Centre reference · Bengaluru, Karnataka
Dhamma Paphulla Vipassana Meditation & Research Centre
Most pages about this centre give you one fragment: an address on one site, a phone number on another, a paragraph of history on a third. This is the whole reference in one place: where it is, every way to reach it, how many people it holds, what a course costs, and how registration actually works. I have sat six courses in this tradition, though not at this particular centre, so the personal-experience parts are marked as cross-centre, and everything centre-specific is pulled straight from the official Dhamma Paphulla pages and dated below.
Direct answer (verified 2026-06-22)
Dhamma Paphulla is the Vipassana centre in the S. N. Goenka tradition at Alur Village, Dasanapura Hobli, Bangalore North Taluk, Karnataka 562123, India, on the north-western outskirts of Bengaluru off Tumkur Road. It is about 23 km from Bangalore City Railway Station and about 16 km from Yeshwantpur. It runs free 10-day residential courses and holds about 120 meditators. You register by application at paphulla.dhamma.org; enquiries are handled by email. Source: the centre's contact page.
The centre at a glance
Every row below is centre-specific and verified against the official pages on 2026-06-22.
| Full name | Dhamma Paphulla Vipassana Meditation & Research Centre |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Paphulla means “cheerfulness of Dhamma” (fully blossomed) |
| Address | Alur Village, Dasanapura Hobli, Bangalore North Taluk, Karnataka 562123, India |
| Setting | 10 acres beside a natural stream, north-western outskirts of Bengaluru, farmland on one side and forestland on the other |
| Land donated | 2003; courses began after the first essential buildings were built |
| Capacity | About 120 meditators: a main hall seating ~100 plus two mini halls of ~30 each |
| From Bangalore City Railway Station | ~23 km |
| From Yeshwantpur Railway Station | ~16 km |
| From Kempegowda (Bangalore) International Airport | ~1–2 hours by taxi |
| Tradition | Vipassana as taught by S. N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin |
| Course | 10-day residential courses; there is no charge for tuition, food, or accommodation |
| Registration | By course application via paphulla.dhamma.org (enquiries by email) |
| General enquiry phone | 9972588377 (general inquiries, not registration) |
Compiled from paphulla.dhamma.org/the-center/how-to-reach and the Dhamma Paphulla general information page.
“The centre sits on 10 acres beside a natural stream, with a main hall seating about 100 and two mini halls of about 30 each, for roughly 120 meditators at one time. The land was donated in 2003.”
Dhamma Paphulla general information, paphulla.vridhamma.org
How to reach Dhamma Paphulla
The centre is about 3 km off Tumkur Road (NH-4) near Alur. There are three honest ways in: bus, metro plus a short hop, or a car all the way to the gate.
By bus
Direct buses 257E, 257, 257H run from Majestic, City Market, and Shivajinagar to Alur. Or take a 256/258-series bus to Makali Bus Stop, then an auto-rickshaw the last ~3 km.
By metro
Take the Green Line to Madavara station (the last stop), then a bus to Makali, then the short auto-rickshaw ride to the centre.
By car, from the city centre
Leave the city centre on Tumkur Road (NH-4)
Head north-west out of Bengaluru on Tumkur Road, the Bangalore–Pune highway, toward Nelamangala.
Pass Yeshwantpur, Jalahalli Cross, Exhibition Grounds
The road runs past Yeshwantpur Railway Station, Jalahalli Cross, and the Exhibition Grounds. Yeshwantpur is the closest big railway station at about 16 km.
Take the U-turn after the Himalaya Drug Company landmark
After the Himalaya Drug Company building, take the U-turn under the flyover so you are heading back toward the Alur turn-off.
Turn toward Alur and continue about 3 km
Turn left toward Alur village and follow the road roughly 3 km off the main highway to the centre gate.
From the airport, the centre lists a taxi (about an hour or two) or the airport shuttle to Majestic followed by a bus. Verify the current route on the centre's how-to-reach page before you travel, since bus numbers and metro stops change.
What is centre-specific, and what is the same everywhere
A useful way to read any centre page is to separate the two kinds of facts. The centre-specific facts are the ones above: the Alur address, the 10 acres beside the stream, the ~120 capacity, the bus numbers, the 2003 donation. Those only describe Dhamma Paphulla.
Almost everything else is standardized across every centre in this tradition. The Code of Discipline, the daily timetable, the noble silence, the meal times, the separation of men and women, the ten-day arc, and the donation model are identical whether you sit in Bangalore or in California. That standardization is the whole point: it is why an old student from one centre can walk into another anywhere in the world and already know the rhythm of the day. If you want the shape of those twelve days laid out, the structure is the same here as at any centre, and it is documented in the official Code of Discipline.
One thing this page deliberately does not do is describe the technique itself. That is taught only in person, inside the course, by an authorized assistant teacher. For anything about how to sit or how to work with a difficulty, the right destinations are dhamma.org and a teacher at a 10-day course, not a web page.
Registering: the part people get stuck on
The most common confusion with Dhamma Paphulla is trying to register by phone. The listed number, 9972588377, is for general inquiries; the centre asks that course enquiries and registration come through the website and by email. Open paphulla.dhamma.org, pick a date from the course schedule, and submit the online course application. Because the centre holds about 120 people, the popular dates fill well ahead, so applying early for a specific month matters. New students apply for a full 10-day course; there is no shorter version that introduces the technique.
There is genuinely no fee. Tuition, food, and accommodation are all covered, and the centre runs on donations given only by people who have already completed a course. If a page or third-party listing asks you for a course payment, it is not the official centre. The authoritative listing of Karnataka centres, including this one, is on vridhamma.org.
Sitting at Dhamma Paphulla and want a practice buddy afterward?
If you have a course booked and want someone to keep a daily sit going with once you are home, I run a free practice-buddy matching program. Book a short call and I will pair you.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Dhamma Paphulla?
Dhamma Paphulla is at Alur Village, Dasanapura Hobli, Bangalore North Taluk, Karnataka 562123, India. It sits on the north-western outskirts of Bengaluru, off Tumkur Road (the Bangalore-Pune highway, NH-4), roughly 3 km off the main road. It is about 23 km from Bangalore City Railway Station and about 16 km from Yeshwantpur Railway Station. Source: paphulla.dhamma.org/about/contact-us and the centre's how-to-reach page.
How do I reach the centre by public transport?
Direct buses 257E, 257, and 257H run from Majestic, City Market, and Shivajinagar to Alur. Alternatively take a 256/258-series bus to Makali Bus Stop, then an auto-rickshaw the remaining ~3 km to the centre. By metro, the Green Line runs to Madavara station (the last stop), and from there you take a bus to Makali. Routes are listed on paphulla.dhamma.org/the-center/how-to-reach.
How many people can the centre hold?
About 120 meditators at one time. The main meditation hall seats roughly 100 and there are two mini halls seating about 30 each. The centre occupies 10 acres beside a natural stream, with land donated in 2003. Source: the Dhamma Paphulla general information page on paphulla.vridhamma.org.
What does a course cost at Dhamma Paphulla?
Nothing. As at every centre in this tradition, 10-day Vipassana courses have no charge for tuition, food, or accommodation. Centres are run entirely on donations, and only a student who has completed at least one full 10-day course may donate, so that each course is paid for by the gratitude of past students rather than by the people currently sitting. See dhamma.org for the policy.
How do I register for a course there?
Registration is by course application through the centre's website, paphulla.dhamma.org, and the centre asks that enquiries come by email rather than phone (the listed phone number, 9972588377, is for general inquiries). Pick a course date from the schedule, submit the application form, and wait for confirmation. Seats are limited because the centre holds about 120 people, so popular dates fill early.
Does this site teach the technique or run courses at Dhamma Paphulla?
No. Vipassana.cool is a resource site run by a fellow old student, not a centre and not a teacher. The technique is only ever taught in person inside a 10-day residential course by an authorized assistant teacher. For anything about how to practice, or for course logistics, the authoritative sources are dhamma.org and the centre directly. This page is a logistics and orientation reference only.
Is Dhamma Paphulla the same tradition as the centres in the US?
Yes. Dhamma Paphulla teaches Vipassana as taught by S. N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, the same lineage taught at the North American centres. The Code of Discipline, the daily timetable, noble silence, the meal schedule, and the 10-day arc are standardized across every centre in the tradition worldwide, so an old student from any centre can sit at Dhamma Paphulla and know exactly what to expect.
Orientation for a first course and life after it
Keep reading
Finding and choosing a Vipassana retreat
How centres in this tradition work, and how to pick a date and location.
Tips for applying to a 10-day course
What the application asks, and how to give yourself the best shot at a seat.
What a 10-day course is actually like
The rhythm of the day and how to prepare, from someone who has sat several.
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