Before coming here I was only used to living in big cities. While I had thought about the environment and had concern for it, I had never really done anything or thought about how my everyday choices affect the environment. But after coming here, I have been exposed to a whole new sustainable way of living! I have discovered and learnt much more about many topics such as compassion, veganism, zero waste, indigenous reforestation, natural learning, non-competitive living, and many others! This has enriched me as a person and has definitely got me thinking more about how to live a conscious life! I even got my younger brother to come stay and volunteer at Sadhana Forest, and even now I still tell him to come back and stay for a longer time. I could not more highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a change from city life or is feeling lost or wants to make a positive change for themselves or the environment. Even if you don't fall in those categories, I still encourage you to come and experience the beauty of sustainable community living at Sadhana Forest! 🌱🛖🌟

Impressed! And inspired I came to Auroville for 2 weeks for New Year and was looking for activities there. The first community I found on the Net was Sadhana Forest. I am in love with nature so went there just as visitor on the lunch time. I was warmly welcomed, offered lunch and shown around. I really liked the friendly atmosphere and the sparkles on the eyes of volunteers. So I returned on Friday for a bigger tour, dinner and films. It was amazing evening which made me think about dairy product consumption Today I came one more time for morning seva to spend time with cows. We cleaned the shed and then fed the cows and brushed them. All finished with fruit breakfast I'd really recommend people especially from cities to come and connect with Nature

Thank you Sadhana Forest for a lovely experience, it’s amazing what you can do as a group/community. To learn about water conservation and reforestation has been great. And to find like minded people who share your values. I will miss this place and feel sad to leave even though it hasn’t been very long. We would love to return ❤️🙏❤️

A place to unsettle, settle and re-settle! Whosoever who is reading this review, I feel really happy to see you following a path that your heart will definitely feel home at. Well, have you ever heard about Satvic Movement? It’s an organisation working selflessly to make this world a bit more colourful, blissful via its mission for a plant based cruelty free Satvic World. I didn’t know that a normal reel posted by Satvic Movement on their social media handle, will actually make me land in a completely different world. A world where Mother Nature with her wide opened arms, is eagerly waiting to welcome you with all her warmth A world where human is constantly trying to live in sync with her. With his mother. With Nature! A world where even the smallest forms of life are respected, are loved. A world where you make sense but at the same time you actually not make sense. A place where there is no syllabus. Where there is no deadline. Life is happily moving slow. Just slow… A place where children are learning naturally. Where children and their parents are unschooling and blossoming together with colours, smiles and love!! From colours on your plate to wholesomeness in your food. From chemical free shampoos to beautiful dry compost toilets that actually let your emotions flow. A place where there is no waste. No physical and mental waste. Everything here has a process, has a place to settle, unsettle and at the same time resettle 💛 A place to cherish. Cherish all the love possible!! Hey, did I make sense? If not, then you are at a right place 🌼 Grateful for Sadhana Forest for nurturing me inside out! 💛 Thankyou Diksha Bathla A shot term volunteer (24th October, 2023- 1st November, 2023) Signing off for now! An experience to cherish!!

I came to know about this place through my office colleague ( Harika Chavan ) as she visited sadhana forest in June and I wanted to visit this place as well. Cause of the long weekend I took and advantage and wanted to vist as well . The process of getting the information about the place and the do and donts were very clear in the email communication recieved from Shaik . Before reaching the place I called the project Director Olga Montoya and she has arranged for a pick up as well from the nearest place and Abhilash was the one who came and picked me up . Me stepping into the sadhana forest the reason was long weekend but the culture that is being followed in this community was mind blowing and i a du a hardcore non-veg eater and I never taught of the alternatives nor tried looking for some . Sadhana has shown me the alternatives for the protein which we get from the plant based products and I was so surprised knowing about it . I enjoyed dishes cooking by Shinu , Anish ( herbal tea in the night ) , Gopi , Gargi ( Poca ) , Kuldeep , Piyush & Ashley it was so amazing . I am going back for more . I miss the wake-up calls from Annette and it so amazing . Stretches that are done during the morning circle and everything was perfect and which I was missing or ignoring most of time . I miss the early morning walks and the visits to the mud pool during the night with yekiyav ( alias Boss men ) was so relaxing . I miss the fun which I had with Gopi and Samir “ The Bro “ it was memorable . Out of all the experiences I had the moon circle which we had by the mud pool was one of the best during this whole trip and I thank Olga for organising it . One big positive impact I had during my visit was to change my eating habits and I wanted to join the vegan club . Also thanks once again to Olga , Abhilash , Luke , Annette Sandhya , Gopi , Anish , Piyush , Kuldeep , Ashley , Gargi , Sanjana , Ishika , Akanksha , Nipun , Ayan , Victoria , Shaik , Chandan , Jeff , Aravind , Tasneem & Rotam who made me very comfortable during my stay

Sadhana... People here follows strict vegan diet and live sustainable, minimalistic and alternative way of life and they are more compassionate towards nature and people Volunteered here at last week of December 2021 and met many amazing souls and wish to volunteer again in future. Anyone can come and visit and volunteer here at anytime for a few days, months or years. There is lots of space to stay and lots of great work to do.

Sadhana Forest is an oasis of greenery and sustainability. My visit left me inspired by their reforestation efforts, educational programs, and the warm community atmosphere. I highly recommend this unique experience to anyone looking to connect with nature and support a meaningful cause."

It was a wonderful experience! The way to reach the forest is difficult. But the experience was great. We went on Friday, and started the tour exactly at 4.30. We walked through the forest and watched everything. After that we watched a documentary. And finally we had food from there. A pure vegetarian food. Totally that was a great experience. We should experience it once.

If you want an environment that demonstrates a full circle, natural response and that centers you all at the same time, please make your way down to the Sadhana Forest. From the green entrance to the natural living spaces, its successful biomimicry solutions, to the amazing volunteers, and the passionate community members, this place is a sanctuary and a haven for the heart, mind and soul. I felt thoroughly refreshed and centered in my visit here. Looking forward to visiting again sometime soon!

Sadhana forest is a reforestation community as well as a physical location. It used to be a desert and is now turned into a forest. I recommend the guided tour of approximately 2 h that runs every Friday where they tell you about how they manage reforestation technically. But the tour involves the reason to deforestation and what unsustainable living means. It is very educating in a non-judgmental way. Very including. This is my absolute highlight of my 3 weeks of travelling. I took my scooter there but there is a bus that takes you back and forth from Solar kitchen inside of Auroville. The tour ends with dinner for everyone for free.

This place is AMAZING. Truly a unique place where community comes together to create a warm & welcoming atmosphere centered around making the world a better place. From reforestation to group activities to veganism; Sadhana Forest is truly a special place that everyone deserves to experience!

Sadhana Forest has been a transformative escape for me, a sanctuary away from the chaos of city life of Delhi. In just three days, the serene embrace of the woods has untangled my mind, leaving me feeling very lighter. The profound shift in perspective is a gift; here, life is lived with compassion and a focus on health. Amidst the trees, a diverse community converges, each individual contributing to a cause that extends beyond personal well-being. Sadhana Forest is not just a retreat; it's a communal endeavor towards positive change. People from various backgrounds unite in a shared purpose, fostering an atmosphere of unity and understanding. The allure of veganism, explained and embraced here, becomes more than a dietary choice—it's a harmonious way of living that extends kindness to animals and the environment. Contrary to common misconceptions, embracing a vegan lifestyle need not be expensive, even within the confines of a city. This place is a beautiful haven where introspection meets action, creating a ripple effect of positivity. As I bask in the lightness that seeps from within, I can't help but envision a future where more individuals, seeking solace and purpose, find their way to this sanctuary in the heart of the woods.

Life in Sadhana Forest is like nothing I have ever experienced before, volunteering here changes your perception of life itself. I have been here for almost two months and enjoyed every aspect fo this project. Living in nature, working with amazing people from very different backgrounds makes this experience unique. There is also an animal sanctuary, where you can take care of rescued cows! Definitely one of the best project in Auroville!

This place is one of the outstanding place in this world, If you visit here you will feel like living that life for sure. They are living the most sustainable lifestyle. They took us your around the forest they created, there are thousands of trees water management systems, birds, animals, cows, horses. It's amazing they are having vegan food which is produced from the farm and forest. There is compost unit, which converts human poop into compost, this process is really superb. Every Friday they take the people tour through the forest and provide a vegan dinner. This vegan dinner is must try and whenever you are in Pondicherry don't miss this place to visit.

Amazing place that has been transformed from a barren land to a lush dry tropical evergreen forest over a period of 15 years... Commendable effort by the community... People can volunteer here and participate in the daily activities of the community. They focus on plant based whole food meals, water conservation, soil conservation, eco buildings, composting, a bit of animal rescues and rehabilitation

The community living , cooking n eating together- vegan ,millets, no chillies, almost nil oil and a well balanced one at that. The birds.and a few animals visiting you, yet you feel safer and happier being one with them. The goshaala experience is really satisfying.. The dry poo pans , water conservation methods and creative tools are worth memtioning , composting - the perfect 'zero waste ' practices , need of the.hour!!! Mudroom is the most amazing fun element. So much of good vibration , kindness and compassion around is a great take away too!! Loving it all here ..

Beautiful man-made forest with varieties of trees and species and they provide accommodation inside the forest with dormitories/private huts. Eating vegan food, volunteering for mother earth and leaving the city life for a few days will surely give immense satisfaction. Highly recommend for those who love to connect with nature

Everything about Sadhana is so surreal. The greenery is so welcoming. We were given a tour on what goes on and how they go on about it. It was very intriguing to see how they’ve implemented alternative construction. They live a zero waste life and follow a vegan lifestyle. They have completely transformed the land they’re on and it would be amazing to take part in it and explore it. They provide food and a tour if you’re willing to visit on a Friday. I will be visiting again and so should you!

Not a place to skip while @ Auroville If you are at Auroville, Sadhana Forest is a must visit. It's a 70 acres land which was barren earlier and the team has worked wonders by converting it to a jungle, which is in progress. They have built tall huts 'without doors' where they and other volunteers stay. The idea is sustainable living in nature striving for zero wastage. They arrange an excellent tour every Friday evening and it's very well arranged. A bus picks up all the guests at 4pm from Solar Kitchen. At Sadhana Forest they give us a very informative forest walk tour covering the philosophy, history and their work in great detail. This is followed by a nice documentary movie played on big screen and finally a healthy delicious all vegan dinner. The bus drops us back to Solar Kitchen. I'm listing few attractions like their big natural houses, green toilets, forest areas, cow shed and composting of human waste.

If you have any bit of compassion left for nature in your heart, this is the place to be inspired and learn the ways to experience Seva and learn tools to be more compassionate. You are not apart from nature but you the very part of the nature. Much love & blessings to the volunteers of Sadhana Forest. Jasjit Singh CEO rahao.co.in

I stayed there as a volunteer for 4-5 days and the people you meet and the sense of accomplishment you get is by doing all the things alongside them is definitely unparalleled. It was a one-of-a-kind experience being adamant to live united in a forest and devoting our time and energy to water conservation and reforestation projects incorporating them in our daily practices. Living in a multicultural family united in their efforts and will was extraordinary in every sense of the word.

This place is must visit when you plan a trip to pondicherry...... It kind off has different type of vibe and peace ...... Nature at its best

Sadhana Forest - A unique, heart fulfilling experience that opens a mind to several aspects of how we use the natural resources and simply take things for granted. Took the bus shuttle at 4PM from Auroville's Solar kitchen. It's across the other side of the Pondicherry By-pass road, roughly 8k drive from Auroville. High energetic volunteers run the forest, which is well preserved. Took the forest walk followed by short movie (documentory) and an awesome Vegan dinner. Water usage tips and resource of any kind of waste is the key takeaway. Wish the community all the very best and we sure will contribute back to them and to the society. Very inspiring!

Nice Place to Spend the Time. Its a Non profit organization in Villupuram District, Tamilnadu Near to Pondicherry Town. The main goal of the Sadhana Forest is Compassion. They are promoting Zero Waste Culture, and Veganism. This NGO started in 2003 by Israeli couples. Now more than 50 youngs are volunteering there. The hut inside the jungle is main attraction.

A place that certainly enables us to truly appreciate nature and live in harmony with it. Although an extremely short stay but I thoroughly enjoyed myself being there, would definitely plan a longer stay soon!!

An experience in itself, one has to be very conscious in making a decision to live a simple life. No source of income, live with nature with minimum needs to sustain oneself. Basic concept is all are one, no religion, caste or creed. Use of solar energy for just seven hours a day, cook your own meals as per your expertise in one kitchen and dine together, these are a few self imposed restraints.