Some stories that are off the track. Literally and figuratively. Continuing here from Part I.
We set out on Christmas Day 2013 from Mumbai. A day's journey later, we were in Dharwad - a nondescript village in Karnataka where nestled amidst sparkling ponds and agricultural villages is the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya. A group of dedicated people from around the world not only impart education to children from the village but also teach them music - classical and western. Having lived for a while near Darjeeling, I had heard of Dr. Graham's Homes where orphans are taken in, taught and trained in choir. Walking around here though, there was sheer joy in the air as tiny mud huts (that are classrooms) resounded with the voices of children learning their first notes of song! We were enthralled by a marvellous violin performance by a student who could not be more than 13 followed by a performance by the teachers. We learn that they are often requested for performances around Karnataka. After an hour of riyaaz every morning, the children begin regular lessons. A bunch of us catch a curious 10 year old swinging from an old tree as we sit under it. His class has not begun yet. Does he know the table of 8? Yes he does. Can he play an instrument? Well.. He sings, but he is thinking about the violin.
A little past New Year in 2014, we have entered the northern plains of India. It is cold and we are starting to feel the wear and tear. When we reach Patna, our first stop is just what the doctor ordered. Tarumati Ashram - another eco - campus close to Patna College ( alma mater to my grandpa and hence, I am curious). A fortress of solitude awaits us. There are rooms carved out within dense clumps of trees, streams of water trickling through, a garden filled with flowers and fruits from all over India and most of all, a gentle, nippy breeze that rejuvenated us thoroughly. In the overcrowded and polluted city that is Patna, this is an unexpected abode - something akin to places in children's books that magically stop time and shield you from the world. I mentally make a note to come back here to make a longer stop.
So enthralled was I with the Ashram that I missed almost the entirety of the interaction with the hero in Patna who had set up a local bioenergy plant, enough to secure energy requirements of many surrounding villages! Similar amazing stories of entrepreneurs who changed the faces of villages through their ventures in agriculture, energy, sanitation and technology emerge wherever we go on the journey. In this series, I document the ones that inspired me the most. The exhaustive documentation of the Yatra could fill volumes.
Read Part III here.
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| Sunday is movie time at Kalkeri. Impressive line up! |
We set out on Christmas Day 2013 from Mumbai. A day's journey later, we were in Dharwad - a nondescript village in Karnataka where nestled amidst sparkling ponds and agricultural villages is the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya. A group of dedicated people from around the world not only impart education to children from the village but also teach them music - classical and western. Having lived for a while near Darjeeling, I had heard of Dr. Graham's Homes where orphans are taken in, taught and trained in choir. Walking around here though, there was sheer joy in the air as tiny mud huts (that are classrooms) resounded with the voices of children learning their first notes of song! We were enthralled by a marvellous violin performance by a student who could not be more than 13 followed by a performance by the teachers. We learn that they are often requested for performances around Karnataka. After an hour of riyaaz every morning, the children begin regular lessons. A bunch of us catch a curious 10 year old swinging from an old tree as we sit under it. His class has not begun yet. Does he know the table of 8? Yes he does. Can he play an instrument? Well.. He sings, but he is thinking about the violin.
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| A moment of calm at Tarumati Ashram |
So enthralled was I with the Ashram that I missed almost the entirety of the interaction with the hero in Patna who had set up a local bioenergy plant, enough to secure energy requirements of many surrounding villages! Similar amazing stories of entrepreneurs who changed the faces of villages through their ventures in agriculture, energy, sanitation and technology emerge wherever we go on the journey. In this series, I document the ones that inspired me the most. The exhaustive documentation of the Yatra could fill volumes.
Read Part III here.
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