THE IDEA OF VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM HAS BECOME REALITYQ&A with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, The Art of Living

SEVA TIMESYLTP Service Activities From Across The Nation

SEVA SouthPAMPA RIVER CLEANING

SABARIMALA SERVICE PATH TO LEADERSHIP

CLEAN DRINKING WATER FEEDING THOUSANDSFIGHTING POLLUTION

SEVA IdealsQ&A C L RATHI

BENEVOLENCE IN BUSINESSGLOBAL GREETINGS!

WATER CONSERVATIONLESSON FOR NATION

GOVT, EXPERTS, VOLUNTEERS

BIG Picture35 YEARS OF SERVICE

TOUCHED 370 MILLION LIVES10,000 CENTRES GLOBALLYLARGEST VOLUNTEER ORG16 RIVERS BEING REVIVED

FOCUS ON EDUCATION5PAGE PAGE7World Culture Festival

World Culture Festival: Reunion Of The Human Family The World Culture Festival marks the organization`s 35 years of ser-vice to humanity inspired by Gu-rudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Themed to cherish and promote the values of unity and diversity, this event is set to redefine the idea of a festival.

In its vibrant continuing service initiative of river rejuvenation, Art of Living volunteers in Delhi who first spearheaded the `Clean Yamuna` river campaign are working hard and diligently to keep the river clean and alive with several aware-ness initiatives and environment-friendly solu-tions. And 3.5 million pairs of grateful eyes will catch the awesome World Culture Festival. It’s an opportunity to support a noble initiative of Gu-rudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for world peace and unity.

An opportunity to escape into infinity comes rarely. Where a huge wave of dance and music from around the world and healing meditations will take us into the lap of silence, infinity. World Culture Festival is one such opportunity.

In this wave of music, over 8,500 musicians, 5,500 singers, 15,500 dancers will take us where we have never been before. The stage is a whopping

seven acres, almost the size of six football fields ! The magic of 500 Bulgarian dancers will cata-

pult 650 African drummers to beat stress away. If it takes “two to Tango”, we will get to watch 200 performing the famous Tango dance by Argentin-ians. Turkey is sending a large contingent of the ancient whirling Dervish dancers who keep swirl-ing to stunning music, till you do not fall off your chair! Two hundred traditional Japanese dancers will relax the audience, just after the 100 strong glittering Samba dancers from Brazil.

American hip-hop artists in large numbers will gyrate into the colourful scene, while over a hundred Russians put in their best foot forward

with a beautiful traditional dance. Pakistan will be showcasing their traditional dance, while a thousand peaceful Chinese will sing their song to perfection. Sri Lankans will display their royal Kandyan dance, as Nepal will take everyone to Hi-malayan heights with their folk dances.

Three and half million people from 155 coun-tries will be participating, while Sri Sri Ravi Shan-kar, who has made millions of people happy across continents, leads the mammoth landmark gather-ing into powerful yet relaxing meditations.

People at the festival will also get to experi-ence the magic of 40 different musical instruments from around the world. The traditional huge Swiss Alphorn (wind instrument) from Switzerland will blow out the old, while forty Nadaswarams (world`s loudest non-brass acoustic instrument) from Southern India will usher in a new wave of energy. Whatever your taste of music, it`s going to be there to take you to the roots of humanity - Individual peace and Global happiness.

WCF is an open invitation in different lan-guages, colors and flavors. It`s brilliant.

The power of music and dance has a great im-pact in breaking down barriers, differences and hatred towards building friendships and uniting people irrespective of race, region, religion or na-tion. That`s one of the things we will see and expe-rience at the World Culture Festival.

How much seva can we do and what is government doing about problems? Our projects have made a big impact. We planted 55 million trees in the Mission Green Earth Initiative with United Nations. Our volunteers are currently working on reviving 16 rivers across the country, which will benefit hundreds of villages. We welcome partnership with the government wherever possible but in a lot of these projects, we do not depend on anyone for execution.

What is good and bad about government work?The government has its own challenges. The ruler and the reformer have different roles to play in society. The government should utilise NGOs like Art of Living to create awareness in people. We have done so in many instances with government departments. For example, we are working very closely with the Odisha government in training youth volunteers who are making a big difference by implementing government schemes in villages. The govern-

ment has appreciated our work a lot.

What will be WCF’s outcome?The World Culture Festival will bring people together, bridge the gaps between countries and communities and showcase our rich global cultural heritage.

What will be the takeaway for the

common man from WCF?That we should not think that we are alone. There are a lot of people who are willing to make the world better and are actively involved in doing so.

What is women’s role in culture?Women are the backbone of society. They hold the family and society together and play many roles. As mothers, they are the first guru for children and pass on wisdom to the next generations.

What are the good and bad things about Indian culture?There are lot of good things in our society like human values, respect for elders and spiritual-ity. However, we can learn many things from other societies too like keeping cleanliness and being on time.

When will your vision of One World Family be accomplished? 155 countries are participating in the World Culture Festival. We are seeing the idea of One World Family is already turning into reality.

WELCOME!

Several years ago, an earthquake struck Gujarat and brought life and limb to a total grinding halt. The destruction was unimaginable and misery untold. Thousands of volunteers of The Art of Living drawn from all over India were

inspired into service in this moment of grief and loss. The injured were given medical aid, while food and shelter was being prepared on a massive scale.

One of our volunteers who was actively involved in serving in the earthquake-affected regions had this experience to share. He was carrying boxes of food for distribution around a locality when an elderly lady stopped him. She placed a ten rupee note in front of him and said “This is my contribution to you. Use this for serving more people”. Our volunteer politely refused and told the lady to keep it with her and use it for herself. But the lady insisted saying, “Son...with this earthquake I lost everything...my small hut, my family, my belongings, everything...but I do not want to ever lose my capacity to give”. For the boy, it was a big learn-ing about seva.

Several Art of Living programmes help to nurture and strengthen our attitude towards seva. The Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) is a powerful pro-gramme that strengthens the individual and the society.

YLTP aims at empowering and transforming rural youth to explore their full potential and utilize their talent and energy for creating better society. The programme’s vision is to make a village self-reliant - spiritually, economically and socially. Its mission is to empower the youth, uplift the tribal communities, farmers, women and children. YLTP emphasizes on the 4 `S` for the self, i.e., Sadhana, Seva, Satsang and Smile.

`Sadhana` refers to the personal practices for men-tal hygiene: i.e., meditation, yoga and Sudarshan Kriya. `Seva` is the spirit of service without expecting anything in return. `Satsang` involves listening to knowledge talks, keeping company of the wise, community singing and chanting. And then the `Smile` that keeps one go-ing in spite of the lows and highs of life.

Having successfully completed their Youth Leader-ship Training Program (YLTP), graduates go on to implement the 5H Program, i.e., Health, Hygiene, Homes for the homeless, Human values and Harmony in diversity. Awareness programmes are delivered in the rural areas to sensitize the public on the various aspects of the 5H.

It`s our continuing mission to reach out to more people in each and every village of India. It’s in our work-plan to create a passion for organic farming and permaculture amongst youth to ensure a better liveli-hood. It is imperative that we restore the lost respect and build the self-esteem of our farmers.

The activities of YLTP have reached 40,212 villages and trained 2,03,220 rural youth. We have conducted 1,65,000 free stress-relief workshops benefited 56,88,000 people. 52,466 hygiene camps and 27,427 medical camps that have benefited 5,77,400 people. 3819 homes have been constructed for the homeless including 13,965 toilets, 1199 bore-wells and 904 biogas plants. It’s interesting to note that we have developed 55 model villages benefitting 115,000 people. Over 20 lakh people have been well trained in natural farming.

Seva therefore not only gives us an opportunity to serve but shapes our attitude to learning, broadens our vision. Lakhs of ‘yuvacharyas’ – graduates of the YLTP programme – working across the country have made seva a part of their lives.

YLTP: Culture of Seva

The Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru

Meeting of minds A wave of dance and music from around the world and healing meditations will take us into the lap of silence and infinity at WCF

By Vidyut Udiavar

4PAGE

THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU2 N

EDUCATION, REMOVING ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION, PROMOTING NATURAL FARMING, AND HEALING PEOPLE AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE ARE FOCUS AREAS IN NORTH

Seva, A Tool For Empowerment Of CommunitiesSeva News Network

The Youth Leadership Training Programme (YLTP) is the primary vehicle for seva through which lakhs of village youth have been taught empowering yogic and breath-ing techniques that propel them to take up

volunteer work. The yuvacharyas, graduates of the YLTP programme, are the foot soldiers working in rural com-munities, ushering in real change. They respond to the situation by finding and implementing long-term and sustainable solutions to problems in communities.

For instance, Punjab has of late been beset with addiction problems especially among the youth. The Pathankot attack exposed the cross-border nature of the operations of drug smugglers. Yuvacharyas have resolved to work on the ground to change the situation from the individual up. The Hoshiarpur Art of Living chapter has joined hands with the government to imple-ment Art of Living’s de-addiction programmes in the rehab centers of the city. This year, an Art of Living de-addiction center will be opened in Jallandhar.

Punjab, the wheat bowl of India, is also facing the devastating effects of unsustainable chemical farming practices. Soil erosion and fertility have become a key concern here. In nearly 12 districts, local youth have been trained to make eco-enzymes for organic farming.

In Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, during Feb, 2015, around 100 inmates of Naini Jail were proudly display-ing their organic produce in an agricultural products ex-hibition organized by the Raj Bhavan. Their vegetables seemed humongously big compared to other vegetables in the exhibitions. A 3-kg beetroot was an attraction.

Coming from an energy-raising, stress-relief prison programme by The Art of Living inside the prison, the inmates chose to take to natural farming in a big way. The resource person for the project was Balkrishna Ya-dav, Art of Living’s Sri Sri Natural Farming trainer. “The Art of Living brought the prisoners together in a useful and productive manner,” says Amrish Gaud, senior su-perintendent of prison (Naini).

Balkrishna Yadav is one of the heroes of The Art of Living’s natural farming initiative. His programme on natural farming, ‘Waqt ki Awaz’ is popular on Kanpur radio. Through it, farmers of 286 villages get information on natural farming.

A focus area for The Art of Living in UP is educa-tion. Nearly 194 Sri Sri Bal Vidya Kendras are now ac-tive in Uttar Pradesh, and thousands of children in the 3-6 age group are getting free pre-primary education, along with training in pranayama, meditation and mor-al values. Sri Sri Bal Sanskar Kendras educate children on basics like alphabets, reading, writing, speaking and good manners. Children learn through music and the playway method, and not just memorising. Parents no

more have to force the children to go to school because learning is fun.

In August 2014, Sri Sri farmers market selling only organic pro duce was launched by Sri Sri Institute of Ag-riculture Science and Technology Trust and YLTP in 5 cities. To market the produce of organic farming that farmers had adopted as part of The Art of Living’s ini-tiative, similar markets have been started in Betul and Raipur.

When the Nepal earthquake struck, IAHV (Inter-national Association for Human Values) and Art of Liv-ing, Nepal took charge of the relief works for the earth-quake-affected in Nepal. On April 25, 2015, they assisted doctors to attend to victims who arrived at the National Trauma centre at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu. The relief works involved medical sup port by a team of doctors, nurses and paramedics. Apart from dis tribution of wa-ter and food along with blood donation, the team led groups into meditation and chant ing. The premises of Art of Living Nepal were thrown open for the victims. Around 8,000 volun teers worked round the clock.

Heroes of Humanity

- YOGITA SINGH

Yogita Singh, hailing from the royal family of Rewa, chose to bridge the rural-urban divide by training farmers in natural farm-ing and marketing the produce directly in cities.With the agrarian crisis and farmer suicides on a rise, Yogita Singh has trained thousands of farmers in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and has started Sri Sri Farmers’ Markets to make the produce reach the capitals of Bhopal and Raipur.

- SONIA LUTHRA

In 2013, Sonia Lu-thra calmed nerves and doused the fires of violence through Art of Living’s stress-relief work-shops at Muzaffarnagar after communal riots.

When everyone was running for cover, Sonia organised food, clothing and shelter for the displaced. She was honoured with Shanti Mission Puras-kar for her efforts.

- INDU SINHA

Appalled by Naxalite violence in Bihar, Indu Sinha, with the blessings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has launched a peace mis-sion at the violence-prone region of Senari.

She gained the trust of people by opening a school in Senari – a big need. The next step was rehabilitating notorious criminals at Beur jail through prison programme.

MADHYA PRADESH

Prison programmes by The Art of Living in MP are an example of long-term and comprehensive rehabilitation of individuals.

Indore Central Jail superintendent Gopal Tamrakar said that The Art of Living

programmes have not only brought about a tremendous change in the lives of the prisoners but also increased their ability to face tough situations and challenges in life. Art of Living teacher Krishna Mishra identifies the problems in this prison and works accordingly. In Chind-wara jail, Shweta Chadha, the teacher, focuses

on making it addiction-free – including beedis and cigarettes. Mishra understands the skills and capabilities of the prisoners and finds jobs for them when they come outside, putting a check to the problem of recidivism that plagues India’s criminal justice system. “We helped Satish (name changed) open a grocery shop in Harsola village and he is living a normal life. Society does not accept them when they leave the prisons and try to live a normal life. Unable to lead a regular life, they again get involved in criminal activities. Our small-small efforts can bring about a big difference in their lives and can unite them with the mainstream of society. It is only because of lack of knowledge, anger and greed that they do unethical activities,” says Mishra.

JHARKHAND

Naxal-affected village Jojradih in Jamshad district of Jharkhand has hope now. A school started by Art of Living volunteers in 2011 with only a few students now gives edu-cation to 200 students in a village afflicted by poverty.

This school was affected by Naxal attacks. Because of that no teacher was ready to

come or visit this village. It was also surrounded by a thick forest filled with wild animals. There was no school and nobody could think of hav-ing a school. The village was cut off from rest of

the world and few outsiders visited the village. There was little flow of information from and to the outside world. After Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited the village, the school was started. Now the villagers have hope that the coming generations will see a better future and will get a chance to see the world.

UTTARAKHAND

Jhabri village in Haridwar with a population of nearly 1,500 is being made a model village: Clean with safe water supply, no alcoholism, toilets in all houses.

In 2015, when an Art of Living teacher Vikram Raghuanshi visited Jhabri, a young

villager Naresh told him of the problems facing the village. He said alcohol addiction was com-mon and the village did not have acess to clean drinking water. Vikram took it upon himself to help transform the village and make it a model

village. He met with villagers, conducted many Art of Living programmes. He told villagers about the various government shemes available that can improve the standard of living in the village. Awareness programmes were held and Art of Living workshops gave the villagers the energy and power to forge ahead. The villag-ers clean the whole village every week with each individual taking on the responsibility for 100m area around their houses. Supported by Bosch programme, All the 167 households have reverse osmosis units installed for purifying water. This means the entire population of 1,500 has access to clean, safe drinking water. Some 50 toilets have been constructed. Organic farm-ing training is being provided.

TRANSFORMATION

SEVA NORTH

WE SELL THE OR-GANIC PRODUCE DIRECTLY WITH-

OUT MIDDLEMEN, THUS INCREAS-ING FARMERS’

INCOME

Recap of recent projects

Natural Farming training given in 7 states; UP, MP, HP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar & Punjab De- addiction rehab centres in Hoshiyarpur, Punjab Sangeeta Sinha: A wheel chair-bound fighter reached 265 villages and 130,000 people to raise voice against child marriage in Bihar 2 flood hit schools restored in Jammu. In-stalled 3 solar charging stations, benefitted 30 families. 500 solar lights distributed in villages

Free skills training workshop conducted in Mahasi Block, Agra, Tughlakabad and for Tihar jail inmates

Broken dam restoration benefited 100 vil-lages in Jharkhand

Remote reach Children in some of the interior, rural areas of Ballia, UP, like Tikoda, Lilkar and Jogesari get help with their lessons from yuvacharyas

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL

CHHATTISGARH

Since 2013, Art of Living is bring-ing about all-round development of 18 villages in Korba district ravaged by rampant alcoholism among the people.

The villagers prepared liquor from ‘Mahua’ plant and were addicted to it. In Koi village,

The Art of Living and NABARD volunteers formed a group of women to create awareness. The group collected fines from people who made alcohol. Today, no one in the village of 940 people drinks. The villagers were trained in organic farming to provide an alternative source of income. The villagers grow mango, papaya, cashew nut, millets and nuts with financial help from NABARD. The Koi village model has been implemented in other villages also.

WEST BENGAL

The Art of Living joined hands with the Dakshineswar Temple Debottar Estate and a company to install a solid waste management plant inside the temple complex.

All the flowers and other organic offerings at the temple are now recycled through

this processing plant and converted into organic compost. This compost is useful not only for the farmers but also for urban gardens. The plant is capable of processing 200 kg of waste daily, yield-ing about 60 kg of organic compost after 11-13 day curing cycle. The proceeds from the sale of compost make the project sustainable. The plant started operation in November, 2015. Similar projects will be initiated at the Tarapith Temple in Birbhum and Kalighat Temple Kolkata.

WEST BENGAL

Project Udaan has as its goal the rehabilitation and empowerment of 11,000 sex workers and their families in the brothels of Sona-gachi, Kolkata.

The Sonagachi community battles poverty, diseases like HIV, violence and premature

ageing, and low self-esteem. The sex workers have been taught Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga and Pranayama to overcome depression. Free medi-cal camps are conducted regularly. A free school educates the children of sex workers where they are also served food. Bharati Ganguly, project director says: “We purchased land away from Sonagachi so that such children can be groomed in a caring atmosphere. The children are given formal education and vocational training.”

ODISHA IS LEVERAGING ART OF LIVING PROGRAMS TO TRAIN ITS VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE AS KEY RESOURCE PERSONS FOR IMPLEMENTING GOVT SCHEMES IN VILLAGES

When Govt Syncs Up For Social DevelopmentSeva News Network

Programme implementation has been a big lacuna in government func-tioning in India. Scores of schemes are designed and money allocated but the implementation falls short of

standards. Due to lack of awareness or general apathy and lack of energy among the popula-tion, schemes are not utilized at the ground level. Between the general public and the gov-ernment there is a big gap that is rarely, if ever, bridged.

In a bold move, the Odisha government has sought to leverage the power of The Art of Living programmes to provide that last-mile connectivity. It has a scheme called Bharat Nir-man Volunteers – some 5,000 of them who are mandated to go to the villages and initiate pro-grammes and schemes and implement them. In 2014, the BNV programme was dovetailed with The Art of Living’s Youth Leadership Training Programme that has similar goals as part of a Community Government Partnership Initia-tive. The first such eight-day residential train-ing programme of BNVs/YLTPs was facilitated in Sri Sri University, Cuttack. Held from 17th to 24th July, it was attended by some 100 par-ticipants from Kalahandi dis trict. The Art of Living teachers took classes on yoga, aerobics and emotions handling, and inspired everyone about the spirit of seva. Speakers from the gov-ernment gave lectures on various programmes that they can take up. Training on ethical as-pects and establishing model villages was also given. The sessions focused on com munity de-velopment, mobilization and social leadership skills. Motiva tional films, inspiring videos on so cial initiatives were also shown.

So far, nearly 2,000 of BNVs have received YLTP training. YLTP-BNVians have fanned out to make a difference. Water scarcity at Singada village in Mayurbhanj was solved by construct-ing a supply pipeline. In some cases, BNVs have doubled up as teachers to make up for shortfall in teachers. Some 1,520 toilets have been con-structed in Angul district as part of a movement to make Odisha free from open defecation. In late 2015, BNV volun teers closed down five ille-gal liquor shops that existed for nearly 12 years at Laknat, Krish nanagar, bringing down alco-holism in the village.

The positive power of YLTP-BNVians was realized at the Jagannath temple at Puri during the occasion of Nabakalebara, a rare festival during which the four deities of the temple are given ‘new bodies’ by having freshly

carved wooden idols replacing the old ones. The Nabakalebara held in July, 2015, attracted 5 million people.

The Odisha government made elaborate arrangements to take care of such a massive gathering. The role of Bharat Nirman Volun-teers trained by the Art of Living in this mas-sive event was to facilitate smooth movement and operation of the 300 buses that were carry-ing pilgrims across the city. The State Transport Authority of the Government of Odisha re-quested The Art of Living to engage the BNVs. 80 Bharat Nirman Volunteers were selected and trained for this assignment. Their role was managing a crowd of 1.5 million and ensuring

smooth movement; handling the situation in case of emergencies; traffic and parking man-agement; guiding people to the right bus routes and ensuring smooth boarding and alighting. This was a massive task and the BNVs did so well that there was no accident reported in the festival! Their effort was praised by the govern-ment, the drivers as well as the pilgrims.

The YLTP-BNV programme is ready to be scaled up in Odisha. “Our immediate fu-ture plans include making 50 gram panchay-ats model villages. A solid waste management plant is planned at Puri temple for eco-friendly management of temple waste,” says Amiya Cha-rubaladas, a coordinator and YLTP teacher.

Heroes of Humanity

THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU3E

TRANSFORMATION

SEVA EAST

I WENT TO 1,500 HOMES TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE

OF HAVING A SCHOOL IN THEIR VILLAGE

- HIRAMATI SINHA

Hiramati Sinha received the Dr B R Ambedkar National Philosopher Award from Bharath Dalit Sahitya Academy in 2015 for running a free English-medium school in Bhu-vaneshwarnagar, Assam.Children in Bhuvaneshwarnagar used to travel about 4-5 km for primary education and even further for secondary education. Starting with 15 students at a building opposite her home, Sri Sri Gyan Mandir now has nearly 600 students and 13 teachers. In 2014, BHEL funded construction of school building.

- RAMA TEWARI

In Arunachal Pradesh, Rama Tewari is solving addiction problems among Mishmi tribe, providing skills training and installing solar lights.

Two in three Mishmi tribals were addicted to drugs. Through Art of Living programs, nearly 100 are now addiction-free. Solar lamps have been distributed to more than 300. 10,000 more solar lights will be distributed in

five districts so children can study. Computer and electrical works training is being given at Itanagar.

- UTPAL GHORUI

Whether artificial events like Nandi-gram riots or natural calamities like cyclone Aila, Utpal Ghorui works tire-lessly providing immediate relief.

During Nandigram riots, Utpal and his team set up refugee camps, where medical help and trauma-relief were pro-vided. 30,000 people benefited from The Art of Living’s relief camp during Aila.

Recap of recent projects

Around 2,000 people treated with ho-listic intervention methodllogies for drug and alcoholic related addiction at The Art of Living de-addiction research centre at Howrah, Kolkata

Distributed 900 solar lights under Light a Home project in Assam, AP and Manipur

Ashok Banerjee and Brij Chawla started 20 free schools projects in tribal areas of Ghatshila, other villages in Jharkhand and West Bengal benefitting 3600 students

Eye-check up camp for 160 patients from 10 flood prone villages in Rampur, Assam

Kent RO water filtration units distrib-uted to 85 families and constructed 30 toilets under WASH programme in Nua-dihi village, Odisha. Similarly, 1519 toilets were also constructed in Angul district

Sri Sri Kushal Vikas Kendra, started in October 2013 in Ambikapur, Chhatis-garh offers training courses in electrical, hospitality, plumbing, stitching and beauty therapy

West Bengal flood: 13 food camps and 17 medical camps benefitted 2,177 vic tims

Energy efficient 4500 smokeless chul-lahs distributed in Chhattisgarh

4 bio sand community water purifi-cation plants installed at Purulia and Burdwan districts, West Bengal to benefit 4,500 inhabitants of seven villages

Organic farming in 7,500 acres and Ayurvedic plantation training benefit farmers in Chhattisgarh

Established nursery at 13 farmers land in Chhattisgarh

Deepening of 5 lakes and 40 cleanliness campaigns conducted in Chhattisgarh

Kathalbod village in Chhattisgarh awarded for open defecation free village

Missing link Bharat Nirman Volunteers trained by YLTP sucessfully regulated crowd movement during Nabakalebara festival at Jagannath temple in 2015

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL

Global GreetingsPROMOTING CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUEAs a Christian I am convinced that global change can only be achieved by a strong value-based global leadership, avowing for human rights, economic development and political peace. Furthermore it means respecting each other and carrying on cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. I feel honored and privileged to be able to share these values with 3.5 million men and women. Last but not least, I would like to congratulate the international Art of Living foundation on its anniversary.

- Frank Heinrich, German Member of Parlia-ment

ASSEMBLING AS PEACEMAKERSReligious and political leaders as peacemak-ers and artists will spread the message of harmony in diversity and peaceful solutions to conflicts of interest.

- Dominique de Villepin, Former Prime Minis-ter of France

WISHES FROM KURDISTANDiversity of cultures across the world will be celebrated as over 3.5 million people and more than 100 countries will be represented at the festival. People of different nationalities will participate in celebrating their rich traditions

and cultures while emphasizing that while expressions may vary, we belong to one “World Family,” the motto of the foundation.

- Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of Kurdis-tan Regional Government

AN INCREDIBLE MEETING OF PEOPLEThe showcasing of rich cultural traditions of dance, music and arts from around the world at such a grand gathering demonstrates the importance of the diverse traditions that enrich our lives and bind us together. I wish each and every one of you an enjoyable and enriching cultural experience at the World Culture Festival 2016.

- Jack Markell, Governor of State of Dela-ware, USA

CULTURE PROMOTES UNDERSTANDINGThe Art of living has prominently worked to-wards giving people a platform to showcase their cultures and spread the message of global peace and harmony. I laud the efforts of The Art of Living for organizing this enor-mous event. I am confident that this unique festival will preserve our cultural roots and deepen our bonds.

- Priti Patel, Member of Parliament, UK

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU4

Benevolent Business

A SCIENTIFIC PLAN EXECUTED AS VOLUNTEER-DRIVEN EFFORT IN KARNATAKA HOLDS LESSONS FOR RIVERS ACROSS INDIA

Reviving the nation’s lifelines

R

Lead article

Y Lingaraju, K R Shettar and Nagaraj Gangolli

A project to rejuvenate three rivers, Kumud-vathi, Vedavathi and Palar, in Karnataka taken up by The Art of Living has shown good results. The project has seen the coming together of many stakeholders. In it, a scientific rejuvenation plan executed as volunteer-driven effort involving com-munity participation is being supported by the government and corporates through CSR. The Art of Living is planning to scale up this programme nationwide by spreading the knowledge and moti-vating people to participate.

In Karnataka – as in many other states – groundwater levels have fallen and water scarcity is increasing despite normal rainfall year after year. The reasons for this are: Decrease in natural veg-etation cover, drastic change in land use leading to encroachment of natural streams and waterbodies, siltation, and over-exploitation of groundwater.

The rejuvenation strategy being implemented in Karnataka hinges on installing or construct-ing three types of structures: Boulder checks, re-charge/injection wells and water pools. Boulder checks across natural streams reduce the speed of water and increase the soil moisture around, and thereby reduce erosion and siltation further down-stream. Recharge/injection wells downstream of boulder checks enable the running water to perco-late down and boost groundwater levels.

Water pools are constructed at the junction point of the water stream and tail-end of the water spread area of irrigation tanks. These are designed to reduce evaporation rates due to sun and wind so more water percolates down. Advanced tools like remote sensing and geographical information sys-

tems (GIS) have been used to site these structures for maximum impact.

People’s participation is playing a pivotal role in implementing the action plan. Sri Sri Ravi Shan-kar asked youths to participate in implementing the action plan prepared for Kumudvathi river re-juvenation. He also led a walkathon in Bengaluru.

This attracted hundreds of volunteers who started visiting the villages and increased public awareness on the issue. City volunteers cleaned many defective step-wells and planted trees. Vol-untary service is still going on in Kumudvathi project, which is closer to Bengaluru. Many schools, colleges and social groups too have been participating and inspiring the project. Systematic

implementation has been possible by MGNEGA and the CSR of mainly Robert Bosch and Hindu-stan Aeronautics LTD.

The exemplary work done by the volunteers was brought to the notice of Lok Adalat recently. This combined with media coverage attracted the attention of officials of rural development depart-ment and panchayats. Volunteers and Art of Living teachers participated in Special Grama Sabhas in panchayats and brought awareness on the useful-ness of the river rejuvenation project. Officials at the secretarial level decided to facilitate the project.

The project has been taken up for execution under MGNREGA. Training classes were con-ducted at The Art of Living international centre as well as at taluk level on how to get MGNREGA job cards. A core team of multi-disciplinary experts has dedicated all their time to planning, monitor-ing and reviewing the project.

In the very first year, a drinking water bore-well in Shiraganahalli of Ramanagara district on Kumudvathi, which had been dry for four years, started yielding water. In Nelamangal taluk of Ben-galuru rural, in and around Pallarahalli watershed, many open wells which were dry for a long time got filled with water and are sustaining in summer also. In the case of Palar where the work started one and a half years ago, people of Kiwara and sur-rounding villages of Chikkaballpura district are joyful that their dried-up borewells have revived.

(Y Lingaraju is former director Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre, government of Karnataka. K R Shettar is former executive engineer at Karnataka government. Nagaraj Gangolli is a se-nior Art of Living teacher)

SEVA IDEALS

C L Rathi is the managing director and CEO of Advanced Enzymes whose vision has catapulted the company into the big league. Advanced En-zymes is a research-driven company

that aims to replace chemicals with eco-friendly en-zymatic solutions in a range of industries like human health care and nutrition, baking, fruit & vegetable processing, dairy processing and so on. In a chat with Kriti Trivedi, Rathi explains the benevolent business approach that has worked wonders for his company.

How did you get interested in The Art of Living?My wife was suffering with severe spondylitis and my family physician recommended pranayama and yoga for her. When she decided to do the Art of Living course, I too joined so I could help my wife learn better. Sudarshan Kriya was excellent rest to my hectic industrial life of Mumbai city.

When did you realize that you can integrate service with your work?When I saw that any act that you do with complete contentment is called seva. So all one needs to do is change the internal attitude towards work.

How did your organization get on board with this idea?At my business, people were skeptical, doubtful or at best curious initially. Yet nearly everyone working with me has understood and now appreciates the approach of benevolent business I have adopted.

What is this approach?I am guided by some practical advice Gurudev has given. Our business must be benevolent to our soci-ety. And all our stakeholders (owners and employ-ees) and our customers should be dealt with fairly and ethically. It’s a myth a business can grow only through profit-by-any-means. In 2007, Poojya Gu-rudev blessed me to expand my company business globally. We have been exporting since our inception yet I re-evaluated each business vertical and looked from a timescale of next 10 to 200 years perspective. Every product line was evaluated for “risk to reward” matrix too. Our entire top and middle management was part of this exercise.

Is your work philosophy practical? For me, everyone working with me must be happy. This I value the most since I value my personal happi-ness the most! If anyone around me is unhappy, then I may become unhappy too. Second is - we as a “group” have some uniqueness. Expanding such unique quali-ties with diversity is very challenging and needs in-novation. This is what I encourage in my employees. That has led to so many innovations. We have filed 15 patents and perfected many skills. We have more than 700 global customers and 350 products. In the past eight years, our sales have grown by 300% and profits grew by massive 1500%. We export to more than 55 countries and 75% of the business is international.

If you are working on any project or YLTP activities, please contact us on 08067433615, 9620169697, E mail: editor.sevatimes@vvki.net Youth Leadership

Training Program (YLTP) and Dharma Sthamba Yojana (DSY) are service initiatives of Vyakti Vikas

Kendra, India [The Art of Living], a registered charitable Trust, head quartered in

Bangalore with its registered office at No. 19, 39th A Cross, 11th Main, IV T Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore

- 560041 - Ph: 080-67433600 | www.facebook.com/SevaTimes | www.artofliving.org/in-en/seva-times | Email: yltp@artofliving.org -

Project Director: Dr Rajesh Trivedi(National Director, YLTP)

Editorial teamKriti Trivedi Doke

Ram Asheesh Vishnu Manoharan, Dilipkumar Koli,

Rajesh Kundu, Sonali ChandananiAdvisors

M. Kalyanaraman, Saurabh Baweja, Mahesh Kumar, Karthik Krishna,

Mansi DharmrajDesign

Studio 28studio28new@gmail.com

SEVA TIMES

Scaling up A recharge well being laid as part of Naganadhi rejuvenation project in Tamil Nadu that follows the Karnataka model

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU5BIG PICTURE

3535-year-old

6In 6

continents

155Spans 155 countries

370Touched lives of 370 million

people

10,000

Runs 10,000 centers

across the world

100Over 100 mil-

lion man hours in developing

the full human potential

NO 1

One of the largest vol-

unteer-based networks in the

world

Know The Art of Living

Focus on literacy

The Art of Living’s free schools are located in rural, tribal and slum areas across India.

Our schools provide free, value-based educa-tion in a stress-free, student friendly environ-ment

Broaden vision, deepen cultural roots 51,000 children get free education 425 free schools, 20 states (296 Rural, 115

Tribal and 14 Slum area)Girl: Boy ratio - 48 : 52

First school started in 1981 in village Udaya-pura in Rural Bengaluru

In Jharkhand, over 3,600 students from 100 tribal villages are being educated in free schools. This project began in 1999

Environment

55 million trees planted in 36 countries and 26 Indian states

Natural farming in 144 districts of 19 states of India

Trained more than 20 lakh people including farmers and youths in Sri Sri Natural Farming

More than 10 million saplings planted through Mission Green Earth

People reached out for Natural Farming through seminar, workshop, 3 days training, model farm visit, awareness programs, aware-ness program in krishi melaWater Conservation and River Rejuvenation

Projects include cleaning polluted rivers Water Conservation and River Rejuvenation

in progress in 16 rivers in Maharashtra, Karna-taka and Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra Total 12 Latur - (5 rivers) Gharni, Tavarja, Rena, Jana, MudgulOsmanabad – (3 rivers) Terna, Rajegavi, BenituraJalna- (1 river) NarolaNagpur – (1 river) VenaJalgaon – (1 river) WaghurSangali- Satara (1 river) MannKarnataka: Total 3 River KumudvathiRiver Vedavati

River PalarTamil Nadu: Naganadi

512 tons clothes, plastic, garbage removed during the “Clean Yamuna Campaign”

40,310 cleanliness drives conducted by volunteers

Pampa Cleaning

600 tonnes of garbage removed 68,800 volunteer-hours spent on the project 30 lakh people sensitised 8,000 + volunteers from 14 districts involved Approximately 500 women participated in

the initiative 377 school children and staff from 8 Sri Sri

Ravi Shankar Vidhya Mandir participated

TheArt of Living progamme

More than 15,000 Art of Breathing Instruc-tors globallyHolistic prisoner rehabilitation

155 countries 3,50,000 inmates transformed Since 1999, more than 2,20,000 inmates

from prisons in India have undergone Prison SMART program with good results. In Tihar Jail - Asia’s largest prison, over 60,000 convicts and 130 prison staff have benefited

Over 1 lakh inmates in jails across India attended course between 2011 and 2015 in 27 states Prison Programme teaches skills that reduce stress, heal trauma, and provides practical knowledge of how to handle negative emotions 5H

Conducted 52,466 hygiene camps benefiting 7.9 million people and 27,427 medical camps benefiting 577,400 people

Reached 40,212 villages with the 5H pro-gramme - Health, Hygiene, Homes, Harmony in diversity, Human values

Peace

The Art of Living, in its pursuit of Action for Peace, conducts special courses to release all

stresses and view life with a fresh, rejuvenated perspective.

The Art of Living also brings together people of different faiths and cultures, to promote interfaith harmony. Sri Sri has played the role of a peace mediator for countries in conflict

Empowering Rural Youth

Youth Leadership Training Program aims to en-courage sustainable development, while uplifting individuals and communities at the grassroots so that they become self-reliant, both socially and economically.

Youth Leadership Training Program - India Trained over 2,03,220 rural youths Reached out to 40,212 villages in India

through 5H program - Health, Hygiene, Homes, Harmony in diversity, Human values

Developed 55 model villages - Conducted 52,466 hygiene camps benefiting 7,869,900 people

27,427 medical camps benefiting 5,77,400 people

Built 3,819 homes, Built 15,000 toilets, 1,199 bore-wells, and 904 bio-gas plants. Light A Home

Impacted more than 15,500 households bringing solar lighting to more than 65,000 people

Inspired 98 new entrepreneurs in the field of Solar Energy to set up solar battery charging stations

Set up 8 Solar Micro Grids in India as a pilot for our Integrated Rural Energy Access Model Village Program.

Provided Solar Grids in 7 schools in the rural belts of Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan

Trained 189 Yuvacharyas (Youth Leaders) as Renewable Energy Technicians to install Renewable Energy Products

Kaushal: Skills and Vocational Training Program

More than 18,000 youth trained in various

vocational skills over the last 14 years. 1,800 prisoners and 1,300 reformed mili-tants provided with vocational skills training as part of Project Srijan, our Prisoners/Militants Rehabilitation Program Created over 62 clean energy women entre-preneurs who have installed more than 7,000 smokeless chulhas Shakti: Women Power

5,000 rural women trained in vocational skills. This includes 500 rural women who were trained in tailoring and employment for 100 women in Bangalore, Mumbai and Chan-digarh. SSRDP has also successfully created tailoring training centers in Odisha and Assam.

Over 623 Self-Help Groups formed in fields including food processing, bag making, tailor-ing and embroidery Trained over 200 rural women in agarbatti rolling (incense sticks) in the villages sur-rounding The Art of Living International Cen-tre in Bangalore. The hand rolling technique is chemical-free Over local women have been given training in arecanut plate making. Arecanut leaves are eco-friendly and biodegradable

Awareness raised on the prevention of female foeticide Hosted 7 women conferences, 5,000 women from 80 countries participated Art of Living programmes provide a solid spiritual foundation that nurtures inner strength, creativity and self-esteem of women from all walks of life.

Boond- Purified Drinking Water

Trained 60 Rural Youths as Jal Sevaks to manufacture low cost Bio Sand Water Filters.

Provided safe drinking water to more than 45,000 individuals in 267 villages by setting up four community water filters, distributing in-dividual water filters and making 78 bore-wells in the states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.

Installed seven Community RO and Bio Sand Filters in Karnataka and West Bengal

CAMPAIGNS

10.6 MILLION PEOPLE TOOK PLEDGE TO SUPPORT MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN INDIA PLEDGE TO PROTECT THE GIRL CHILD – UNICEF CAMPAIGN 100,000 PEOPLESENSITIZED AGAINST SEX SELECTIVE ABORTIONS 150,000 PEOPLE SENSTIZED AGAINST CHILD MARRIAGES 107 VILLAGES IN MAHARASHTRA SENSITISED ON INDOOR AIR POLLUTION 6000 PEOPLE ACROSS 4 SLUMS IN

BANGALORE SENSITISED ON DIABETES RELATED COMPLICATIONS. INTENSIVE AND HOLISTIC INTERVENTION CONDUCTED FOR HIGH DIABETICS WITH EXCELLENT AND SUSTAINED OUTCOMES 500 PROMINENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS SENSITISED ON ADDRESSING PREJUDICE AGAINST PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV-AIDS HIV/AIDS AWARENESS PROGRAMS CONDUCTED FOR 945 RURAL WOMEN IN KADAPA DISTRICT IN ANDHRA PRADESH AND COVERING ENTIRE POPULATION OF OVER 60 VILLAGES IN BAGALKOT DISTRICT IN KARNATAKA AWARENESS CAMPS ON WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) CONDUCTED IN ECONOMICALLY

BACKWARD VILLAGES LED TO BUILDING OF OVER 15,000 NEW TOILETS

Other figures: Over 350 indigenous species of cows protected and reared in The Art of Living Goshalas

Over 10,000 leaders from business, politics, academia, science, art and religion in participation The YES! for Schools program was offered to 12,845 students from 36 schools across the United States of America

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU6 W

IDEAL VILLAGES: FREE OF DRUGS & ALCOHOL, WHERE EVERYONE IS GAINFULLY EMPLOYED, HARMONY REIGNS, THERE IS NO OPEN DEFECATION, AND ALL FARMING IS ORGANIC

Yes, Ideal Villages & Communities Are PossibleSeva News Network

Maharashtra is an example of how di-verse Art of Living’s service activities are in improving the quality of life of people. From river rejuvenation to individual support, The Art of Living

community is practically there in every taluk to respond and serve. Besides Karnataka, Maharashtra is another state where river rejuvenation and water conservation has been taken up on a big scale – at 12 rivers from which lakhs of people are benefiting.

Maharashtra is also where the concept of ideal vil-lages has gained ground. The Art of Living considers a village to be ideal if it is free of alcohol and drugs, ev-eryone is employed, where there are no disputes and women are respected, where the streets are clean and there is no open defecation, and every farmer culti vates organic products.

Shredhar jawla village of Partur district, Maharash-tra with 1,100 popula tion was not only rehabilitated but became a model village in six months. Earlier, no govern ment staff would step into the village. Power theft was common in the village, ticketless travel was the norm. Many crimes were common. Addiction was com mon among unemployed youth. There were no toi-lets in the vil lage. Awareness of hygeine was low. There was a school but illiteracy was common.

A beam of hope appeared when ten youngsters of this vil lage participated in the YLTP camp. One par-ticipant Parmesh war Rajbinde, director of a com puter institute, took a commit ment to change the whole vil-lage. He underwent the rural manage ment training at The Art of Living International Centre. Local teachers and yuvacharyas trained all villagers with Art of Living programmes. 176 youths made a group after attending YLTP, whereas a women empowerment team educated women about hy giene.

The Art of Living and Kent company adopted the village. The company distributed portable water puri-fication equip ment free of cost to 147 families. Twenty toilets have been con structed so far. Art of Living vol-unteers supported the project by donating Rs 20,500. Each benefi ciary has to contribute Rs 5,000.

Villagers are now growing fruits and vegetables in their own yard using organic methods. Five biogas plants have been installed, and 600 laxmitaru and 900 other plants have been planted.

The next step would be development of parks, set-ting up a waste water treatment system, uprading pri-mary health centres, schools, meditation cen tre and set-ting up a solar power system.

Babanrao Lonikar, Maha rashtra state minister, visited the village and appreciated the work. On the de-mand of villagers the minister sanctioned a 4km-long

causeway connecting to the city. Parmeshwer Rajbinde said the entire YLTP team of Maharashtra is supporting the project.

At Rangapur tribal village of Gujarat in Dun gri Fa-lia, Navasri district of Gujarat, Art of Living yuvacha-ryas have built and set up 14 gobar gas plants. Women of this village were going to the forest to bring wood for fuel. Thus took 3-4 hours daily, apart from that a lot of trees were cut and the smoke from the wood fire was affecting their health too. Now they are saving a lot of time and energy, and spending more time in the fields.

Meanwhile, The Art of Living workshops con-ducted in Tirol and Namndeshma villages in tehsil Gogunda, Rajasthan have given women financial in-dependence. The local women were enthusiastic about getting trained in some work that could make them independent financially, and Art of Living faculty Jyoti Jhala trained them in stitching and knitting.

After getting trained, these women showcased their products at some stalls in a fair organised at Udaipur, and during Sri Sri’s visit. The women earned money and self-esteem, said Art of Living teacher and project cordinator Sunita Rathore. Art of Living volunteers in the city help them in com-pleting their work and selling them.

Heroes of Humanity

- DEEPMALA DESAI

Carrying her 6-month-old baby along, Deepmala took up the task of con-vincing villagers of Mal-khet, Umargam in Gujarat to send their children to school and not for work.

Deepmala organized shibirs, counselled parents about value of education, and in-spired the teacher of local primary school to seek upgrade to secondary. Now stu-

dents are studying up to Class 10.

- FEROZ KHAN

In Jalna district, Feroz Khan has been celebrat-ing Id Milan for four years involving all com-munities during which meditations are con-ducted.

Thousands of people from Hindu and Mus-lim faiths from Ambad and Parisar attend Art of Living teacher Feroz’s popular Id Milans. He has built three water tanks at

Ambad, Parner and Vipal gaon.

- PURUSHOTAM WAYAL

Among the many projects initiated by Wayal is one that has trained 25,000 Marathwada farmers in organic and zero-budget farming so that they don’t take huge crop loans.Wayal’s area of reach is Jalna dis-trict of Maharashtra. In 41 villages he has worked, Sridhar Jawala has been made a model village. Some 234 toilets have been constructed in four villages. Youths in Marath-wada and Vidarbha have been given training in electrical works, carpentry and ironsmithy.

SEVA WEST

TRANSFORMATION

MAHARASHTRA

In a novel attempt, The Art of Liv-ing is bridging the digital divide at 25 villages in Parner tehsil, intro-ducing the internet and its benefits to farmers in their work.

Started in January, 2015, volunteers of Art of Living have so far fanned out to 14 vil-

lages and reached 7,000 villagers. Workshops have been held to teach villagers the basics of internet and how to access it in local commu-nity centres and on mobile phones. Farmers have been introduced to the treasure trove of information on the internet such as govern-ment websites that help to track land use, pest

attack, availability of ground water etc. The agriculture department website, for instance, gives information about latest crop support, recent advancements in seeds and technologies. Weather changes, predictions are also available on the internet. Farmers are learning how to access this information in real time. Broader market trends, movements in commodity prices are available on specific websites target-ing farmers. Farmers in these villages are now sending out emails to government departments asking questions pertaining to their individual problems and they are getting answers. They have joined farmer WhatsApp groups that help them stay abreast of prices for their produce in local markets so that they can make informed decisions on when to sell their harvest. A more aware farmer is an empowered farmer indeed.

RAJASTHAN

Seeing the problems in Molela that traces its history to hundreds of years, Art of Living teacher Praveen Sanadya decided it should become a model village 2010.

Praveen was invited for a programme at the village when he saw that Molela was reeling

under many problems. Alcoholism and jobless-ness were rampant. The village had no access to clean, drinking water and open defecation was the common practice. He started with the children. He did Bal Chetna Shibir in which

nearly 1,000 children participated and followed it up with other Art of Living programmes for adults. A de-addiction rally helped to spread the message. Some 60 villagers, as a result, are staying away from alcohol. In the last three years, 150 trash bins were installed in the vil-lage. A key aspect of support is health check-ups. Nearly 1,000 people had their eyes checked up, out of which nearly 120 cataract surgeries were done. A lake was cleaned to tackle water scarcity using the government’s “Jal Swawalam-ban” programme. This year books were distrib-uted to nearly 1,000 children in five govern-ment schools in the village. On November 6, a free ayurveda camp was organized for 450 people after which they were also given free medicines.

MAHARASHTRA

Stree Soukhya project launched in November, 2013 in Mohi, Satara is fufilling a key women’s health need in rural India - sanitary napkins.

Without access to inexpensive napkins, women’s health is affected and girls are

often forced to drop out of school. In a situation where they are unable to talk openly about their problems, women suffer silently. Awareness is low. A survey conducted by sanitary napkin brand IP-SAS and some independent researchers revealed that 66% of the girls do not know about precau-tions and cleanliness during periods. As many

girls do not use sanitary napkins due to its high cost in the market. The change in Mohi started with an Art of Living programme that some 70 women attended and who were convinced of the benefits of using napkins. M A Pol and Swati Pol, who are the driving force behind the project, say, “We formed a self-help group in November 2013. Presentations were given to girls studying in classes 8th to 12th. We distributed sanitary napkin packets to the students.” The Art of Lving provided the required financial help in setting up a manufacturing unit for sanitary napkins made of cotton which have no adverse effect on the body. In October 2015, new napkin-making ma-chines were installed to increase production. One pack of eight napkins is distributed at Rs 25. More than 500 women are now using the napkins.

OUR YOUTHS SHOULD BE

EMPOWERED TO SOLVE ALL THE

PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY

Recap of recent projects

Home Herbal Gardens created in 50 remote villages in Maharashtra to provide safe herbal remedy for everyday illnesses

Sri Sri Kisan Manch benefits farmers in Vid-harbha and Marathwada famine region

De-stress programme benefits more than 50,000 people in Vidharba during farm suicides

Godavari river cleaned under ‘My Godavari, My Mother’ campaign before Kumbh in July 2015

Salav village in MH becomes model village Gujarat get access to more than 1,467 toilets

through YLTP, govt schemes

Health power Inexpensive sanitary napkins being made in Mohi, Satara, as a women’s empowerment initiative

TAKING A DIP AT THE PAMPA RIVER DURING THE SABARIMALA PILGRIMAGE IS SAID TO WASH AWAY ALL SINS. BUT OVER THE YEARS THE RIVER HAD TURNED INTO A DUMP

A Holy River Should Be Clean Too

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU 7

Heroes of Humanity

- SUDHAKAR VEERAVALLI

While touring his home state of Andhra Pradesh in 2009, US-based techie Sud-hakar Veeravalli found ill-health, alco-holism, chemical agriculture, temples uncared for without a priest and so on.With the help of local volunteers and The Art of Living Teachers, he taught Sudarshan Kriya, did workshops on organic farming, conducted medical camps. In 2011, he came back for good to dedicate himself to reviving Andhra and its culture and launched the “Back to the roots” project. He and his associates have taught YLTP to 2,000 youths, reaching out to 1,300 vil-lages. 16 yuvacharyas have since become sarpanches.

- NIVED MURALIDHARAN

Nived Muralidharan, a 46-year-old volunteer, has been feeding 150 people every day at Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for five years now.

Nived, a volunteer, found that the Thiru-vananthapuram hospital patients were fed only gruel. His idea of feeding them a proper meal took off and today he employs a cook for it. It costs Rs 60,000 per month to feed 150 people every day – Nived bears Rs 20,000 of this and the

rest of the money comes from volunteers and donors.

- VENKAT GIRI

From an alcoholic to sarpanch of Naray-anrajupeta, Venkat Giri is an example of empowerment.

YLTP empowered Giri to give up his ciga-rette and alcohol habits. He got involved in many social projects and campaigned against many issues winning the hearts of the people of his village. In 2013, he was unanimously elected sarpanch. By con-

structing 139 toilets, village is now open-defecation free.

Seva News Network

Revered as the Dakshin Ganga (Gan-ges of the South), the holy Pampa is renowned for its huge spiritual sig-nificance. The famous Sabarimala temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa

is located on the banks of the holy river. Over 5 crore pilgrims visit every year to take a ‘holy’ dip in the river before proceeding to the sacred temple. Pampa is also the lifeline for 30 lakh people across six districts of Travancore. Kut-tanad, an important rice cultivating area in Ker-ala, receives its irrigation water from the river.

Sabarimala is one of the most visited pil-grim centres of the world with an estimated 200 million devotees coming year. Pampa serves as a base station for the pilgrimage as motor vehi-cles are allowed only up to the holy river. “There is no adequate accommodation and sanitation facility at Sannidanam, the temple premises of Sabarimala. This is why the pilgrims depend exclusively on the Pampa river in the upper and middle reaches for taking bath and personal needs,” continues the Vice-Chairman. “Many people even resort to open air defecation, all the more reason for heavy pollution in the river during the festival months. Plus, the solid waste and a good amount of sewage wastes generated around the temple area ultimately reach the Pampa River.”

The main reason, however, behind the con-tamination of the holy river is the dumping of loads of clothes and other materials (plastic car-ry bags, empty bottles, food wastes) by millions of pilgrims. Elaborating further, Vava Suresh, chairman, Pampa Cleaning Project says, “Ac-cording to a ritual started few years ago, pil-grims are supposed to discard their clothes while taking a dip in the Pampa river. They be-lieve, this will bring them some spiritual merit. So as 200 million people abandon their clothes in the river, it naturally becomes a major envi-ronmental concern for the river system,” states the chairman.

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board has confirmed the presence of faecal Coliform bacteria in the river water that has touched alarming levels (3,00,000/100ml), thereby pos-ing serious health and environmental hazards. The big question is- Can Pampa be saved?

Vinod Nair, Vice-Chairman, Pampa Clean-ing Project says, “The Art of Living has been ceaselessly working to clean the Pampa river. Thus far, 600 tonnes of garbage have been re-

moved. Besides, we have directly reached over twenty lakh people who are now part of a mass movement.” The public outcry has also invited the attention of the Central Government that is now contemplating declaring Sabarimala as a ‘National Pilgrim Centre’.

What started in April 2014, as a concerted effort of a few hundred volunteers went on to become a huge movement of 8,000 volunteers involved in direct action. The cleaning pro-cess continues. The next big step was to create awareness through the Guru Swamis (pilgrims who have visited Sabarimala 18 times) of neigh-boring states as most of the pilgrims visit with these gurus.

Pilgrims were arriving from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. They did not understand one common lan-

guage. “So we developed an effective strategy of communicating with them in their respec-tive local languages,” quips Vinod Nair. “Pam-phlets were printed in Telegu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and English with simple messages of saving the Pampa river. The pamphlets were then distributed to pilgrims at railway stations, bus stands and streets. We also put up banners, posters and flex boards in multiple languages across roads that led to Sabarimala. In addition, volunteers, with placards, were deployed at var-ious places in Pampa,” adds the Vice-Chairman.

To aid in the clean-up and prevention of pollution the campaign is planning for a sewage treatment system and a garbage disposal system at Pamba. Communication with pilgrims will soon be done through apps so that they stay aware.

SEVA SOUTHS

TRANSFORMATION

KERALA

Project on to rehabilitate Pla-chimada, the tribal village that suffered groundwater pollution attributed to a Coca Cola plant.

Yuvacharyas, volunteers who are graduates of YLTP, have been working at the village

for a year now to make it a model village. So far 108 water purifiers have been distributed and 42 more will be distributed. This would account for nearly half the houses in the vil-lage. Five toilets have been constructed. Ten are under construction. Navchetra Shibirs, workshops that seek to empower villagers, are being conducted. Free yoga camps, medical and vaccination camps, and cleanliness cam-paigns are being organized.

ANDHRA PRADESH

The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Seva Mandir (SSRSM), The Art of Living free school in Guntur, is a beacon for holistic education.

The school is run by Kanan Trivedi, former IAS officer. Approximately 350

students from 10 nearby villages study at the school, 40% of the students being girls. Among the students are 50 orphans who are under the personal care of Kanan and are provided boarding facilities. Service is part of the curriculum. Music, sports are taught by trained faculty. The school received the ‘Best Rural Seva School’ award by Kanna Rangaiah Charitable Trust in 2015 for the impact of the school on students and community.

KARNATAKA

New water purifying devices are providing clean, drinking water to 8,000 people in three villages of Chikmagalur district.

Nagaraj, the spearhead of the Kumudvathi and the Vedavathi rejuvenation project,

headed this initiative too. On October 1, 2015, “Sumeru Theertha Ghataka” (STG), the pure drinking water devices, were installed in Lakhya, Belwadi and Sadarahalli villages. Each device purifies 1,000 litres of water per hour. Earlier the villagers were buying 1 litre bottled water for Rs 20. Now after the installation of Sumeru Theertha Ghataka the cost has come down to 40 paise per litre. A similar plant had already been installed in Sindigere village in May, 2014.

LASTING TRANSFORMA-TION CAN ONLY HAPPEN FROM WITHIN AND NOT

FROM OUTSIDE

Sacred work Cleaning of Pampa has been hap-pening since April, 2014. 600 tons of garbage have been removed from the holy river

Recap of recent projects

2 model villages in Kerala 1.5 lakh Lakshmitaru saplings planted in

2014 3 alcohol de-addiction rehab centres in

Kerala Solar Lights distributed to Nilgiri tribals Installed 250 so lar lamps, seven street lights

and a battery station in Billigiriran gana Hills Of Chamrajnagar district, Karnataka

Toilets constructed un der Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, 160 toilets in Lakhya hobali and Chikmagalur, Karnataka

In Bangalore 2,000 farmers from 18 states to focus on ‘Natural Resources Management’

8,000 people benefited from 3 drinking water purifying devices in three villages of Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Narayanrajupeta village in AP receives na-tional award for best village for sanitation

Kothapalen village in AP becomes alcohol free, plastic free and 1st village in the state to implement dry and wet waste separation

Community awareness walks conducted in 1,300 villages of Andhra Pradesh covering 9 lakh people from Nov 2009 to Nov 2015

Chennai Floods: 700 tons relief material, 5,000 volunteers and distributed 2 lakh food packets

1,500 Lakshmitaru saplings were planted in Chennai in partnership with Southern Railways in January 2016

25 Villages have been named by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Nagar in Kanakapur Taluk

31 houses built by The Art of Living under 5H Program at Kolar and 350 at Bagalkot district

10,000 rural Children are trained under Bal Chetna – Year 2008 - 2010

2500 prisoners trained though The Art of Living stress relief programmes

50 medical camps are conducted across Karnataka under 5H program

Diabetes check camps are conducted every month in slums of urban Bengaluru

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BENGALURU8

By Dinesh Kashikar

Over a period of time, the Vedic educational tradi-tion has become restricted to very small pockets with the advent of modern

education. The English system of educa-tion, a legacy of the British period, has shifted the focus from holistic education to specialized – it trains people to become information-oriented. People are trained to do specific jobs.

Education at the Gurukul happens in the Vedic tradition – i.e., in a holistic way. The students stay here with the teacher. Just like the children at home learn from the parents by observing them, here the learning happens continuously rather in bits and pieces. The education is therefore more wholesome and all-round. The per-sonality develops along with the mind and the body. “I feel like I am at home.Teachers are like our parents, caring for us as well as instilling discipline,” says M Sarvesh from Tamil Nadu who is in his second year.

The ancient traditions are in danger of dying out because what is taught in spe-cialized education provides more lucra-tive jobs. The Vedic Gurukul is an effort to popularize learning in traditional methods.

In Vedic Gurukul, the day starts with yoga and meditation. The education here

is a blend of traditions and science. Along with education the students also get people interactions skills. Students are able to present the knowledge and appreciate that other people live differently.

The whole idea is to have deep roots and a broader vision at the same time. The school follows a unique curriculum that lays emphasis on traditional subjects as well as modern topics. A big transfor-mation Gurudev has brought about is making this knowledge open and avail-able to everyone.

The Vedas are the wealth of every-one. The knowledge and wisdom they contain is for the whole humanity. But to

recite and chant the Vedas some qualific-tions are required.

Just as to become a surgeon you need to have an aptitude for it and practice and study for many years, in the same way, any-one who has the aptitude for the Vedic tra-dition is welcome to join here.

The idea behind the free school is to preserve our culture. Such Veda schools are only a few. Ours was started in 1981.

The future of these children is very bright as spirituality has made a comeback. More people are interested in culture, yoga, meditation and mantras. We have started to place our pandits outside India and vari-ous places in India. They get called to per-

form homas and poojas. Many of us would like to have authentic homas.

In our Gurukul, the students are well trained and come out like polished gems. The homas they perform are authentic. Our students are trained to become so-cial saints. “I feel lucky that I am learning here under traditional methods,” says D I Hari Haran who is in his fourth year.

The students of Sri Sri Gurukul un-dergo a unique education programme that is both rigorous and enjoyable. It is no wonder that the Veda Agama Sam-skrutha Maha Patashala won the “Best School” award based on multiple crite-ria including knowledge, literary skills,

chanting skills, overall poise, leadership qualities and personality of the students from among 20 patashalas at the national level competition conducted by Srimath Srikanta Shivacharya Veda Agama Vidy-apeeta in January 2007.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar established the Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, The Art of Living International Centre, on the outskirts of Bengaluru in 1981. The Panchagiri educational campus of Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth consists of many educational institutions such as Sri Sri University, Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir School, and Sri Sri Ravishankar PreUniversity.

SEVA SPIRITUALITY

WITH GROWING INTEREST IN INDIA’S ANCIENT CULTURE, MEDITATION, YOGA AND MANTRAS, THE GURUKUL AT BENGALURU OFFERS AN EDUCATION BLENDING TRADITIONS AND SCIENCE

Traditional Learning for Modern Wisdom

True education Established in 2002, the Veda Agama Samskrutha Mahapatha-shala at the Bangalore ashram offers traditional, holistic education

PRESERVING CULTURE

Ved Vignan Maha Vidhya Peeth started Veda Agama Samskrutha Mahapathashala at Bengaluru centre in October 2002

The pathashala is a residential school where all aspects of learning related to temple worship are provided

Students learn Vedas, Agama, Shilpa Shastra, Jyotishya, Thirumurai etc

They also learn Sanskrit and English Started with 20 students, now 250 8 batches, 16 teachers

1-year primary course, 6-year main course Students awarded

“Shaivagama Vidya- nidhi” after course

The pathshala campus including students and teachers’ accommodation and residence is about 1 lakh square feet

Chairperson: N Bhanumathi Narasimhan (VVMVP, Bengaluru)

Secretary: N Narendra Lamba Principal: A S Sundaramurthy Sivam

DEEP ROOTS