FAQ

Please use the registration link at https://tinyurl.com/samshib2026 and complete the step-by-step registration. One registration may include up to two participants. This does not mean that the fee covers two people. The fee is charged per participant, so two participants must pay two separate participant fees.

Registration is complete only after the payment is made, either through PayPal or credit card. 

Fee is $550 per person per session and includes lodging, meals, and all activities associated with the course. The date of registration is when the payment is made.

Cancellation requests have to be made in writing by sending an email to samvadashibiram@samskritabharatiusa.org

The subject should have ‘Cancellation Request’ in the subject. We can refund 50% of the fees if you cancel until one week before the sessions have started, i.e. by July 10th, 2026. Please allow two weeks to get your refund processed. After July 10th 2026, no refund requests will be considered. This refund policy is necessary because significant expenses are incurred well in advance of the program, including travel and round-trip airfare for teaching faculty traveling from Bhāratam and the USA. 

The program is intended for adults who have had exposure to saṃskṛtam for a minimum of about 2 years, in our saṃskṛta-kendrams, or completion of at least 1 level of the DLP exams (i.e. until the pravesha level) or 2 or more years of enrollment in our S2S course. Participants should be able to form simple sentences in saṃskṛtam, read Devanagari, and possess a basic working vocabulary to get maximum benefit from the program. We hope to make this program a fun-filled and enriching learning experience.  

Note: Please note that participants should be able to climb stairs and move around independently without mobility assistance. Unfortunately, the building does not have wheelchair access. 

You will be receiving a welcome email from us at least 10 days prior to the start of camp. Please check your junk folder frequently. All communications will be via emails. Please make sure the registered email is accurate and kindly add samvadashibiram@samskritabharatiusa.org to the safe senders list. If you do have other questions, please contact one of the volunteers listed in the Contact information at the bottom of the page.

We require all participants to enroll as residential campers only. This facilitates learning through a complete immersion into the Samskritam experience for all attendees.

All participants should report at Padam the night before. We highly discourage participants from coming late, as they will be missing sessions, and it will be difficult to catch up with the rest of the class and participate fully in other activities. If, due to unavoidable circumstances, you are unable to arrive on the day, you must contact and inform one of the volunteers (names and phone numbers are given at the end of this FAQ) and preferrably before registering.

Please plan to arrive on Tuesday, July 14, the night before the sessions begin, and depart after 2:00 PM on Sunday, July 19. Volunteers will help coordinate pickup from and drop-off to airports, train stations, and bus stations.  If you are driving in directly, kindly arrive at Padam. 

• IAD Dulles International Airport is the nearest airport to the venue, about 13 miles away, and is highly recommended for ease of pick-up and drop-off.

• DCA, Ronald Reagan Washington National airport is also accessible but farther from IAD in distance at about 40 miles away.

• BWI, Baltimore Washington International airport is the farthest from the venue and is generally not recommended due to the distance. It is 70 miles away and we are unable to arrange pick up from there. Participants can take a ride-sharing/taxi-cab service from BWI.

• The nearest Amtrak station is the Manassas Amtrak Station (MSS) about 25 miles away from the venue. 

• Whereas Union Station, Washington, DC is about 40 miles away.  

• The nearest Greyhound station is about 30 miles away at Arlington, VA (Rosslyn).

• The nearest metro train station to the camp location is the Loudoun Gateway Metrorail Station on the Silver Line.

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Volunteers will help coordinate pickup from and drop-off to airports, train stations, and bus stations.

Accommodations are shared, with approximately 3–4 participants assigned to each room and shared bathroom.  Rollover beds are available for those who have problems sleeping on the floor. Participants who are comfortable doing so may choose to sleep on floor mattresses. Comfortable cushioned beds, blankets, soft pillows etc. are available.   Padam has about 10 rollover beds. 

Yes laundry facilities are available on site

Yes. Padam has reliable Wi-Fi access.

Only vegetarian food will be served at all times. Morning breakfast, lunch, dinner, and evening tea/coffee/snacks will be provided at the camp. If you have any personal preferences for cookies/snacks, please bring them with you. You will not have time to go out of the premises for shopping. If you have any allergies (diet-related or otherwise), please notify them in the Registration form. We will try to avoid excessively oily food. 

Note: We request any help the participants can provide during breakfast, lunch and dinner times for general upkeep of the place. This is entirely voluntary for non karya-kartas.

-Toiletry items (Toothpaste & brush, comb etc., items of personal hygiene). Shampoo, bodywash and hairwash are available in the shower.

- Bath towel (We have some for those who forget)

- Personal prescription medicine

- Some warm clothing

- Loose clothing (Yoga sessions)

- Laundry bag

- Shoes/Sneakers

- Water bottle

- Umbrella/raincoat/poncho

- Notebooks, Pens/Pencils

- Samskritam books, if you already have. These are also available for purchase from the bookstore.

- Yoga mats if you are driving (We will have Yoga classes in the morning). For participants flying in, we will provide yoga mats.

Optional:

- Any musical instruments – To participate in cultural events

- Camera, Camcorder

- Chargers for any battery-operated equipment in use.

Yes, printed materials will be provided at the camp. A couple of books may be purchased at the camp site. We will inform you in advance of the books to be used in the camp. You may bring your own copies if you have already have them at home.

Though it is summer, be prepared for a sudden drop in temperature and rain. We recommend that you check the weather forecast prior to arrival. Here we will not only learn samskritam, but will also share and experience our saṃskṛtiḥ together. Therefore, we suggest bhāratīya clothing. Feel free to wear appropriate yoga dress during yoga sessions in the morning.

There will be a generic medical kit available at the bhavanam. However, please bring your personal medicines if you have any special needs. There is no doctor on site.

Please do not bring expensive jewelry and other valuables. Also, please avoid bringing distracting electronic entertainment devices. These items can break or be lost easily in the camp. Samskrita Bharati is not responsible for any items that are lost at the bhavanam.

• Please fill out and sign the registration/consent/insurance form and submit it at the registration desk during check-in. This form will be mailed to you about 10 days before the shibiram starts.

• Pets are not allowed.

• Ample parking facilities are available.

• Alcohol and Smoking are prohibited at the campsite. 

• Please report any facility issues, repairs, accidents, incidents, injuries, and illnesses to any Samskrita Bharati volunteer.

• Participants are expected to attend all classes and scheduled activities. Any exceptions should be approved by the organizers. Selectively attending some sessions is not permitted. Feel free to visit and explore the Aldie village surroundings and also learn more about the bhavanaM. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact any of the volunteers listed below.