Life at Sadhana Forest

I could easily say that the stay at Sadhana was one of the best experiences in my life. Saksham enjoyed there a lot. He loved being amidst the greenery and had fun as there was ample space to run and explore. I was totally at peace with the surroundings and my mind was free from all sorts of tensions.

Sadhana is a community oriented organisation and it runs on the strength of its volunteers who can choose to stay as long as they wish . A few long term volunteers are there to guide you through. Though Sadhana is a part of Auroville, it is located pretty far off from it. 

A typical day at Sadhana begins with a soft wake up bell, followed by circle time. They play some non-competitive games and hug each other to begin the day. This is followed by everyone moving to their pre-allocated Seva (service in Hindi) area. It could be working in the forest, watering the saplings, helping with breakfast cooking, general area cleanup etc. This seva runs till 0845 when a the people who have cooked breakfast get it into the main hut and everyone assembles here. Everyone sit and a group of volunteers serve you food, which you have post a moment of silence. Meal timings are when everyone gets together and is the time for announcements. New volunteers are welcomed by a Chorus " Name" Welcome. It feels good I must say.

Our hut "Muffin" at Sadhana. Isn't it so beautiful

Food at Sadhana is vegan (no animal products).  Neither is any processed or non vegan food allowed within Sadhana. Every effort is taken to make the food healthy and nutritious. Breakfasts generally is porridge with millets and a bowl of fruitts, while lunch has rice, dal and some stir fried vegetables. One of the best hot chocolate that I have ever had is at Sadhana, cooked by Yorit with coconut milk. Food is cooked to cater to the majority of the population, hence is bland and not spicy. Leftover food goes to a compost pit, so nothing is wasted. Post breakfast is a shorter seva. Afternoons and evenings are free. There are many interesting workshops conducted by volunteers in the afternoons.Worth attending!!

Sadhana is a zero waste and totally eco friendly community. It has electricity only in the main hut which is generated by the solar panels within the campus. So cloudy days means no electricity in the main hut. That is when volunteers get on the pedal generators to generate power. The mixie also runs on a similar contraption. This lights up the main hut, 2 bathroom stations and the kitchen.

Solar panels that generate electricity

Coming to water, there are no running taps anywhere. Water is pumped out of by a hand pump. To take a shower, you need to pump out water and carry them in heavy steel buckets for a distance. This ensures that you take what you need. Hand wash stations are very unique as well. There is a steel mug at a height with a hole in it, you scoop out some water from a container and put it into the mug. You wash you hands with water that trickles down. Surprisingly, that is enough to clean your hands. Used plates have a unique way of washing, thereby using the least amount of water.

Any number of plates could be washed with these 4 containers of water

Hand wash station, Pour water into the steel mug, wash your
hands with the water that trickles out

Poo and pee are also useful at Sadhana. You are allowed to pee anywhere, as they say it has ammonia and nitrogen needed for plants to grow. You poo into special containers and its not washed off. Instead saw dust is generously put on it and left for sometime. Later it is used as compost. 

There is a recycle hut which takes in all other stuff which could be recycled like plastic bottles, cartons etc. As Sadhana practices gift economy, there is a store, which houses many things like used shoes, clothes, baby basket, and everything else. Anyone is free to pick anything from there and leave anything that's not of use to you in a good condition.

Recycle Hut

Sadhana has a vibrant community of volunteers from different walks of life. While I was there I met so many interesting people and learnt a lot about other cultures. Every wednesday is an impromptu cultural performance day, when people are free to sing, dance, recite or do anything. My first day at Sadhana was a wednesday and got to witness some wonderful performances  from our own Bharatnatyam to recital on Khamoos (harp like Russian instrument), a Swedish folk dance, a French song by a mother and her kids, a group of Korean kids who presented a song and acro yoga by Shalev (Aviram & Yorit's second daughter).

Looking forward to an opportunity to go back to Sadhana.

A lowdown on volunteer tourism

Do vacations have to be about relaxing and spending time at luxurious places all the time? At least I don't think so. For me every travel opportunity is about learning something new. One holiday season that is universally same is probably the Christmas break. It is the time when everyone travels out to some place. It couldn't be a family vacation because my hubby being with the airlines, could not manage leave. So it was just me and my 6 year old.

I thought why not, try out volunteer travel.  In other words it is  a type of travel where you work towards some cause and get to travel at the same time.  Mostly catering to the gap year students, volunteer travel is a cheap and effective way of exploring a country. Many places pay a small sum for your work, while many others just provide food and shelter. More than exploring a place and contributing to a cause, it offers great experience for bonding with lots of people and serves as a learning experience. This concept is quite popular outside India and is gradually picking up roots here too. Many international organisations provide help in finding projects that one might be interested in.

So what do you do on a volunteer holiday? You could teach, work at a farm, working with underprivileged children or orphans, promote a sport, afforestation, organic farming or help in spiritual training, the opportunities are numerous. This link provides a wide range of possible opportunities in India.  

From the entire list I chose some closest to Bangalore. Many places require you to write in many months in advance and book your slot. Auroville in Pondicherry, offers lot of volunteering opportunities and one such place was Sadhana Forest. Here, volunteers are welcome all through the year without no restriction on the maximum number of volunteers. I filled up an form on their website and immediately they responded back saying that they welcome volunteering families. They were also kind enough to reserve a private hut for us on prior intimation. Sadhana is involved in reforestation of 70acres severely eroded land near Moratandi village. It aims to recreate the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest.

Accommodation for volunteers is in exchange for a 25 hour work week with additional community shifts which consists of cooking meals and cleaning after meals. Volunteers mainly plant, mulch, and water trees during the season, work on water conservation in the forest and around the community, work in their little vegan-organic vegetable garden, maintain the community area, and spend time with the community kids. Volunteers are free in the afternoons and evenings, which could be used to explore Auroville and the nearby Pondicherry. Weekends could be reserved for a little further off places like Thiruvannamalai or Mahabalipuram.

This was my attempt to provide a peek into community living, the importance of green cover on earth and the ways to build it up to my son.

Khamir : A cultural and art resource

Kachchh is no doubt a colorful place and it carries rich historical presence too. Development and preservation of the art and craft is a huge effort and Khamir short form (Kutch Heritage,Arts, Music Information and Resource) is a organisation that is involved in doing so. 

Khamir is situated at a peaceful locale on the outskirts of Bhuj near Kukma and is also pretty close to the Bhuj-Bacchau highway.In addition to its work in preserving and promoting the craft and heritage of Kachcch, also offers its guesthouses for tourists. So while you stay at Khamir, you can also witness many artisans at work, see exhibitions and workshops being held there and also shop at their craft shop which houses handicrafts from the entire area. This might in fact save you a trip to many villages to see the work actually being done. That's a different experience altogether when you can interact with the artisans themselves.

Taking utmost care to craft out his creations

We could understand the entire process of Ajrakh block printing, saw a potter at work, an artisan  weaving baskets and mats out of recycled plastic sheets and the  bell metal studio while here at Khamir.

There was also a wonderful exhibition that was going on, Kachchh Ji Chaap. It was held to uncover the traditions of block print and batik through stories and textiles crafted by artisan communities of Kachchh. Some old and interesting pieces were on display and one could also bid for it. 

Block printed cloth being dried out. Only natural colors are used

Building blocks of Ajrakh

The entire campus of Khamir is built in a delightful architectural style which is appealing and eco-friendly. Accommodation consists of both, rooms as well as dormitories for larger groups. Unlike a resort, you cannot expect many facilities here, however the  rooms are clean and basic. Our room had a small courtyard too.

The Khamir Campus

Antique fashioned doors and the courtyard give a rustic touch to the room!

You can have all your meals here in Khamir. They have a wonderful Nepali cook Manish. Prior intimation is of course required for dinner. And you would get breakfast only after Manish reaches the campus. (All staff stay at Bhuj, except for a watchman) and he cooks dinner for you before he leaves the campus. You can also request him to cook anything of your choice, as long as it is vegetarian.  A small tuck shop caters to your tea,coffee and snacks during the day. Staff here are extremely friendly and is like a family.

As the location is pretty much off the main road, the campus does get lonely after all the staff leave and there is none but a watchman. Getting a cup of coffee or tea becomes difficult in the morning. Also without a vehicle you remain pretty much stranded here. They have a tie up with a local auto guy who can ferry you around.  All in all, the stay at Khamir is a lovely break from the monotony of pool faced crowded hotels and resorts. We welcomed the year 2014 while there at Khamir away from all the bustle and din of cities.

Next time when at Bhuj, consider staying at Khamir instead of a fancy resort and in some way you are contributing towards their cause of preserving local arts, crafts and heritage. 

KHAMIR Craft Resource Centre

Behind BMCB Social City

Lakhond-Kukma Crossroads

Post Village Kukma, Taluka Bhuj

Kachchh, Gujarat 370105

India

Phone

+91 02832 – 271272/422

The western most motor-able road of India

As we bid goodbye to Lakhpat, we set course towards Koteshwar, which is the western most point of India on a motorable surface. The roads from Lakhpat to Koteshwar via Narayan Sarovar are again smooth as silk and you won't find a soul on these roads. The distance between Lakhpat and Koteshwar is around 40 kms.

Entry to Koteshwar

Koteshwar holds importance for Mahadev temple, its also home to the Water wing of BSF. Surrounded by Kori creek,its quite close to Pakistan shore. Fishing is the main source of occupation there. The fishermen are given special permission by the BSF to go into the waters for fishing. Various colored flags are stuck in the water, may be to earmark areas between 2 countries we thought. There was also a capsized Pakistani fishing boat. The area is said to be at times under water during heavy monsoons. Even with a blazing winter sun, it was extremely cold and windy at Koteshwar.

The capsized Pakistani boat

The mighty Mahadev temple

Many formations of these stones found near the temple.

 Having traveled to the western most road of India, we started our return journey back home carrying back with us images of vibrant Gujarat, newly acquired taste for Gujarati cuisine, lots of experiences and memories for a lifetime.

Lakhpat- The last frontier

This was our day 4 in Kutch. We had to extend our stay by a day because of the problem with our Tata Safari. Nevertheless, I am happy that we got to spend a day more in this beautiful place. We had planned to visit Lakhpat straight from Shaam-e-Sarhad at Hodka. However, we had to come to Bhuj and stay at yet another lovely place , Khamir which stands for Kutch Heritage Arts Music Information and Resources (more on this in my next post)

Lakhpat is around 130kms from Bhuj and the roads leading to this place are excellent. Drive through the city of Bhuj, pass through Nakhathrana, Rawapar and Mata nu Madh. We made a small stopover here, it being the 01st of January and thought we take blessings of the deity to make more opportunities to explore and travel. This is the temple of Ashapura Mata and the kuldevi (family deity) of the Jadeja rulers of Kutch. The roads leading to Lakhpat are absolutely desolate with an occasional Border Security Truck/jeep passing by. Some wildlife sighting is a possibility. We could spot a fox scurrying to cross the road. In fact so empty that we could dare do this.

Right in the middle of the road

Lakhpat is a walled town with a gurudwara, some monuments of historical importance and a BSF check post. Long time back, before the forces of nature pushed river Indus into Pakistan, Lakhpat was a prosperous port earning revenues in one lakh Kutchi kori , hence the name. This was the main port from where Muslims went to Hajj and Madina. Guru Gobind, the sikh guru is said to have spent time here when he was on the way to Mecca. His footwear is still preserved at the Gurudwara. This Gurudwara is the only place where you can stay or have a meal in Lakhpat.

One side of the fort is just across the wide expanse of the whiteness of the Rann. You can climb all the way up and get some awesome views of the Rann. There is a BSF post just ahead on the fort. We could go up till them and chat with them, who told us how difficult the terrain is. Hats off to these guys who go any length to keep our borders secure. They told us that during rains, entire area is filled with water and as the winter appears, water recedes leaving a white sheet of salt behind. 

The fort wall that runs all along the Rann

The unlimited Rann

Other than these, the town is almost non-existent with just around 500 inhabitants who struggle with their lives, in absence of basics of life like water, electricity etc. All supplies including groceries would have to be bought from the nearest town. The town is sleepy with absolutely no activity. But it is this inactivity that gives it a sense of freshness. 

The tombs of Phir Ghaus Mohammed Kubo and  Abu Tarab Dargah are beyond words and the small houses and narrow lanes wait for someone to come and hear their story.  I wish I could spend an entire day at Lakhpat and get to interact with some people.

Phir Ghaus Mohammed Kubo

Abu Tarab Dargah

This picture best depicts the fallen glory of the city of Lakhpat. There is tremendous tourism potential in the town , which can be explored to provide the dwellers of the town, a decent source of living. At the same time also think, if Lakhpat would remain the same if bus hoards of tourists just descended here. Security concerns also remain. 

This was the most beautiful place in our entire 3 week road trip. The vastness of the Rann, the sleepiness of the town, the monuments that have many tales to tell and the freshness in the air, all of them make Lakhpat, truly a gem.

As Lakhpat silently stands testimony to the changed course of its present and future, we move on to the final place on our travel map, Koteshwar.

Sounds of sweetness - Bell metals of Zura

A small  nondescript named Zura and its neighbor Nirona carry the fame of crafting one of the most melodious creations from the dry and arid lands of Kutch.  These bells were tied to the necks of their cattle and each bell had a distinct sound for identifying one's  cattle. Look at what the Khamir's website has to say about how the art form has evolved.
 
  Ancestors of copper bell makers sold their products to the local communities. Maldharis Bharvads   and Rabaris (pastoral communities) were their major clientele and shared a very close relationship  with the bell artisans. The Bharvads and Rabaris would sit with the bell makers describing the sound  that their cattle recognize. The bell makers set the sound and tone till his client felt convinced of the sound. The bells come at a very high price and carry a life-time warranty. If there is any change in sound or the shining fades, then the copper bell artisans refurbish it free of cost. Almost all the live- stock was adorned with their bells thus providing a very good market.

Old timers often refer to the bells by their original names such as chota paila, paila dingla, do dingla rather than the sizes. These names are the local currency equivalents for which bells could be bought at the time.

We set eyes on these melodious bells while at Shaam e Sarhad and decided to pay a visit to the village to see the actual process of making these bells. Zura is located on the way back from the Rann of Kutch to Bhuj a few kilometers to the right. (Nirona is little far ahead) You can also reach this place from Nakhatrana. The villages do not carry any elaborate signboards, so look out for milestones. When we reached the place, it was evening and getting dark. All the households carrying on the work of  making copper bells were closed and we thought of going back, when a small boy took us to one of the households carrying this work and it turned out to be the house of a national award winning artisan, Luhar Valimohamad Saleman.

The final step of making indentations

He puts his heart into giving the bell the right sound

It is quite a tedious work to make these bells. Both men and women folk of the household participate equally to give these bells the melodious sounds it produces. It starts from a rectangular piece of scrap metal shaped into a cylindrical form, and then the top portion and the loop of the bell are attached. Then comes the polishing part that comes by coating the bell with a mud paste and dipping into dough made from cotton and wood paste. Then comes the process of baking it in a wood kiln. When the coating comes off, the bell has taken a colour of burnt golden color and is ready for the final and the most important process of giving it the right kind of sound. A locally available wooden stick is inserted for ringing the bell.

The hands of the expert craftsmen then make indentations along the bottom portion of the bell to give it the desired sound. While we were looking at the process of making these bells, we could see Luhar Mohmad not being satisfied with the sound until it sounded very sweet and melodious. Each artisan can recognize  sounds made by the bells crafted by his hands even though the bells may land up at in any part of the world.

There is lot of innovation into the designs being made by these artisans. These bells can take the form of a key-chain to a duppata holder to intricate wind chimes with various designs or it can be a stand alone bell with various sizes. They make for very unique souvenirs, which all our friends and family loved.

Its not only about the art and the hard work that goes into making these melodious creations that travel far and wide, it was also about the hospitality of these simple village folks who not only opened their doors to us much after they had closed down but also took pains in explaining the entire process and treated us to a wonderful cup of tea on a chilly Kutch evening. The people of Kutch are extremely warm and cordial and treat their guests very well and take pride in their art. Appreciate that a lot.

Yarns of cloth: Textile based handicraft villages near Bhuj

A part of eastern Kachchh and one of the important places in the region Bhuj is traditional and at  the same time modern too. Playing an vital role on the history of the region Bhuj served as a capital of the Jadeja Rajput rulers. More recently it was devastated during the earthquake of 2001. This area is seismically  very active and the entire topography of the place bears changes brought in by earthquakes.

Bhuj is the nearest town for visiting all the villages located along the periphery of the white desert. These villages are famous for their handicrafts, each one specializing in a particular form. This post of mine would be dedicated to the vibrant handicrafts of this dry and arid land. It is probably as a relief from the harsh environs that these villages took to handicrafts, so colorful, that it fills their lives with color

The handicraft villages, starting with the ones close to Bhuj

Bhujodi: Weaving and a textile handicraft center town, Bhujodi is just 8 kms away. Vankars are the main inhabitants of this village . There are around 1200 people of this community still engaged in weaving colorful stoles, shawls, carpets etc with a variety of medium like the cotton, wool, silk etc  If you are around, do visit the place of Vankar Vishram Valji, a national award winner. His son Ramji will not only show you their work, would also treat you like personal guests.The place is also known for its tie and dye or the bandhani artists. Bhujodi is also home to Shrujan, a NGO involved in promotion of textile and embroidery related handicrafts. Its also the home to Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park, a exhibition cum retail place for all handicrafts of this region.

The humble house of Vankar Vishram Valji

This is where the weaving happens

Ajrakhpur and Dhamadka: Known for the famous block prints, Ajrakhpur is located around 10 kms from Bhuj and Dhamadka a little further. Ajrakh print has an interesting story attached to its name. Ajrakh is an ancient form of art using vegetable dye and hand made blocks, During the days of kings, apparently bedspreads were changed everyday. One particular day it was a spread with block prints, the king fell in love with the prints and asked his servant not to change the bedspread for that day by saying Aj Rakh (Keep it for today in Hindi). Hence the name Ajrakh. It is an lengthy and an interesting process of dyeing and printing the cloth with dyes and colors derived out of natural ingredients like pomegranate, tamarind, henna, indigo etc. The blocks are also hand carved with various designs.

Various pieces of ajrakh printed cloth being dried out

The base of Ajrakh!!

Dhaneti : Situated around 26kms from Bhuj, Dhaneti specializes in embroidery. Ladies of the village are engaged in Ahir and Rabari embroidery. Shrujan, an NGO has active collaboration with the ladies of this village for its products, many home factories run out of the village.