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Volunteer-run, vegan, wholefood restaurant that shares meals as a gift, free of charge, to all who wish to eat here. Set in a hut built from local natural materials, the meals are prepared in an off-grid solar-powered kitchen by volunteers from around the world, bringing people together to connect over plant-based food. No reservations are needed. For dietary restrictions, contact at least 3 hours before the meal by phone or WhatsApp. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-9:30am, Mon-Sun 12:00pm-1:30pm, Mon-Wed 5:30pm-7:00pm, Fri 7:00pm-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-10:00am, 5:30pm-7:00pm.
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
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Last update on 21 May 2026 by Aviram
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Added by BadassJB on 09 Nov 2011
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240 Reviews
First Review by vegantommasina
roosyaline
Points +20
Sadhana Forest - Edit
Free vegan meals! Such a great project to spread awareness, lovely people and great nutritious food!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-04-27
Guest
Andro
Points +221
Vegan Community in the forest - Edit
Very nice place in Nature; quiet, far from traffic and agglomerations.
Read moreThe healthy food is cooked in community work.
Guest
Andreas79
Points +89
Food you don't expect... - Edit
...considering that living in the forest is frugal w/o any amenities, they manage to prepare amazingly diverse and tasty meals. Was volunteering there for 2 weeks, and except for breakfast (which is always fruit ragi or poha) I probably never had the same dish twice. And it's always really tasty.
Read morePros: Diverse food; always can get seconds, Community, Guests get free food as a gift
Cons: Sitting on the floor
Guest
JoëlleHooijer
Points +18
Healthy, nutritious and colorful food - Edit
Sadhana forest in itself is an amazing movement and community. And you can taste it in their food. You can feel your body adjusting and gaining more energy after eating the great Sadhana Forest food. As the community is completely vegan and off-grid, the food is always plantbased and prepared on an actual fire. Delicious, nutritious!
Read moreGuest
Lukas_der_Zauberer
Points +11
Sadhana Forest Goodness - Edit
Healthy vegan food cooked with love.
Read morePros: Whole foods, Local foods
Guest
GeeZee
Points +1360
Vegan Garden of Eden - Edit
Delicious meals shared with anyone who happens to drop in. Also, free vegan chai and laddus at their tea hut. 🛖
Read moreVegan paradise! Seriously! Sadhana Forest is the garden of Eden and a must for Vegan travelers.
Updated from previous review on 2026-01-19
Pros: The pinnacle of Vegan community , Vegan food, people, practices and community; 100%
Cons: So amazing that you may never want to leave
Guest
shree.k
Points +36
Awesome Possum!! - Edit
I volunteered at Sadhana Forest in 2024. It was an amazing experience! To be in the middle of the forest - learning more about eco-friendly, sustainability, vegan lifestyle, community living - altogether made a profound impact on me. Happy to have contributed and learnt so much from the community! Would highly recommend - whether it's a random visit, Friday tour, or volunteering! Awesome experience!!
Read morePros: Sustainable living, Coexistence, Food & Overall Lifestyle
Guest
Audrey8597
Points +16
Highly recommended ! - Edit
Eating at Sadhana forest is not only about eating. It’s about community, compassion, sharing, being grateful…
Read moreThe food is non produced food, vegan, cooked in firewood, and is soooo colorful and tasty every day !
We wait that everybody get a plate before sharing a moment of silence and finally we eat together, as a family.
It’s a hole experience, that makes every meal taste so special.
You might not be vegan, but you will for sure love this food and this special moment with us ! For sure you will come back !
I feel that this kind of food is healing me, I hope you will enjoy it too.
Pros: Non proceed food , Eating in community , Tasty
Guest
AarushKapoor
Points +13
Sadhana Forest - Edit
Amazing stay, amazing people. Living here changed me.
Read moreGuest
VAMSI11492081
Points +16
Lovely people, lovely 🍲food - Edit
I love all the vegan meals so much here.
Read moreGuest
PennyTree
Points +18
Tree/food/community heaven ✌🏼💚🌳 - Edit
Sadhana Forest, you arrive and feel the change in energy straight away. There is always somewhere to guid u to where u need to go. Everyday was a wonderful surprise when we sat down for meals, u never wanted for more…. Except for maybe the extra extra amazing things (a desert I’m still thinking about days later)
Read moreThere was always someone to talk to and so many interesting people/stories to listen to if you felt shy to talk. I miss you already Sadhana Forest
Pros: Delicious food , Interesting loving people, And beautiful surroundings
Cons: Peas! I don’t like peas 😬
Guest
MungiTasneem
Points +16
Place to grow. - Edit
Wholesome plant based food cooked with love and care.
Read moreGuest
SwatiDhariwal
Points +16
Stay at sadhana forest - Edit
The experience of living in a vegan forest during the vegan forest festival was just awesome!! Met so many like minded vegans, listened to so many inspiring talks and attended workshops and yoga sessions!!! Over all it was a fantastic weekend ❤️
Read morePros: So close to nature , Whole food plant based meals, Bio toilets
Guest
devanaveen
Points +34
Mukesh - Edit
I have already visited sadhana forest last year too for two times.Oncec in the month of May and second in the month of aug/sept and the experience was so overwhelming thar I couldn't stop myself to visit again this year in the month of Feb. In the month of Feb sadhana forest organises vegan forest festival every year. So I attended it too. Basically I came here for volunteering and I volunteered during festival too. Seeing vegans from different places of the country it was really the moments of joy. Around 1300 people attended the festival and they all were so happy around the hospitality of sadhana forest. There are many volunteers like me here working day and night to make this vegan festival eventful. There were many vegan activists doing sessions here also. It was third edition of the vegan forest festival and I have attended it first time. I missed last too. But now this is clear that I will have to come every year for the festival. So basically sadhana forest is a community living around 70 acres of reforestation project. Anybody can come here who loves the natural way of living. This is situated near auroville. Actually technically this is a part of auroville. So we can stay here in private huts or dormitories. Volunteers here do everything on their own including three meals of the day. All the meals are vegan,oil free and near organic. They provide a lot of fruits in the breakfast alongwith millets. We can enjoy something special to eat in the evening of saturdays also. So living here is a beautiful experience for everyone who wants to live in a community working together.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-02-23
Pros: All the vegan,oil free and near about organic food, Effective and powerful vegan activism., People are around loving and non judgemental.
Cons: There can't be any dislike.
Guest
AditiTrivedi
Points +13
yummy food - Edit
so yummy please come
Read morePros: vegan food, good community
Cons: nothing
Guest
dinu1510
Points +13
Must visited place. - Edit
Love their hospitality.. Loves their management... Love their teamwork.... Loves all of them... Must visit places.
Read moreGuest
saravanakumar
Points +16
all the to nature - Edit
we can feel the real view of nature from the food to the activities and the people we meet and the community
Read morePros: food, sevas, people
Cons: NA
Guest
RevatiBargale
Points +22
Excellent food and ambience - Edit
People, nature, food and place 👌
Read moreGuest
PraveenSuryen
Points +6
Beautiful sustainable living - Edit
Beautiful hospitality, happy Satvik place well skilfully organised, awesome and delicious food .. love to visit again 💚✨
Read moreGuest
PoojaKumari
Points +16
Beautiful experience - Edit
Sadhana forest gives a beautiful and alternative ways to experience life, food, people, which is all full of compassion
Read moreGuest
nayccc
Points +16
Awareness Abounds - Edit
If you want to experience an ocean (or a mud pool of awareness, or just want to have an experience that will renew and regenerate you, be sure to stop by at Sadhana Forest. You may never want to leave! You will surely carry a seed for Sadhana Forest to plant where you live.
Read moreAnd the wholistic plant food you eat is seeped in delicious awareness so it will nourish your whole being. For a collective resonance and amplification, make it a point to be part of the yearly Vegan Forest Festival. You will truly understand what it means to have a transformative experience that touches every aspect of your life.
Updated from previous review on 2025-02-19
Guest
archanathiagarajan
Points +27
Ethically vegan - Edit
You don’t have to have second thoughts about the food you are eating.
Read moreIt’s vegan, cruelty free and healthy!!
Pros: Locally sourced , Cooked by volunteers , Good portion and healthy
Cons: Not all the food will suit the taste buds
Guest
MadhavanRajesh
Points +16
Awesome Vegan Food - Edit
Was there for their annual forest festival this year and I can't even begin to tell you how awesome the food was!
Read moreEvery morsel was so intentional and wholesome that I didn't eat anywhere else in all the time I spent in Pondicherry that weekend. It's simple and delicious, can't wait to go back!
While you're at it do have a look at their Sustainability and animal rights initiatives, they're doing some amazing things in the space.
Pros: Simplicity , Taste, Organic
Guest
VarunSharma
Points +57
Come and experience Volunteering here - Edit
Volunteering at Sadhana Forest is an experience you must have! Oh my God, you will love it. Using sustainable toilets and cleaning them is actually the most fun part! Even though I’m a chef, cooking is technically my second favorite part. Planting trees, working with compost, and being around the whole team—every project director and volunteer has the most vibrant energy. They also organize an incredible annual Vegan Forest Festival! I just finished my second festival and my second visit here, and I can’t wait to return every year.
Read moreIt’s my first time living and volunteering here for an extended period, and I’m so looking forward to many more. There’s something so fulfilling about being part of a community that values sustainability, simplicity, and service. The days here are filled with meaningful work, deep connections, and a sense of purpose that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Sadhana Forest is truly a place you must experience!
Pros: Nature, Healthy Food, Lovely community
Guest
PrathikshaHegde
Points +18
A life changing experience - Edit
Sadhana Forest stands as a living, breathing answer to our climate crisis. This magical place proves that sustainable living isn't just a dream, it can be your reality. From mindful zero waste practices to vegan meals, every detail shows how we can live in harmony with our planet. Beyond the practices, it's the beautiful souls I met here who've shown me that a better world is possible. So grateful for this placeA
Read morePros: Healing food, Community living, Zero waste lifestyle
Cons: Nothing, even the compostable toilets grow on you
Guest
nevinm
Points +6
Sustainable Vegan Living - Edit
Awesome place to volunteer to learn sustainable lifestyle and have tasty vegan food
Read moreGuest
NarhariGupta
Points +16
Amazing experience during the Sadhana Forest Fest - Edit
Had an ecstatic experience during the Sadhana Vegan Forest Fest. The food, environment and people, all are amazing!
Read moreWould recommend everyone to visit and explore Sadhana Forest.
Guest
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