Applications close on 30th April. Program commences 1st August 2025. Click here to go to the application form.
Today, the way our knowledge system is set up, it is possible for a city bred person to go through school and then higher education followed by a doctorate in a subject like economics from the most reputable institutions in India and abroad, and subsequently become influential in policy making — without having interacted with a farmer or an artisan, a pastoralist, an adivasi or a construction worker. In fact, such has been the journey of many at the highest levels of policy making and academic discourse.
Our education system is disconnected from the rhythms of nature and from the life of ordinary people. It is no wonder then, that ecological and social issues have reached a crisis point and we are struggling to do anything about them even with the right intentions. Perhaps we need a new way of seeing the world, a knowledge which is embedded in nature and society.
The Pagdandi Fellowship is an invitation to slow down, step off the highway, and find new ways in the forest. It is a journey from knowledges of disconnection to knowledges of rooted connection. It is a deliberate slowing down to see more of the world and notice what’s before our eyes. It is a walk of contemplation to come into balance of mind, senses and spirit. It is an initiation into life-long inquiry.
This path is not well paved. It is stony in some parts and muddy in others. There are bright spots and dark patches. Sometimes the trail disappears, and after a while it appears again. It does not promise certainties and you don’t quite know where you will end up.
Welcome to the Pagdandi Fellowship.
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Pagdandi Fellowship is a six month full time higher learning program offered by the Pagdandi Collective. It is a fully residential program which will move across four locations in North India. It consists of rigorous academic courses with senior faculty, immersive learning with rural and urban communities, and practical hands-on learning. The Fellowship will accept between four to six candidates for the year 2025-26.
The Fellowship will commence on 1st August at Delhi. The first four months, August to November, will be taken up by the learning program, which will consist of one month each at Delhi, Dutkanedhar (Nainital, Uttarakhand), Sarnath (Benaras, UP) and Indrana (Jabalpur, MP). The last two months, December and January, will consist of the volunteering program during which Fellows will work at one of these locations.
The pedagogy of the learning program will draw from and traverse various formats—from seminars and satsangs to public talks and baithaks. It will have academic courses covering themes like History, Philosophy, Agriculture, Economy, Science, Technology, Artisanship and Aesthetics. There will be lectures and discussions with senior faculty and regular reading, of up to 200 pages per week. Proficiency in both English and Hindi is required. Alongside lectures and readings for these courses, fellows will immerse in the life of the community and engage with hands-on work in various settings including on farms, construction sites and craft workshops. They will also assist the organisers in the organising of the Fellowship. Thus the program is intellectually, physically and emotionally demanding.
After the Learning Program, the Fellows will engage in two months of volunteering work at one of the Ashrams. Fellows will be in service of the Ashram and be required to do a variety of jobs from the day to day running of the place to organising programs or conducting specific research. They will be under the instructions of one of the Fellowship Elders and will learn by closely working with them for the duration of this period.
During the program, Fellows will be provided with simple shared Ashram style accommodation. Food will be taken care of, with participants sometimes cooking themselves and otherwise being provided simple home cooked vegetarian meals. Travel will be in Sleeper Class.
The Fellows will be required to limit their use of electronic devices and consumption of digital media during the duration of the fellowship. They will follow a routine and a program prescribed by the organisers for the duration of the Fellowship. It is important to be mindful of local customs and sensibilities and learn through respectful relationships. The use of intoxicating substances is not permitted.
The Fellowship is open to students between 20 to 30 years of age who carry an abiding curiosity about the world and are keen to go deeper and beyond institutional learning. Applicants must be willing to challenge themselves and explore the world outside their comfort zones.
In order to be selected for the program, the applicant should have participated in at least one residential program organised by the Pagdandi Collective. If you have not attended a program yet, please find out about upcoming programs that you can attend by subscribing to our Substack. Meanwhile, you can fill the application form here.
Upcoming Program
Food and Agriculture
The Fellowship is facilitated by a group of friends who have been on this learning journey for the last 10 years, especially beyond formal institutions. We have been organizing dialogues and writing on public issues and facilitating courses and workshops over the last 5 years. Central to our journeys have been the relationships which we have cultivated with places, communities and elders who have engaged with important public issues. The Fellowship is a product of these relationships.
The Fellowship is offered as a gift through the contributions of several people who wish to see such a program running. There is no admission fee, however students may offer a dakshina/gift upon the completion of the program. If you share our vision and if you would like to contribute towards organising this program please get in touch with us.
Selection for the Fellowship will be based on the application submitted and participation in a program organised by the Pagdandi Collective. The Application Window closes on 30th April 2025.
Please click here to access the Application Form.
For more inquiries, please write to us at pagdandi.collective@gmail.com
More details are available on the Pagdandi Blog. Contact: Aryaman Jain (99582 16334)
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