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Monthly Archives

July 2022

Authored ArticlesSpirituality

Mantras have the power of generating positive vibrations

by Team Conscious Carma July 30, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

Yogi Ashwini, Dhyan Ashram – Human body is a vibration. What distinguishes one individual from the other, or a diseased body from a healthy body, or a young body from an aged body, is the frequency of this vibration. Grosser frequencies correspond to disease and ageing, while subtler frequencies translate as health and youth in the body. Still subtler frequencies manifest as the phenomenal glow and attraction as possessed by yogis and rishis of yesteryears and still subtler frequencies form the body of devas.

The topic of Mantra Chikitsa under Divya Chikitsa details the process of generating positive vibrations through the correct uchharan (enunciation) of a combination of seven mantras using the medium of sound or dhwani. This can only be done by an adept who has attained the siddhi of the mantra under a Guru. It is not possible through electronic media, via recordings or even live calls as the vibration of electronic media is not the same as the frequency created by the dhwani of a mantra sadhak. When a siddha chants these mantras, the positive vibrations so-created have the effect of changing diseased body into healthy and healthy body into positive healthy, entitling one for higher births in subtler dimensions. The key in this is being in the direct company of the one who is chanting, only then the frequency is carried forth.

Relationship between Cow and Gayatri Mantra – the Mahamantra as laid down in our shastras
Of the seven mantras that constitute mantra chikitsa, Gayatri mantra deserves a special mention. Our shastras call it the mahamantra. In Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 35, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna – gāyatrī chhandasām aham, that is, among the chhands (poetic meters) I am Gayatri. Such is the greatness of the Gayatri. Another way to access the frequency of Gayatri is Gai or Cow. No wonder Lord Krishna was better known as Gopal or the protector of cows.

Cow is the mother. It is said that before getting a human birth one has to pass through the yoni of a cow. And after leaving the human body, the soul once again enters the body of a cow before treading its journey beyond or below as per individual karma. Whenever a death happens in a house, you will always find a cow or a bull straying around, for this reason only. This is also the reason why offerings are made to the cow for propitiating one’s ancestors. Why the cow? Because the cow holds within it the power of Gayatri, the mother. Have you ever noticed the hump of a desi cow, it carries a specific Nadi called the Surya Ketu nadi. This nadi absorbs the frequencies from sun, moon and all the luminaries of Creation. 

Service to the cow – saving it, nurturing it and protecting its calf – has the effect of transferring this positive frequency to an individual which may then be used for negating imbalances in the body, environment or for upliftment of the soul. On the other hand, killing or harming this being, consuming its meat, has the opposite effect – breeding disease, and paving the way for lower painful births. All religions and cultures of the world, and even modern medicine accepts that cow beef spells disease in a human.

All through our history, the rulers and role models of this country have protected and nurtured the cow.

King Prithu, after whom earth is called ‘prithvi’, milked a cow, which is the embodiment of earth, to end the famine on the planet and save humanity. Lord Krishna was a Gopal, cow herder. Arjun thought it worthy to risk another 14 years of exile in order to protect the cattle in the Viratnagar war. King Nahush had to reimburse the fishermen with a prize equivalent to life of Rishi Chyawan, he did so by gifting them a cow. Chola King Manu Needhi Cholan killed his son Veedhividangan to provide justice to a cow whose calf was killed under the wheels of his son’s chariot. Mughal emperors – Akbar (1556 – 1605), Jahangir (1605 – 1627), and Ahmad Shah (1748 – 1754) also imposed restricted bans on cow slaughter. Sultan of Mysore, Hyder Ali (1761-82), made cow slaughter an offence punishable with the cutting of the hands of the offenders. In the early 19th century, Ranjit Singh, the founder of Sikh empire banned cow slaughter throughout his domain. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1857, banned cow slaughter, forbade the eating of beef and announced the punishment of being blown by cannon for anyone killing a cow. The Marathas, who were known for being inclusive and tolerant towards all faiths took extensive steps to inhibit cattle slaughter and dealt severely (even executed in many cases) those who killed cattle. They even set up blockades around Bassein (now Vasai, Maharashtra) in the late 1790s to prevent cow carcasses from being smuggled to butchers in Bombay and Salsette.

The first slaughterhouse in India was built in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1760 by Robert Clive, then Governor of Bengal. It could kill 30,000 animals per day. 7-8 years down the line, the earlier rich & abundant Bengal witnessed the worst famines throughout history where millions of people were killed. Robert Clive became an opium addict and later committed suicide by stabbing himself with a pen knife after being unable to withstand the pain caused by the illness that had resulted from opium addiction. Such is the negativity generated by abusing the cow and bull.

The clairvoyants at Dhyan Foundation are able to see these frequencies in the aura of an individual in form of grosser colors for those smuggling and butchering this animal and subtler colors for those protecting it. That their observations are not a mumbo-jumbo is established by the fact that doctors at Indian Medical Association, Mumbai bore testimony to a live demonstration by these clairvoyants and noted that “it appears that you were able to identify the symptoms from the photographs of the person.” The havans performed by these sadhaks and their mantra uchharan has the ability to manifest the deva in the havan fire. The secret to these abilities of the sadhaks lies once again in the service to cow. 

Volunteers and sadhaks at Dhyan Foundation are taking care of nearly 20,000 stray, abandoned, sick, injured, orphaned and rescued cows and bulls throughout the country through a network of 30 plus shelters, 8 ambulances, 24-hour animal helpline, plastic removal surgeries, prosthetic limb replacements, 1000 plus stray feeding points, emergency relief programs for calamity struck cattle among others. Dhyan Foundation, as per BSF, is the ‘only’ organization which is rehabilitating and nurturing the cattle saved by them from smugglers at Indo-Bangladesh border. Since November 2018, they have successfully rehabilitated over 25000 BSF rescues, without government or any other help. They have gaushalas in nearly every state of India – no milking cows, only bulls and old and infirm cows, all saved from cattle mafia and butchers.

Nurturing, feeding and protecting cows becomes an essential pillar for prosperity and good health.

July 30, 2022 0 comment
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TravelWellness

ARE WE THERE YET? – Travelling More Responsibly With Your Children

by Team Conscious Carma July 29, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

Authors: Rachel Dodds & Richard Butler

Do you love to travel but are worried about the negative impacts of travelling?
Are you unsure if you can still travel now that you have children, and actually have fun? 
Do you want to travel more sustainably, but are overwhelmed and are not sure where to start?

This book will help you make responsible and sustainable choices before, during and after your trip. It will also help you to navigate travelling with children and will give you tips and inspiration for how to raise resilient, responsible kids who will grow to love travel as much as you do! 

With detailed advice about all kinds of travel and stories from parents and grandparents around the world, this book is a step-by-step guide to how to travel more responsibly with kids. It is essentially a blueprint for making travelling with kids both enjoyable and responsible.

“A well-researched and well-presented facts and advice for responsible travellers, especially the parents who want their children to explore the world and learn about different countries, their culture, people and biodiversity. And how to be a responsible traveller and help the local community.  Also, the live experiences of travellers makes it an interesting read.

A must read for everyone who loves to travel responsibly”.  Poonam K Malhotra, Founder-Editor, Conscious Carma.

July 29, 2022 0 comment
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FeaturedTravel

Viveda Wellness Village

by Team Conscious Carma July 28, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

A writer is always looking for that catchy start, especially when they have decided to give life to their piece and if the place or people, they are writing about have touched their souls in a manner so profound. I was pondering over the thought for days to find that right synchrony, the start…. The storyline for this feature. Here you go…

“Viveda, is a fully Sustainable wellness village plattering traditional healing therapies, imbibed from ancient Ayurveda and combines Yoga for physical well-being in a serene and Green Campus”. -By Freeda Maria, Consulting Editor, Sustainable Tourism.

Our ancient vedic scriptures of Bharat, elucidate the importance of keeping good health through maintaining fitness, “Sharir Madhyam Khalu Dharma Sadhanam” suggesting that the body is a means of achieving the great objectives of a meaningful life, (chaturvidha purushartha).

Viveda’s treatment on healing and wellness philosophy is based on the five elements of nature (Pancha Mahaboothas) comprising Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Space. The philosophy integrates traditional Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy with wellness, fitness and healthy organic cuisine to restore balance and harmony in one’s life.

On my visit and stay at Viveda, and my memorable conversation with Kiran Chavan, The Chairman of Viveda Wellness Village, with his rapt attention to every detail, wearing his passion on his sleeves, fervent and articulate, registered that “Ancient science of health and wellness bestowed by the seer and sages of our country for the welfare of humanity has been epitomized in all its essence at our Viveda”. He goes on to add that, “…health and wellness is a basic human need and contributes to quality of human life experience.”

The place shot to lot of fame when the covid struck, people of Nasik and the surrounding caught in the crowds of the city life, and series of lockdowns and uncertainties, resorted to quiet corners like Viveda (https://vivedawellness.com)

A tranquil nature-based settlement, where the perching of birds, the sounds of the ripples in the water, the chanting in the voices of the air is your companion. Healing begins with silence, and here it befalls and engulfs one in totality. One could take up holistic healing and stay in the 7.5 acres on pristine land in one of the thirty- one handcrafted stone cottages with a wellness centre and 18 treatment rooms.

Viveda with its many facilities was concertedly planned and put together. It begins with the vast expanse, the community, the enclosure. Swaying in the winds that blow past the Sahyadris, from the highlands of Anjaneri, Lord Humanji’s birthplace, is a blessing of sorts for our Trees and shrubs that abound every nook and corner of Viveda. All that one needs is a book, from our Book place (The Library), to sit and indulge in the pages and reflect. An option to lounge by the lake (The Lakeside Deck) is a no miss, or a relaxed walk for a stroll on our walking track.. it’s all therapeutic!

All the pampering that the body needs is taken care of in the Spa. There are various packages and programmes to choose from, personalised to suit every ‘body’ type. The day is not complete at Viveda without an evening by the bonfire, almost always the sky draws a curtain with millions of stars! There is action almost always at the Amphitheatre too.

The most notable feature of Viveda, and like the saying goes, people make places and places come alive with people… Daniel, is as much part of Viveda as the concrete and walls, the tiles and roofs, the trees and shrubs… he binds them all together, with his undaunting passion. The General Manager of the wellness village is a simpleton, who lives and breathes the very ethos of the place, “Wellness is not a luxury it is a necessity, he exclaims, “nature is the healer and sustaining it is vital. Learning to live in appreciation of nature and its resources is giving back, it automatically will restore health”.

EXCLUSIVE HANDCRAFTED COTTAGES

These minimally designed cottages feature walk-in closets, perfectly appointed bathrooms and small garden area that are ideal for a private meal.

SATVIK SPA CUISINE

We serve nutrient-dense vegetarian satvik dishes with organic and unprocessed ingredients sourced from local farmers, fresh to the table.

STONE SWIMMING POOL

Get reminded of the erstwhile royal pools, handcrafted with stones, open to the sky and with secret compartments.

“Viveda in a very short span has seen repeat visitors, and I am not surprised”, marks Tejas Chavan, Director, Viveda Wellness Village. “Our aim was to bring a holistic mind and body practice, an integral science of life dealing with physical, mental and spiritual well-being. We aspire to deliver, with all our hearts, a perfect package of goodness and health, parcelled and curated to take us back to our roots, where everything came free, with fresh air and unadulterated soil”. – Come Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate

Testimonials…. Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia (Actor couple), Aakansha Singh (Actor), Yusuf Pathan (cricketer), Megha Gupta (actor), Bipasha Basu & Karan (Actor couple)

July 28, 2022 0 comment
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Home DécorWellness

Baro Design – Design for mindful living

by Team Conscious Carma July 27, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

Baro Design, a Mumbai based studio that brings design into our daily lives through focus on handcrafted furniture and lighting. “Each piece is crafted using well-seasoned, reclaimed teakwood. This means the wood has lived a previous life probably as an old door, a ceiling rafter, a pillar, or a wise old bookshelf. Using reclaimed wood found us a way out of our dilemma, between our love for trees and that of ripe, rich wood. We are not apart from nature, and it is only through our symbiotic coexistence that we will achieve balance”, says Siddharth Sirohi, the founder of Baro Design.

Siddharth, a multi-faceted designer, who co-founded the iconic store Baro, in 2016, is being  awarded the first ever Lexus India Design Award for Furniture and interior accessories in 2018. He also has a film career spanning over 15 years in Production Design, which has earned him a Filmfare nomination. He is a Yoga practitioner, an active mountaineer, a photographer and a painter, and strives to live a life where every moment is as complete as a lifetime.

Motivation behind the launch of  Baro Design

I was faced with the choice of continuing to make furniture or find something completely new to do. The more important understanding for me was to go through the process of understanding why it is that I do whatever it is that I do. That journey led me to realise that everything that I do will have the same common ground. Since I had been working with furniture I decided to bring that understanding to the field and Baro design was born as a design studio.

Philosophy

To design meaningful objects that inspire us to pause, reflect, and discover ourselves just that little bit more. We marry the lightness and play of modern palates to the gravity of old wood and time-honoured craft techniques. The approach is old school, relying on traditional wood joinery methods, but the result is as timeless as it is contemporary.  At Baro Design, we wish to celebrate the slow passage of time, expanding each simple moment into its fullest.

Roadblocks

The largest of the road blocks was getting to the people. Once people are aware of our philosophy and work, it’s a lot smoother from there. If at all, I would consider the perception of the value of furniture as perhaps another road block. We carry notions of what the monetary value of something should be, for furniture, that is perhaps on the lower end of the spectrum. People shell out large amounts on cars and phones which will last them a few years at best, but furniture which is designed to last a lifetime is considered expensive. It needs to be seen as an investment, because you build a long term relationship with it, and is something that can be passed down generations.



Major milestones

 Having clarity on our core philosophy. We were able to crystallise why we do what we do so that all our work resonates with the same ideas and we have a clear design language. At the core of it rests the idea that good design can help bring our awareness to the present moment and our experiences can be fuller and more mindful. We have five core principles that the philosophy rests on and sustainability is one of those pillars.

Vision for Baro Design

  The vision for us as a studio is to use design to help live more mindfully. Whether it’s the way we sit or our behavioural aspects. How to use design as a tool to create the desired result. Whether it is being more mindful of the food we eat, our postures or the emotions that we need to elicit. It is about slowing down and absorbing more of life. We also like to challenge existing norms of interior design and even the conventional idea of furniture itself. It also means going back to ancient wisdom and drawing from that learning. Whether it is the way we sit or the way we behave. Practices such as yoga and vipassana mindfulness are a great resource for us. We would like to bring more of that into peoples’ lives.

July 27, 2022 0 comment
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Authored ArticlesInspiration

Three generations of Women in the service of creation

by Team Conscious Carma July 26, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

A young widow, Vimal Kumari (70) from Jammu, not only raised her 3 children single handedly, but also instilled in them the moral values and encouraged them to follow the path of Guru.

Vimal toiled hard to earn as well look after the home and the children, fulfill their every need and desire, gave them the best education and the best ethics. She worked in education department and spent the rest of her time with the kids.

All this while, she yearned to find a Guru and could finally find one in Yogi Ashwini of Dhyan Ashram.  Once her kids were settled, she started visiting Dhyan Ashram in Delhi regularly and immersed in servicing the injured, abandoned and rescued cattle in Dhyan Ashram’s guashalas all over India. At present, she is taking care of more than 500 cattle in Moharipur gaushala in Tripura.  The only lady handling … labour and taking care of food and treatment of all the cattle and other tasks at a remote location.  In its more than 50 gaushalas across the globe, Dhyan Foundation (DF) takes care of more than 50,000 cattles and its progeny. They are either injured, sick, non-milking or being rescued from traffickers.

Inspired by her mother, Suraj Katotra (48), the younger daughter of Vimal, accompanied her to Ashram to learn Sanatan Kriya from Yogi ji and as soon as Suraj’s children went to armed forces, she followed her mother’s footsteps.  She’s been taking care of more than 1000 cattle in Devipur gaushala of Tripura which is just 1 km from Bangladesh border and is surrounded by border from three sides.  It’s a remote jungle area notorious for cattle trafficking. “Recently 2 bulls were stolen from our gaushala but we ran after the thieves and saved our bulls from the mafia”, says the fearless lady.  “A housewife who had immersed herself in household chores and raising 2 kids, I travelled alone for the first time in my life, boarded flight for the first time, to reach Devipur.  With Guru’s Kripa, not even once I feel scared of being all alone in this jungle”, says Suraj.

Her typical day starts at 5 am in the morning and ends at 11pm, but at times, she’s seen working as late as 2 or 3 am.  A typical housewife, Suraj is seen driving tractor on the fields at the gaushala, apart from taking care of the entire place.

Suraj’s daughter, Tanya Bhardwaj (23), followed the footsteps and made Yogi Ashwini her Guru and learnt Sanatan Kriya from him.  At present, she is part of the T&T (Tigers and Tigresses) team at DF of  under 25 age group and teaches Sanatan Kriya.  DF is committed to the cause of spreading awareness about the authentic path of yog, as laid down by Sage Patanjali 4,500 years ago. DF, follows the ancient Guru-Shishya Parampara and traches where Sanatan Kriya (Patanjali Ashtang Yog in its original, undiluted form) free of cost a today at its centers across the world.  There are thousands across the globe who have benefited physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually from the practice of Sanatan Kriya.

July 26, 2022 0 comment
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Home DécorSustainability

Econiture – Furniture from 100% recycled Plastic – Recycle Bell Private Limited (RE-BELL)

by Team Conscious Carma July 25, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

Inception

A conference on waste management during his MBA tenure, intrigued Madhur Rathi, CEO and Co-founder of RE-BELL, about the subject and he started researching more about the field. After his MBA, he joined a waste management company and learnt many more insights about it.

While working, he saw that recyclers are mixing “Virgin” or new plastic with recycled or reprocessed plastic to make products and wanted to  make a product in which no “Virgin” plastic was used and it is equally or more durable than virgin plastic. Due to some family issues, he  had to leave his job and come back to his hometown Amravati and there with his  3 childhood friends, he started Recycle Bell Private Limited (RE-BELL) in 2017. The company collects waste, segregate it and sell it to other recyclers for further recycling. The  focus is on the dry waste component, which accounts for 20-25 percent of total garbage and is difficult to manage.

After 1.5 years of R&D, they finally launched Econiture in 2019 which recycles post-plastic waste into wood-like lumbers for furniture and home décor. They started with 20 SKUs and now we have more than 150 SKUs. Recycling garbage into new products is Re-Bell’s business model. The company’s ultimate goal is to recycle everything.

Madhur Rathi. CEO and Co-founder at Econiture, RE-BELL

Bottlenecks

During the initial phase, we faced lots of resistance from informal sectors. Secondly, people weren’t, and largely still aren’t, segregating waste into dry and wet waste, making it more difficult to segregate it further, as inorganic and organic waste are mixed together. Due to this, resources were lost as they couldn’t be segregated. Also, it is a highly labor-intensive business and if labor is absent, segregation becomes a bottleneck process. There are machines available for segregation that require less manpower but they are costly compared to labor. Sorting and washing are important, to recycle plastics. When you have a mixture, the mechanical properties go down very quickly. So, you must obtain all the different plastics out of the waste. Therefore,  sorting techniques are very important. But for some products, it is quite difficult. For instance, in the packaging you have multilayer plastics, with sometimes four to seven kinds of different layers, separating them isn’t possible. That is a big issue in recycling plastic packaging.

Milestones achieved

In 2017, we started with 5000 kg per month of waste collection. Today, we are doing 80000 per month. We started as a waste management company and in 2019 we launched our own recycled product “Econiture”. 

We have collected and segregated more than 2500 Metric Tons of dry waste. We have recycled more than 20000 kg of plastic waste into furniture. We have sold more than 1800 units of Econiture furniture to more than 1200 unique customers across 25 states and 5 union territories. According to BIR, we have saved more than 16000 Metric Tons of CO2E(Equivalent). We collect waste from more than 300 waste generators and are connected to more than 200 waste pickers in and around Amravati. We are also in a barter model with 10 municipal councils where we purchase segregated dry waste from them and provide them with furniture of an equivalent amount.

Impact created

  • 2500+ MT- Waste diverted to recycling            
  • 20000+ Kg– Plastic waste recycled into furniture      
  • 300+ Waste generators connected

Social Impact:

  • 30% Increase in income of waste picker due to our efficient collection system and fair pricing                –
  • 70% of our workforce are women

Environmental Impact:

  • 2100+ Cu. ft of wood saved by making recycled plastic furniture                                      
  • 16000+ MT of CO2 Equivalent mitigated

Mission

To divert the maximum amount of dry waste possible from the landfill towards recycling.

Vision

The core vision is to create a better environment for one and all through innovative ways of waste management. We aim at producing eco-friendly products at affordable rates to bring in a sustainable and efficient circular economy system for dry waste management along with all the relevant stakeholders (formal as well as informal). Econiture envisions providing recycling solutions to every recyclable and creating an efficient eco-friendly business for the long run.

July 25, 2022 0 comment
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SustainabilityWellness

Tips to reduce the single use plastic in your daily lives

by Team Conscious Carma July 11, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma
  1. BYOB: Bring your own bag for grocery and other everyday shopping. Just get into the habit of carrying a bag whenever you are stepping out of the home for shopping. BYOB is the latest fad
  2. Start Composting: It’s simple and odour free. All you need to do is look for a company which provides smart composting bins and solutions for quick digestion of organic waste
  3. Start Questioning: Inspite of being banned, you might still get to see single use plastic being used.  Stop taking pride in buying cling wrapped veggies and fruits, rather start questioning and raise a concern
  4. Switch to Refilling: Refilling convenience stores are the in thing for your grocery, home cleaners and daily needs. Locate the one nearest you and start visiting
  5. Buy products with compostable packaging: Next time when you buy something, make sure to check the packaging as there’s a lot of single use plastic in packaging. Go in for compostable packaging
  6. Shop local and reduce buying online: You can avoid a lot of single use plastic by switching to local markets and reducing online buying.  Online buying comes with lot of plastic packaging
July 11, 2022 0 comment
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EnvironmentTravel

The dam that let it’s people down! This place left me with moist eyes, what an apathy.

by Team Conscious Carma July 6, 2022
written by Team Conscious Carma

Located 32 km from Srivilliputhur town, 15 km from Watrap Town and 76 km from Madurai, the Kovilar dam is located in Virudhunagar district.  The dam site of Kovilar located inside the Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary is known for sightings of elephants in the morning and evening, which happens because of the presence of the deciduous forest and the river line that led to the dam. 

The people of the Dam area, who came from far and wide to construct the structure to contain waters, the lifeline of the place have become lifeless in its truest sense, fighting for their rights and identity… face the threat of displacement and are a worried lot!

Freeda Maria A start of positivity….. a progressive thought….

From a tourism product perspective, the ETMC was created in September 2013 and registered in November of 2013 with an intent to promote adventure tourism in the area.  A trekking route starting from the dam site to the anti-poaching shed at Athiyadikidai atop the hill was identified.  Besides, the trek to Saduragiri Sundaramahalingam temple which is located five kilometers from Thaniparai entrance.  The locals do visit the temple in large number for full moon and new moon.  To ensure the adventure activity, there is a watch tower near the dam and a trekking shed that was built in 2015-16.  To help the visitors understand the local flora and fauna an Interpretation center was set up at Thaniparai. 

To ensure quality adventure activity, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department (TNFD) also provided for a 27-seater van that was budgeted through the TBGP scheme to be utilized to usher in visitors from Srivilliputhur to dam at a cost of INR 2,500 per trip.  A Self-help Group (SHG) at Kilanvanakoil was also set-up to provide for food at the rate of INR 60 per head.

The TNFD team even created an itinerary that would help in ushering in visitors for an experience of nature.

Sl. No.TimePlace (activity)
10800Srivilluputhur Bus Stand/Railway Station Pick up
20900Thaniparai Tribal Village
30930 to 1130Thaniparai Interpretation Ctentre and Medicinal Plant visit
41300Kovilar Dam 
51330Lunch (SHG to supply food via the ETMC)
61400 to 1600Trekking and Kovilar Dam visit
71600 to 1630Short halt at the trekking shed (Tea to be provided for a cost by SHG/ETMC)
81715Departure to Srivilliputhur

From the above it is clear that the Government of Tamil Nadu through TNFD made all efforts and provided for an opportunity for a community in the area to make a living out of a dam and tourism products that surround the dam.  When I visited the destination, I realized that, the destination is one of the best with all the facets present for destination development. 

The way it is today….

The village folk are predominantly Muslim who came as labourers for the Dam construction. They stayed on. What is sad and alarming is that despite the number of years of settling in the place they have no identity as locals. They own no lands due to not holding any identity card. They have no means for monthly supplies as rations from the government fair price shops too. This puts them in a major crisis, as the village folk cannot deem themselves to be locals for any government facilities or welfare schemes. They are subject to no or less employment opportunities. They depend on sundry jobs and are not forthcoming to the tourism opportunities too.

The ETMC is a very minuscule relief as very few are appointed as staff thus becoming direct beneficiaries of tourism income. The Forest department does not consider revolving funds and micro finance institutions do not come forward to offer them small and medium loans for income generation. Banks require proper documents for loan approvals and the village folk have no paper documents to submit.

A situation of complete apathy befell and I retreated to the place with a burdened mind and a heavy heart. Interventions for this community should be made with the government to give them rights over the land that they are living in for years.  This is the first and the most basic requirement for them to consider helping themselves for jobs, basic rations and availing of benefits. The infrastructure facilities in the village are in shambles as there are no toilets with open defecation causing a permanent stench in the air. No road access to reach the village, only a kacha path, another deterrent for the tourists to navigate to the dam through the village. The area has not been visited by the local self-government institutions for waste collecting and there’s garbage strewn everywhere. Open drainage creates a scene of soreness and the stench is unbearable. The village folk own zero agricultural lands and are not involved in any agricultural activity. They are seen whiling away their valuable time sometimes doing nothing, squatting and in random talks. Their morale seems to be very low and in a state of despair. 

It is time that development happens from the smallest of such villages and not talk of top brass policies, that sometimes do not address the problems of the people of the lowest rung…

Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas is a must for this community………….I only hope someone is listening

July 6, 2022 0 comment
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