“One November morning in 1985, four women - Sanghadevi, Ratnasuri, Karunasri, Kulanandi - and a cat called Tansy, drove from London to the Welsh borders, to start what was probably the first Buddhist retreat centre for women in the world.”

In 1985, Cornhill Farm was bought - a run-down farmhouse and derelict outbuildings, together with seven acres of land. The first retreats were held in the white farmhouse - a living room converted into a shrine room, and everyone crowding into a couple of rooms to sleep on mattresses on the floor. But Taraloka - Tara's Realm - had been born.

Over succeeding years, through the time, energy, effort and money of many, many women, the farm outbuildings were gradually converted. Over the years of its existence, Taraloka has become more and more beautiful and is a place where many women have visited and benefitted from.

In November 2020, Taraloka Retreat Centre celebrated its 35th anniversary. To mark the occasion Maitridevi, the current Chair of Taraloka, interviewed three of the four founder members of Taraloka: Sanghadevi, Kulanandi and Karunasri. In this video they explain how the project came about, and describe life in the early days of the retreat centre.

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