At Home In Nature

Dhaval Chandarana discovered a new side to life after living in harmony with nature at the Sadhana Forest in Auroville

- Dhaval Chandarana

When I first visited Sadhana Forest back in 2011, a new world had opened up to me. I had lived in the city all my life and Sadhana had left me quite amazed.

To clear the mystery, Sadhana Forest is a volunteer driven reforestation project in Auroville, South India. All the work is divided amongst volunteers. It receives over a 1000 volunteers every year. It is self-sustaining in many ways as it is completely solar powered and pumps water for its daily needs. One of the main reasons that drew me to Sadhana Forest was the fact that it is completely vegan and follows a zerowaste model. The leftover food is composted for better soil, the whole community is almost plastic-free, and they have a small recycling hut where some of the waste gets recycled and separated. The soaps, the tooth powder, the laundry detergent, and other necessities are all natural and eco-friendly and cause no harm to the soil.

I never knew something like it existed so close to me. Pretty soon, Sadhana had become home to me. There are still times when I feel jealous of people visiting Sadhana for the first time. I remember how wide-eyed I had been with excitement. Every part, every process had been like a new world to me. Something I had never experienced before, and I know I’m not going to feel like the first time again.

The inner quest