The Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) was established in 1985 for the purpose of conducting research into the sources and applications of the Vipassana Meditation technique. The VRI is adjacent to the Vipassana International Academy (VIA), known as Dhamma Giri located in Igatpuri, a small town about 136 km from Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, India.
The Academy is one of the world's largest centers for the practice of Vipassana, offering on-going 10 day meditation courses, serving upto 600 people per course, throughout the year. The Academy now includes a long course center - Dhamma Tapovana as well, offering advanced long courses for mature old students.
