A volunteer-based organization focused on reforestation and food security in arid areas. Established in India, Haiti and Kenya. This location is in a tropical dry evergreen forest and is entirely run on solar energy. Hosts a vegan festival annually. Serves three vegan meals per day (2 at the weekend), blending influences from different regions. Organic whenever possible and fresh from local farms. There is no charge - food is offered as a gift. Down the street at 0.2 miles is its tea shop which serves organic tea and vegan laddus (no charge). Also offers free guided tours of the off-grid community, forest, and vegan farm animal sanctuary every day and throughout the day. Every Friday, from 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm, hosts the Eco-Film Club, which includes a tour of the community and forest, a screening of an environmental documentary, and a vegan meal. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-9:30am, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Mon-Wed 5:30pm-7:00pm, Fri 7:00pm-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-10:00am, Sat 5:30pm-8:00pm, Sun 5:30pm-7:00pm. Serves meals at these times.
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
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Last update on 16 Aug 2024 by Aviram
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Added by BadassJB on 09 Nov 2011
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162 Reviews
First Review by vegantommasina
Fidayahya
Points +10
Sadhana forest - Edit
I loved how they prepared and served food, bringing people together. The food in Sadhana forest was vegan and it’s so good and hygienic.
Read moreGuest
ChinmayeeSwamy
Points +13
Experiencing Vegan diet - Edit
Sadhana forest is an organization that follows vegan diet. Visitors and volunteers are not allowed to bring any processed or packaged food. Being a vegetarian who loves spicy food, it was hard to eat only vegan food throughout my stay. But it was nice experience!
Read morePros: Will get healthy food, Chemicals free food
Cons: Vegan diet might be hard for people staying for lo, Non spicy food fo
Guest
SreedeviAjikumar
Points +20
The most compassionate I have been - Edit
The entirely vegan diet is not the only thing that this community does to show compassion to animals. The cows they have are rescued cows that give little or no profit to them. We know how costly keeping a cow is.
Read morePros: Shows you an alternate way to love, You get to practice selflessness, Really healthy food
Cons: Weather might be uncomfortable, Getting used to the schedule takes a while, Mosquitoes
Guest
AnanyaK
Points +21
Volunteering at Sadhana forest - Edit
The venue is pretty affordable for the facilities and lifestyle it provides. Coconut milk is used largely instead of cow milk, and a lot of the dishes here also do not use processed food, alongside being completely vegan.
Read moreAlthough I wasn't mentally prepared to begin with, given the kind of alternative living this involves, once you do get used to it, it's really completely fine. There is a built-in community here, with many people to guide you through the volunteering process.
The place is quite pretty, too - being a proper forest with a lot of different species of birds and a mud pool to cool off in after seva.
Eventually, you do begin to realise how a lot of different everdyday things can not only be recycled, but upcycled. It is a self-sustaining place where all waste goes back in through a different process that makes it useful somewhere else, at least as much as is possible, which I find interesting.
Pros: Friendly community, Good portions of food
Cons: Heat in may
Guest
kalpika
Points +17
What an experience - Edit
Sadhana Forest as an organisation emphasises on the importance of veganism to conserve the animals and the environment in general. The food here prepared is eggcellent, minus any eggs. The raw materials are locally sourced and there's abundance of vegetables and fruits in every meal. Although the meals aren't seasoned enough, they are very nutritious and healthy.
Read morePros: Veggies and fruits , Millets , Banana counter
Cons: No seasoning so bland
Guest
AbiramiSethumanickam
Points +10
Veganism at Sadhana Forest - Edit
The vegan food here is made with a lot of care and precision. It's a good place to experience veganism.
Read morePros: The food is strictly vegan
Cons: The taste is a bit bland
Guest
Tujain
Points +13
Vegan Experience At Sadhana Forest - Edit
So I visited Sadhana Forest because I was a little confused about my life and I wanted some time alone to think about all the issues happening in my life. I needed to find an answer to them and I always wanted to have a more minimalistic life that is connected to nature but I never had the chance previously.
Read moreWhen I learnt about Sadhana Forest, the life I imagined and never experienced, I finally got the chance to try it. I packed my bags and came to Chennai from Udaipur, Rajasthan.
So if you ask me now, if I achieved what I wanted in Sadhana then the answer is YES! Outside of seva, I get my own free time to be explore my interests. I also got the first-hand experience in helping take care of the forest and animals, like the cows and dogs here. The food they serve here is pure VEGAN and it is very healthy and I feel that my health has improved.
Pros: Pure Vegan food, Very healthy lifestyle
Cons: Need to wake up early
Guest
K31van
Points +20
Great learnings - Edit
The community is the best part of Sadhana Forest. It's a dynamic community centered around compassion and sustainability that expands and contracts all the time. But the friendship and comradery are always constant. It is a place where the east meets the west in perfect harmony. I left my country 44 years ago, and this is the closest I have come to "home." The hardest part is saying goodbye to friends.
Read moreSleeping huts are comfortable and rustic. Made of all natural material. My first impression was Robinson Crusoe's hut. Waking up to the sound of birds is the best part.
The food is great. Plant based whole food. Just my style. The breakfasts are heavenly with so many different types of fruit. Other meals are a mix of internal cuisine depending on the lead cook. No one goes hungry here. Most people socialize during meals. I usually eat mindfully in silence.
Goshala is a unique experience.
"The place of cows." Every cow and bull has their own personality. It can get exciting at times, especially around meal times. Most of them love to be brushed. They actually show you the part that they need brushed. And tell you when they don't like something or when they're done.
The tea hut is the most amazing place. The ambiance is great. It reminds me of the old west. The servers are awesome, too. I jokingly refer to the pair as the cute bar girl and the bouncer. A place to unwind and socialize.
Updated from previous review on 2023-05-04
Guest
Nidhi13190
Points +17
Conscious Living - Edit
The experience I had here made me realise how we can still be kinder to every living creature and how I can coexist. It was an amazing exposure for my 6 years young daughter to get to live in and being cared by mother nature and it's elements and she learnt how to care for it in return. We have a LOT of take aways definitely to implement in our daily lives. It just lit my conscious a bit more and I feel a lot of blanks got filled up. Being an unschooling family, a community like this, I had always been looking for. I am glad my daughter found a home in nature with a wonderful caring and conscious living community. So grateful to have got a chance to be the part and contribute something through seva to remain the part of this place forever. A warm stay with a lot of memories for life. Coming back soon..😇
Read moreGuest
Charlotte268268
Points +20
Nourishing vegan food. - Edit
Sadhana forest is a vegan community, offering food to visitors with a gift economy.
Read moreThe food is prepared and cooked lovingly by volunteers living in the forest. The food is always colourful, balanced and nourishing. There is plenty of it!
We sit down as a community and are served food by the volunteers.
Pros: Food is healthy, Eating in community , Tasty and delicious
Guest
ChandanR
Points +39
Life in a Vegan Forest! - Edit
Sadhana Forest is a voluntary organisation focused on indigenous reforestation and water conservation.
Read moreVolunteers live in a 100% vegan community and do 'seva', selfless service, together. It is the first time that I had experienced community living, and that too in a vegan community. It has simply been an incredible journey and I am so grateful that I found Sadhana Forest! It has changed my life!
Before coming to Sadhana Forest, I used to be a heavy non vegetarian eater and was dismissive of the vegan lifestyle. However since coming here, I have learnt soo much about veganism and its benefits towards the animals, the environment and myself. At the same time, I have also learnt so much about the meat and diary industry that I was previously, subconsciously ignoring.
All the volunteers here are kind, nurturing, and open-minded. They along with the healthy yet delicious wholefood vegan meals cooked here convinced me to turn vegan myself. Seriously, the food is extremely delicious! Better still, the food is not only completely vegan, but even salt and oil are used very minimally. And despite a lot of the food cooked here being Indian, no chili or such spices are used in order for the food to be palatable for everyone! Yet it still remains extremely tasty!
Sadhana Forest is a place that raises awareness about environmentalism, veganism, sustainability, and compassionate community living! Best of all, it leads by example and shows that it is 100% possible to implement these core values into our daily lives!
For those of you who haven't been here, I could not more HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place! Whether you are vegan, vegan-curious, vegetarian or non vegetarian or anything else, this place is a must visit! It will certainly be a life-changing experience!
Updated from previous review on 2023-04-27
Pros: Compassionate community, Delicious vegan meals, Participate in reforestation work
Cons: Need a couple days to adjust to forest life, Can get little hot in the summer, You might just have too much fun!
Guest
CiriacaErre
Points +16
Vegan volunteering! - Edit
After one year since I started my project researching Utopian Community and “Humanity”, and marching for Peace and the Planet, I finally arrived in Sadhana Forest in Auroville.
Read moreIt has been so precious to live in the forest, volunteer for it, and eat non-processed vegan food and meet so many amazing people along the way. I loved every moment despite the hot season. So precious to volunteer for reforestation in a compassionate and kind environment that matches all of my core values.
A place you definitely should not miss!
Pros: a place of compassion and love, education about veganism, cow sanctuary
Guest
GeorgHolden
Points +13
A great place for learning about sustainable living. - Edit
I had a great time volunteering at Sadhana forest. Learning a lot about sustainable ways of living, how to Cook vegan food, planting trees in the forest and interacting with likeminded people.
Read moreThe surrounding of the forest is very plessant and relaxing, and the food that is cooked in the kitchen is delicious and healthy.
I would higly recomend others to come and volunteer if you are corious and want to learn more about alternative and sustainable ways of living.
Thank you for everything sadhana forest!
Guest
Aviram
Points +77
Experience of a lifetime - Edit
You can visit Sadhana Forest and experience the vibe of a true community that aspires to live compassionately towards humans, animals, plants and the Earth!
Read moreYou can join anytime for a meal. The food is cooked with love, joy and dedication. It is wholefood plant-based. You are treated as a guest, there is no charge for visiting and joining for a meal.
Try joining on Friday evening for the tour, documentary night and the Friday dinner.
Pros: Wholefood plant-based, Community atmosphere, Gift economy
Guest
anishajain
Points +21
Vegan. Organic. Delicious. Zerowaste. - Edit
Venue - a lush regenerating forest where you feel one with nature! A bamboo hut with floor seating, observing a moment of silence before you dive in to eat.
Read moreService - food cooked and served by compassionate volunteers, where you are warmly welcomed to feel a part of the forest community!
Food - Unlimited, nutritious, unprocessed, vegan, and yummy! A treat for all your senses!
Price - free of cost as this place believes in gifting culture. Can you believe it - in this day and age !!
Pros: Zerowaste - no leftover goes wasted , Complimentary forest tour
Guest
toratas
Points +677
Made me vegan ♥ - Edit
Lived here for 6 weeks and became vegan 5 years ago 😇
Read moreGo visit on their Friday tour and film show, free dinner included 🥦
Guest
SoyStina
Points +3817
Community Feel - Edit
What can I say? You come to their beautiful setting in the forest and get served free vegan food, everybody eating together. You can take a tour around the place and learn about the project. Also they screened Cowspiracy when I was there. It’s a must go!
Read morePros: Vegan, Serves free with love
Guest
PeterAsholt
Points +22
Community dining experience - Edit
Any day you come to sadhana forest, you'll be served delicious, heathy, filling vegan food, cooked by the volunteers at the project. The food here is in tune with the projects visions and principles in that it promotes a connection with nature, the body and the mind. Also as a bonus everyone here is very nice and usually also open-minded, and everyone eats together so please feel free to strike up a conversation!
Read moreOh and did I mention that everything is free? Gift-economy, yo! Enjoy!
Pros: Healthy, vegan food, Community dining, optional social interaction, Sustainable production and acquisition
Cons: Not good if you want to eat in peace and privacy, Not unlimited amounts, You get what they make. No other options
Guest
ArunSK
Points +20
Serene living - Edit
I love the food in this place. It has changed my food habits and turned me into a pure vegan. :)
Read moreGuest
BaptisteGueguen
Points +13
First Community - Edit
Hello ! Somes words to tell you my feelings about Sadanah Forest. Actually i'm here since 5 days and staying for one month, the beginning of a new experience, and already satisfy !
Read moreSatisfy to wake up in the morning and go in the forest, enjoying the nature during the fisrt hours of the day. I feel myself on good rails until the evening.
Satisfy to feel welcome in this community. It's so easy to take part in the everyday lifes, the organisation is simple and efficient. The fisrt days were quite intense, i need more days to get used to the rythm !
Satisfy about the vegan food ! So many dishes, all so tasty, always need to tell myself "dont eat to much, listen your stomac, you gonna explose !"
I looking for the coming moments to live in this place make of love and trees !
Pros: Love animals, Tasty food, Values into action
Guest
Follioti
Points +15
Very tasty food - Edit
Eating at Sadhana forest is a great moment, very respectful to the nature and to ourselves. The meals are always different and each contains raw and cooked food. As you can eat as much as you want, there is food for everybody's tastes. In each meal there is a salad with fruits, cooked food is mostly based on coconut and cinnamon, and on Fridays they use to prepare some tasty dessert. As a French and Italian I like eating raffinate food and I can say that the mix of spices here is very well done.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Nice vibe, Big portions
Guest
SylfiBla
Points +16
great free vegan food cooked by the community - Edit
The sadhana forest community invites you to free vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Varied and yummy !
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2020-03-17
Pros: excellent food, free, welcoming community
Guest
gerritebeling
Points +20
Organic awesomeness - Edit
Duuuuude!!! How delicious!!!
Read moreThis place really shows that plant based food is all you need.
All that food you get here is organic. I believe it can really encourage anyone to try out living a plant-based diet themselves.
Come and try it out😄
The Sadhana forest gift community kindly invites you for breakfast/lunch or dinner.
You‘ll be surprised with delicious dishes and awesome conversations within the community.
Pros: Friendly people, Organic food, Unbelievable delicious
Guest
KatsumiWinTanaka
Points +24
amazing place - Edit
Sadhana forest is amazing place!
Read moreVery ecology, liveing with nature and animals,
Nice vegan foods, fruits , composts, electronic from solar, swimming mad poo...
all thinks make feel I liveing on the mother of earth.This is beautiful! and then learn for some volunteer work . I would love to stay longer in Sadhana forest.
Guest
BeatrizBerlaDoVale
Points +20
Free vegan food nourished with love - Edit
Having breakfast, lunch or dinner in Sadhana Forest is way more than receiving free amazing vegan food, is about getting to know a new way of living and hope for a more compassionate world.
Read moreThe food is carefully prepared by the chefs and their teams in a wood stove, with the best ingredients, mostly organic. And it’s served by the volunteers that don’t expect nothing back but the welfare of the guests.
Pros: Great environment , Healthy and free food , Wonderful company
Guest
XanderduToit
Points +32
Health is wealth - Edit
How absolutely amazing it is that visitors can come eat for free at this place. no service required just come eat.
Read moreFrom traditional Indian dishes to experimental beetroot gnocchi all hand made in the fire based kitchen. All eaten together as a community that is bustling with energy. you are immediately involved in conversation and an experience of an inclusive community.
the food is all made from unprocessed goods with absolute minimum of oil. i think it's restricted to 2-3ml per person (asked a volunteer) which is nearly impossible to find elsewhere (never before free of charge!)
This experience is invaluable.
I highly recommend this meal and experience!
Pros: FREE, Healthy, Community
Cons: far
Guest
eholty
Points +10
Makes it Easy to be Vegan! - Edit
Sadhana forest cooks wonderful vegan food that is delicious for everyone, not just vegans! The community is awesome and accepting. The community always eats together so there are so many conversations and it is a safe and inviting space!
Read moreGuest
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