We are living through a time when the world seems to be coming apart. Forests burn while cities flood. Heat becomes unbearable. Wars displace millions. Loneliness rises even as we become more connected than ever. The crises we witness—climate change, conflict, inequality, ecological collapse, declining mental wellbeing—are often treated as separate problems. They are not. They are expressions of the same fractured relationship: with the Earth, with one another, and with ourselves. We have become remarkably good at measuring growth, accelerating technology, and extracting value, yet increasingly uncertain about what it means to truly flourish. Perhaps the question before us is no longer How do we fix the world? but How do we remember that we belong to it?

Earth Shastra is our attempt to explore that question — not as another sustainability framework or climate initiative, but as an evolving way of seeing and acting in the world. We believe the future will not be shaped by better technologies alone, but by stronger relationships: between people and place, economy and ecology, knowledge and wisdom, action and reflection. By weaving together science, ecology, design, culture, and lived experience, Earth Shastra seeks to cultivate these relationships and translate them into meaningful action. Rather than searching only for solutions, we aim to create the conditions in which people, communities, and the living Earth can flourish together.

A 9-day immersive journey in the lap of nature, Earth Shastra brings together 30 young changemakers from across India to slow down with a community of like-hearted people and make sense of the climate emergency and converging crises of our times. It's a leadership experience to orient one’s life path as a response towards greater harmony with oneself, others and nature.

After eleven remarkable editions in Palampur, Palghar, Udaipur, Uttarakhand, Auroville and online, we are launching the 12th edition that shall happen in Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand from 26th September - 4th October, 2026 .

The program explores the interconnection between ecology and economy through a range of experiential modalities. It incorporates movement, art, play, dialogue, mentor circles, field visits, and more, enabling participants not only to understand these concepts intellectually but also to experience and embody their interconnectedness.

Details

Dates

• 9-day immersion program
• Begins at 11 a.m. on 26th September 2026 in Dineshpur and ends at 7 p.m. on 4th October 2026 in Village Sunkiya, Uttarakhand.

Location & Weather

• Kumaon Region, Uttarakhand
• Temperatures shall vary predictably between 8°C to 28°C.

Travel & Accommodation

• Food, stay and all other mandatory requirements during the program will be taken care of.
• Stay will be basic with shared accomodation and baths.
• Participants are required to reach the venue by the evening of 25th September or early morning on 26th September 2026 on their own..
• Accomodation available from Day 0 morning to Day 10 morning.

Financial Contribution

Putting together all the different parts of this whole program incurs significant financial cost, which includes costs of Facilitation, Program Design, Food, Accommodation, Transport, Material & Logistics, Mentoring etc.

The actual total cost for hosting 30 participants for 9 days is 45,000 INR per participant. Due to generous contributions of our donors and previous participants, we are able to subsidize the cost to Rs. 32,000 per participant. We hope that you are able to cover the full cost of the program. However, we understand that for some participants, this amount might be difficult, so we have a few options of partial financial assistance available to those who truly need it. The details of the same are available in the application form. While we have limted capacity to support all financial assiatance requests, we will try our best. So do not hesitate to apply if you align with the program.

Application Process

We work with the principle of mutual selection to invite participants to our programs. The hope is for the program and community to be in the service of the participants' journey and viceversa. The Application process is a three step process:

• Step 1: Filling the application form
• Step 2: A short call (around 10-15 min)
• Step 3: A longer conversation to understand each other better (around 30-40 mins)
• Note: We will confirm your selection on a rolling basis, so apply early!