by Piyush Mathur
The Vinish Gupta-led Centre for Holistic Learning (CHL) is holding a residential workshop on life recalibration in Karnataka, India, in the first half of December 2026. Officially called the Jeevan Vidya Workshop (or Life’s Education Workshop), the event will be held at Suman Sangam (or Sumana Sangama Kādu Thota, in Kannada)—a well-known forest-farm—in the District of Dharwad.
Starting on December 5, the event will end on December 12, 2026. Akin to a forest camp, the workshop is intended to help its participants take a fresh look into their lives and better align them with their priorities as well as the rest of the world. The camp will accommodate only around 25 individuals as participants.
The event’s full self-statement can be accessed at this link: https://www.jeevanshala.org/
You must apply now, using the link provided further below, in order to be considered for this edition of the event.
Do note that you must register for and attend this event only as an individual (rather than as a couple or with friends or family members). The selected individuals must arrange to arrive a day ahead of the event’s start, i.e., on December 4.
‘There is no sermonizing; the facilitator presents sets of proposals, and helps participants bring their attention to bear on the inner workings of their thoughts, fears and aspirations. Gradually, one begins to interrogate hidden assumptions and get a sharper, clearer view of the whole intricate fabric of life; one begins to see new possibilities for positive human action. Through a curated process of utter plainspeak, one is led to the oracular, the alchemical, the epiphanal, all the while being grounded in everyday reality, untainted by mystery or esoteric woollyness.’
— from a statement circulated by the workshop organisers
In organising this event, the CHL will have the assistance of a loose collective of individuals and families called the Dharwad Sukhi Jeevan Group (DSJG)—or the Dharwad Happy Life Group—which will serve as its host.
The workshop’s facilitator, Gupta, is trained in linguistics as well as English literary studies. A deeply compassionate cross between a polyglot and a polymath, he has decades of combinatorial experiences in socioecological-spiritual work, university teaching, and electronic repair-cum-recycling. A keen, globally aware learner himself, Gupta has been organising and facilitating this workshop for decades now—and is well known to a large number of people in India and abroad.
The workshop happens to have two, separate linguistic variants: English & Hindi. This particular round 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.
As to how to reach Dharwad, the organisers want you to have a look at this helpful link:
https://dharwad.nic.in/en/how-to-reach/
Key Details
Dates: December 05-December 12, 2026 (arrive by the evening of December 04; depart after lunch on December 12)
Venue: Sumana Sangama Kādu Thota, Dharwad district, Karnataka, India
Language: English
Capacity: 25 participants (register early via this form)
Fee: No standard fee; participants pay based upon their capacity and generosity
This integrated workshop requires full attendance, as each day builds on the previous one.
Again, do take a look at the event’s self-description—paying special attention to what you should or may bring with you to the event: https://www.jeevanshala.org/