Tushita Meditation Centre

Tushita Meditation Centre is set in the forested hills above McLeod Ganj near Dharamkot village, about two kilometres above the main town. Founded in 1972, it runs introductory and intermediate courses in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation, mostly in English, and attracts students from around the world. The ten-day Introduction to Buddhism retreat — offered monthly — is one of the most popular starting points for Westerners engaging with Tibetan practice.

The centre is not open for casual drop-in visits; all programmes require prior registration. But it is worth knowing about if you are planning a longer stay in Dharamsala — the teachings are rigorous and the setting, in a pine forest above the noise of McLeod Ganj, is genuinely conducive to meditation. The centre welcomes people of all backgrounds and no prior experience is required for introductory courses.

things to do sight
A story
Tushita was founded in 1972 by two Nepalese lamas — Thubten Yeshe and his student Zopa Rinpoche — who bought an old colonial house in the forest above McLeod Ganj in response to growing demand from their Western students. It was one of the first centres in the world to offer systematic Tibetan Buddhist teachings in English, and it pioneered the format of short introductory courses that has since become standard at Buddhist centres worldwide.