Reforestation Volunteer Program in Southern India

When I first arrived in Sadhana Forest, I knew I was in for a truly unique experience. I have been curious about learning more about sustainable living and veganism, Sadhana Forest felt like the best place to be. This is my first time living in a community and it has been amazing staying with like-minded people who are very open and accepting.
My journey at Sadhana Forest began as a fellow for Plant4India, a program that focuses on water conservation and reforestation in different villages in India. Through Plant4India training and forest sevas, I learned how to understand the land, dig trenches, make mounds, and plant trees. The experience was very grounding and I felt really good working with the community in the forest.
The dedication of the community to sustainable living is truly inspiring, and I experienced it through the compost toilets, hand washing stations, zero waste bins, and the huts (and many more). Walking through the lush greenery, I could feel the harmony between humans and the environment. The passion and care that the community pours into nurturing the land is a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we prioritize the Earth.
Sadhana Forest is a place for anyone who is seeking a closer connection with nature and a path toward personal growth. If you are someone who is looking for an escape from the hustles of the city, I definitely recommend Sadhana Forest as it offers peace and a unique way of living. Life here moves at a different pace, I loved waking up to the soothing sounds of nature, feeling a deep sense of peace I hadn't experienced in a long time.
The meal preparation and dining are one of my favorite experiences. In the community, we cook meals together and everyone would sit down to eat together as a family. My first meal at Sadhana Forest felt very welcoming as when you sit for the meal first time, the community welcomes you and accepts you with open hearts. The food here is very delicious, healthy, and organically sourced.
My favorite seva also includes Gaushala, this was my first time being around the cows and it was one of the best things. During my seva, I got to interact with the cows by brushing them and making food for them. It's amazing how animals can understand you without saying a word and connect with you with just their eyes. Some cows would just come to me and allow me to brush them and create a bond with them.
My stay at Sadhana Forest has been a very healing process for me. The open and welcoming environment provides the perfect canvas for self-discovery. Whether I was participating in sevas, communal activities, attending eye-opening workshops, hosting non-talent shows or simply meditating under the trees, every moment felt like a step toward personal growth. I found myself connecting with people from various walks of life, sharing stories and insights that enriched my understanding of the world.

My experience was unique because for the first time I felt like everyone could allow themselves to be true and authentic, while usually in society humans hide aspects of themselves in order to fit in. I resonate with the community’s values a lot, veganism gets supported, there’s lots of love for animals. Core values are compassion, unschooling, giving, seva and so much more. During the sevas we had lots of fun and I enjoyed the forest and goshala the most. Every day I had the chance to decide which seva I’d like to do. I felt very respected as a human being and enjoyed all the different workshops (sharing circle, non talent show, etc)

I'm a 19 year old, who came to Sadhana Forest with one of my friends as a volunteer and I met lot of people from different backgrounds and ages!

All the days of my stay here, I did activities while being mindful and calm. I could notice that I became a very interactive person and was patient enough. It is a really great place and the people here are welcoming.

I'm excited to share this to my friends and bring them here! I'm sure they will enjoy the little details and funny stories that I will share. But most importantly, they will want to hear about my experience so they can make a more informed decision about whether or not this a good fit for them.

If you want to be surrounded by a forest tucked away in Auroville with a bunch of strangers but still feel perfectly at home, then Sadhana Forest is the place for you.

I came here for the community values, to be surrounded by nature, to eat fresh organic food and mainly to be a part of a community that valued all these. I got all these and many more, I served my minimum period of 4 days and going back feels like I'm leaving home.

I'm so grateful for this place because I'm taking back with me so much more than I could ever even imagine. I hope to come back and join this place for longer and if you're reading this review, I really think you should come here too, I'm sure you'll find something you didn't know you were seeking for.

The commitment to prioritise low-impact living practices, implementing off-grid systems, vegan gaushala, dry composting toilets, and solar energy solutions is what initially drew me towards Sadhana Forest. After coming here, I realised it’s completely true.

I wanted to be a part of a collective action where I can be reminded every day, that together we can make a difference in restoring and preserving the ecosystems; and Sadhana Forest fulfilled that for me.

The most beautiful thing here to experience was a sense of being in a family. Having support from volunteers, from all around the world, who have come together and share their experiences, values and skills. It’s amazing how I got to learn so many things, through different perspectives & approaches while doing sevas.

Here, people accept you the way you are, without any judgments or willingness to change you. I never felt I had to put a mask on here, and try to blend in this community; I was able to be real and raw and also experience others as humans first.

Working in a vegan gaushala, cow sanctuary, was a unique experience. From learning their traumatic past experiences about how they have been rescued; to earning their trust and knowing they can communicate with you, be it in any language. They know their names, and will come to you as you call them. I assumed it would be difficult and a very long process to build a connection with all the cows and bulls, but talking to them gently, giving them space and loving them is the key I learnt.

I heard about this place a long time ago, and was finally able to come volunteer a few months ago. I was expecting a lot, and yet I wasn't prepared for all that I experienced here.

The most incredible thing about this place in my opinion is the community. Living with people who all share the same values, are here for each other in the most compassionate way possible, and all striving for the same purpose is the one thing that was truly missing from my life before. Being independant is not a requirement in this life. Being able to rely on a small group of people, live with them, share anything with them and know that whatever happens, they will accept me for who I am is actually so much better. The concept of gift economy was also something that made me see the world in a different way. Giving to others without expecting anything in return, knowing that everything in this life is available in abundance and using that abundance to spread as much love as possible. That's something I never even thought about before, so stuck was I in our current system.

The second best thing is nature. Living here is not living in nature, it is being a part of nature, just as much as any other animal living in this forest. You can directly see the consequences of every action. Washing your hands? It waters the trees next to it too. Same for washing the dishes or showering. Cooking and eating? Anything that would be thrown away is given to the dogs, cows or composted. And all of it makes the forest greener, denser and full of life. We are nature, and nature is all around us.

I would recommend this place to every single human being on Earth. Some of it could be hard to get used to for some people, but the positives are so overwhelmingly amazing that stepping out of your comfort zone to come here would be worth it. Simply a life changing experience.

I’ve know about this selfless pocket of green for a long time but to actually experience it in person is like eden.

The serenity of the forest washes over you, inspiring you to be the best version of yourself. Growth Is a corner stone of Sadhana Forest.

Personally, the city life just got too overwhelming and I needed a space to escape to which would allow me to self reflect and grow. This community, their ideology, and my interactions with like minded people and the forest itself really helped facilitate this.

To be a part of nature in such an intrinsic way, and to give back to the community and forest felt transformative - the metamorphosis I so desperately wanted seems so much more tangible now.

Apart from the self development, to really feel part of a community (even within the short span I was here) and work towards something so much bigger feels really fulfilling and nourishing to the soul.
Being an architecture student I feel so much more confident applying the sustainable techniques that I learnt during my stay in my practices.

Coming here was a truly transformative process for me and I would urge everyone to visit at least once in their life.

We all look forward in life exploring and experiencing different things. And that's how I initially reached Sadhana Forest.

This place felt more like a place where I belong to. The people here are the warmest people I have ever met. This place helped me connect to nature better than before, it helped me connect with myself more deeply and with the community too!

Living in Sadhana forest helped me understand nature, the vegan food that Sadhana Forest offers helped me connect with my body and health much better. Sadhana Forest is surely a place where I would like to raise my kids. It is a place I would like to settle down at. Sadhana Forest is a place for everyone.

Would I recommend any others to go to Sadhana Forest? That would be a 100 percent yes! And if someone asks me why one should go there, I would say that you will find your own answers once you get there.