Location
  • India
    • Chennai
Length
1 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Max
99
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Lodge
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
8
Price Details
This is a nonprofit ecological project that does not generate any income. Therefore, we cannot provide free food for volunteers. We have communal (mostly organic) wholefood vegan meals three times per day. We all equally share the cost of the organic food ingredients we purchase. The total cost of food per person (including 3 meals a day) is 600 Indian Rupees per day (around $8 USD), which also includes the cost of biodegradable toiletries.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Equipment Meals Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 02, 2021
Dec 19, 2022
18 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Sadhana Forest is a reforestation and water conservation project in the international township of Auroville, South India. Founded in 2003, we are reforesting 70 acres of severely eroded land, bringing back the indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest. Volunteers come and live on our sustainable, off-the-grid, solar-powered, low waste, vegan campus. We provide them with food and accommodation and they take part in the community life. Volunteers take part in the water conservation and reforestation work and plant, mulch, and water trees during the season. They also perform maintenance tasks around the community. During their time off they can take part in various community activities or visit the local area.

We also welcome many visitors that come to see our project, host groups of local children in a natural learning space, take care of rescued cows in our vegan animal sanctuary, host a gift economy vegan Tea Hut and self-directed learning courses in our UniverCity of Compassion.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Reforestation
  • Water Conservation
  • Sustainable and substance free Living
  • Veganism and Vegan Animal Sanctuary
  • Community Life

Program Impact

We are reviving an ecosystem that was on the brink of destruction, bringing back water, trees and all the fauna and flora that come with them. We welcome over 1,000 volunteers per year and thousands of visitors, introducing them to our project and our unique way of life, based on compassion for all living beings.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 21 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.95
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 21 reviews
Default avatar
Anisha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sustainable living

Learn about forest regeneration and sustainable living - experience living in a community, conserving water, eating vegan organic food, nurturing cows, practising Zerowaste, using compost toilets, getting hands on experience in planting/ mulshing/ digging, and even cooking and cleaning together!

Day starts at 6am, volunteer till 12.30pm with one hour breakfast break. All three meals are served on most days except no dinner on Thursday, and no lunch on Sat & Sun. Weekends, usually there is no seva (volunteer work)

You live in a dorm if you are a short term volunteer. Each day is a different experience - sharing circle, core value talk, non talent show, moon circle, acrobats, meditation and so on!

11 people found this review helpful.
Vandana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Place to be

I like this place . Had a wonderful time and lots of fun. Fully connected to nature. The stories in Sadhna forest shared with us through the people here are so beautiful and makes you feel so connected to them as well as connected to nature in turn. The food is simple yet delicious and you feel so satisfied. when you first enter Sadhana forest you are overwhelmed by the greenery and the love that is showere upon you through the volunteers. we had so much fun at the non talent show, people did such crazy as well as amazing stuff. Meeting the founding family was an amazing experience as they have such beautiful ideas and arr such pure people.

56 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tehseen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Porridge in the Forest

Had a wonderful time here. Far exceeded all my expectations. Made me realise the value of lot of things in life that we take for granted like water, land, food, electricity etc. Lovely community-lot of unity and love, excellent vegan food. The seva is done so selflessly and wonderfully and with so much love and unity that it really touches the heart. Loved the morning circle too. It’s so inspiring that people from different nations have come together to build such a beautiful community.

What would you improve about this program?
Perhaps keeping the weather in mind umbrellas or raincoats can be advised to get.
55 people found this review helpful.
Anjana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Anjana @ Sadhana Forest

In the Lap of Nature with Greenery all over and minimalistic living conditions, but yet extremely comfortable.
Beautiful atmosphere and great team taking care of it wonderfully. The food is simple yet delicious.

Would recommend each and everyone I care for to experience this kind of living at least once in a lifetime!!! God Bless The Sadhana Forest Team as well as Volunteers here, spending such valuable time here, making it worth coming for the rest of us. Thanks to Our Rockstar Founder, Nandita Shah.

What would you improve about this program?
It’s perfect the way it is...
53 people found this review helpful.
Nandita
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Energy is Amazing

I think it's an amazing learning experience that I wish everyone in the world could experience. I don't say it's easy, but definitely worth the trouble. Everyone is genuine and honestly wants you to have a good experience and are willing to take the extra step. Ecological and sustainable lifestyles are what it's all about and so many things have been thought through. Whenever one goes to a completely new paradigm, so much happens! The work that they have done is awesome.

What would you improve about this program?
It's hard to say. Given the goal, which is personal growth and sustainability, I think its perfect.
56 people found this review helpful.
Reyna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Night at the Dorm

Sadhana Forest is an invaluable space where we learn so much about ourselves and of course the environment too....

U learn to get back to the basics - the roots. Everything is so minimilastic and one only uses what one truly needs

Love the community aspect. You meet people from all over the world and learn so much from every interaction

The base is Sewa which is selfless service by and for one and all

The activities planned every day add value to the environment and to your life too

The founders are so inspiring

Definitely to be experienced

53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Diksha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A place to be!

I have been at Sadhana forest for 2 months now and it’s been an unforgettable experience. Sadhana Forest connects to those who see the problem of forest degradation and are fighting for healthy ecosystems and sustainable living households. It’s a great place to escape from hustle and bustle of the city. A wonderful community. Living out communal values and provides space for individual freedom. The volunteers are all compassionate who believe in the work they do with care and support.

The vegan food is absolutely amazing and has a diversity of flavours. Want to save the planet having fun, this is the place to visit!

54 people found this review helpful.
Maïlys
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing - incroyable experience

Sadhana is a reforestation programm which share many values important to me. I also experimented a community life with really amazing people from everywhere in the world and who share these values. Sharing, non-violence, solidarity, veganism, unschooling, compassion, tolerance... It's a place where I felt useful and I can be myself. So thank you Sadhana ! And thank you Luke for the mistakes ^^

Sadhana forest est un programme de reforestation qui partage des valeurs qui me sont chères et où j'ai pu expérimenté la vie en communauté avec des personnes vraiment incroyables et qui partagent ces valeurs. Partage, non-violence, solidarité, véganisme, unschooling, compassion, tolérance.... C'est vraiment un endroit où on se sent utile et où on peut être soi-même. Que vous parliez anglais où non c'est un bon endroit pour partager notre envie de faire partie du changement..

56 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers