs (for food and stay)  of your participation have already been paid by those who attended the workshop before you and found it beneficial; should you find the workshop beneficial, you may pay forward for the participation of future participants. Money is never a consideration for participation in this workshop.

Gupta has circulated some information regarding the workshop on social media platforms and via email; it states that via guided introspection, the workshop will help participants explore themes like interpersonal relationships, education, society, environment, and aspirations as they relate to their own lives and as a human collective. Participants will also engage in cooking, farming, and maintenance activities on campus, contributing to the vibrant community spirit of the event. A complete description of the event can be accessed here: https://www.jeevanshala.org/

Key Details

• Dates: December 7-14, 2024 (arrival by December 6 evening and departure after lunch on December 14)

• Venue: Sumana Sangama Kādu Thota, Dharwad district, Karnataka, India

• Language: English

• Capacity: 25 participants (register early via this form)

This integrated workshop requires full attendance, as each day builds on the previous one.