Nagaloka is located in Nagpur, where Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in October, 1956, along with 500,000 followers, thus bringing Buddhism back emphatically to the land of its birth. Nagaloka is a major centre for the Revival of Buddhism in India today. The beautiful Walking Buddha at the centre of the campus is visited by many thousands of people every year. The heart of Nagaloka is the Nagarjuna Institute, which provides training and conference facilities for Buddhists and social activists from India and around the world.
MISSION AND VISION
Nagaloka is inspired by Dr. Ambedkar’s vision of Prabuddha Bharat – Enlightened India, a society free of all forms of injustice and exploitation, in which people have the means to overcome suffering, live empowered and fulfilling lives, and contribute to a humane and harmonious society. It supports the realisation of this vision through training, education and research based on the ethical implications of liberty, equality and fraternity, values Dr. Ambedkar found at the heart of Buddhist tradition.
NAGARJUNA TRAINING INSTITUTE
Nagaloka Centre is the home of the Nagarjuna Training Institute, which offers an eight month residential training programme in Buddhist teachings and practices, as well as Social Action, for young men and women from all over India. Since 2012 it has been conducting a three year residential BA degree as part of Nagpur University. The first goal of these programmes is to help young people become empowered through Buddhist practices, so that they can lead more satisfactory lives, and contribute more to society. When they leave Nagaloka, many of the students share what they have learnt with others in their towns and villages, helping others to become empowered through the teachings of the Buddha and Dr. Ambedkar; this is the second goal of the programme. All students live in beautifully designed residential buildings, and follow a daily programme of meditation and puja, class instruction, personal study, and work periods. The students also participate in cultural activities, visit nearby social projects, and attend meditation retreats from time to time.