Echoes of Eco

April, 2014

Vivekananda Kendra- nardep Newsletter

Vol:6 No:2

Green Rameshwaram: Takes off

In this issue:
Green Rameshwaram: Takes
off
Teerthams Work Progress
The Happenings-I
The Happenings-II
From our Publications
Visions of Wisdom:

Earth Wisdom

Earth Bliss

Earth Feeling

That Thou Art

th

On the morning of the 28 of April the

district collector office of Ramnad
district witnessed a unique day-long
meeting. Professionals from varying
walks of life seemingly unrelated
had assembled. Archeologists and
architects,
entrepreneurs
and
environmentalists, self-volunteers and
solar power experts sat across the
table. This unique meeting was
presided by the district collector Sri.
Nandhakumar IAS. The whole meeting
was facilitated by Sri. G.Vasudeo,
Secretary of VK-nardep. Present at the
meeting among others were, Smt.
Jayashree Balachander IAS (Rtd), Dr.
Kamalasanan Pillai senior scientist of
VK-nardep, Smt. Deepa Madhavan
Architect, Sri. Dhanashekharan, former
official
of
Tamilnadu
Industrial
Investment
Corporation,
S.Ramachandran epigraphist and
many other eminent persons.
It was the first meeting of all the subcommittee advisors, coordinators and
members of the Green Rameshwaram
project. Earlier the team had visited
the various sites of the renovated
traditional water bodies and studied
the various features: including the
methodology of renovation, challenges
in keeping the renovated water bodies
clean and the various cultural aspects

This was followed by the meeting at

the District Collectors office.
Each sub-committee gave its inputs
and observations by way of power
point presentations. The district
collector and the entire team
assembled discussed each of the subcommittees observations and inputs
and
gave
their
own
critical
suggestions. Based on all these the
district collector arrived at some
specific deliverables for each of these
sub-committees within a reasonable
time frame.
After the session was over in his
summarization Sri. Vasudeo informed
the participants that Sri. Ravi Sam of
Coimbatore, Managing Director of
Adwaith Lakshmi Industries Ltd., has
consented to be the overall chairman
of the project. He had informed that
given the size and multifaceted nature
of the project a detailed project report
(DPR) has to be made, if necessary
by an external agency. All participants
agreed that each group would submit
their preliminary drafts for the Project
Report in a months time. (which can
be used as the basis for preparing the
TORs for the DPR). The district
collector in his concluding remarks
pointed out that the project is vast in
scope and detailed in conception.

As bees, make honey by collecting

the juices of trees located at
different places and reduce them to
one form, and as these juices have
no discrimination so as to be able
to say: 'I am the juice of this tree,' or
'I am the juice of that tree-even so,
indeed, are all the creatures, as they
reach Pure Being . Now, that
which is the subtle essence-in it all
that exists has its self. That is the
True. That is the Self.
That thou art.
-Chandogya Upanishad

Service to humanity is the highest form of worship Swami Vivekananda

Then in the process of evolving Time

All shall be drawn into a single plan,
A divine harmony shall be earths law
Beauty and joy re-mould her way to live Sri Aurobindo

So he emphasized that the initial efforts have to be made

to first arrive at specific solid deliverable within a
stipulated reasonable time schedule. Concrete action with
delivery in the ground is vital in effecting the needed mindchange which is important in achieving the ultimate target
of Green Rameshwaram..
The Deliverables for each of the sub-committees:
1. Archeology and Culture:

A time-bound specific plan for a book on the
cultural components of Rameshwaram which need
to be highlighted

Creation of Public awareness billboards of at least

one of the neglected cultural component during
the next meet

Work and time schedule for a coffee-table book on

the history and culture of Rameshwaram should be
started.

[Above] The team visiting a renovated traditional

water body.
[Below] Plastic bags thrown into renovated water
body shows the challenge of sustained
maintenance of the water body.

2. Landscaping and beautification

Templates to be submitted for the following:

area specific signage in Rameshwaram

purpose specific signage like traffic / clean

messages etc.

collaboration with municipality the signage

templates have to be prepared for dustbins, pilgrim
guidelines etc.

beautification of the car streets can be taken up

with a priority basis right now.

Creation of spelling mistakes free boards

Should identify a plot of land within Rameshwaram

for a beautified zone
.
Prepare a street view virtual map of
Rameshwaram and plan improvement by zone

Spend just 9 minutes watching these

documentaries and see for yourself how you
can make the pilgrimage to Rameshwaram
cleaner and greener!

English: http://youtu.be/B2omYexqDY

Tamil: http://youtu.be/XAX0fbPxdbA

[The deliverables set for the other sub-committees

shall be continued in the next month newsletter]

To know more about Green Rameshwaram Pilgrimage Project contact:

Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - Nardep, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari-629702;
Phone:04652-246296, 9442646296 Email: vknardep@gmail.com

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, April 2014 Vol. 6 No: 2

The miseries of the world cannot be cured by physical help only. Until man's nature changes,
these physical needs will always arise, and miseries will always be felt, and no amount of
physical help will cure them completely . We may convert every house in the country into a
charity asylum, we may fill the land with hospitals, but the misery of man will still continue to
exist until man's character changes. Swami Vivekananda

The Teerthams renovation work is progressing. Here we capture for you

some of the glimpses of the hard work that went into the renovation of
Arjuna Teertham which was totally abandoned and almost lost. VKnardep not only investigated and located the lost Teertham but put in a
great effort to renovate it.

To know more about Renovation of Rameshwaram Teerthams Project contact:

Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - Nardep, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari-629702;
Phone:04652-246296, 9442646296 Email: vknardep@gmail.com

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, April 2014, Vol. 6 No: 2

Now we, if not in the spirit, have been caught up to see our earth, our mother, Gaia Mater, set
like a jewel in space. We have no excuse now for supposing her riches inexhaustible nor the
area we have to live on limitless because unbounded. We are the children of that great blue
white jewel. Through our mother we are part of the solar system and part through that of the
whole universe. In the blazing poetry of the fact we are children of the stars. William Golding
Happenings this month:
SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE

Workshops & Demonstration camps

on
Azolla
Cultivation
were
organized by:

Om Dairy and Breeding Farm,
th
Panipat, Haryana on 17 of this
month. Dr.Pillai was the resource
person and 50 farmers attended.

Central Institute for Research
on Buffaloes, Hissar at the CIRB
th
Training Hall, Hissar on 18 and
55 persons attended it. Dr. Pillai
was the resource person.

IARI, New Delhi at the village
nd
Lokra on 22 . 25 farmers attended
and Dr.Pillai was the resource
person.

VK-nardep
at
the
TRC,
Kalluvillai with the DST, Core
th
Support on 26 of this month and 3
persons attended and Smt. S.
Premalatha was the resource
person.

Happenings this month:

NETWORKING

Happenings this
month:
Water Management

VK-nardep activities done

with DST core support
th

th

On 28 and 29 of April 200 farmers

sponsored by the District Watershed
Development Agency, Dindugul visited
Gramodaya Park, and learned Biomethanation, Rain water harvesting and
Organic farming technologies.

Tested water from 14 wells

in Kanyakumari Dist. as a
part of the programme of
Central
Ground
Water
Board, Chennai.
Happenings this
month: Holistic &
Indigenous medicines.

Workshop on Traditional Siddha

Varma Bone Setting Practices was
held at the TRC of VK-nardep on
th
th
29 and 20 of this month. 48
persons attended the workshop.
The resource person was
Dr.V.Ganapathy
Villagers from Lokra praying before spreading
Azolla in the prepared bed

Green Health Home of VK-nardep

functioned for 7 days and treated 197
patients.

The pictures show the three aspects of the Siddha Varma camp:
Practice of the Varma therapy, Demo of the practice and Green
medicine preparation which are part and parcel of the system.

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, April 2014, Vol. 6 No: 2

When we must pay the true price for the depletion of natures gifts, materials will become more
precious to us, and economic logic will reinforce, and not contradict, our hearts desire to treat the
world with reverence and, when we receive natures gifts, to use them well
Charles Eisenstein

Bio-Methanation Plants
installed

Two Shakthi Surabhi bio-methanation

plants of six cubic meter volume
(portable) have been installed in this
month at Anbalayam, Kanmani Trust,
Karur and Avai Ashram, Sivasailam.

Happenings this month:

BIO-METHANATION PLANT &
RENWABLE ENERGY

Happenings this
month:
Patent obtained and
the Paper presented

Training
programme
on
Biomethanation plant was held at TRC,
th
Kalluvilai on 26 of April (under DST core
support) with Shri.V.Ramakrishnan as
resource person. 4 persons benefitted
from training.

We are happy announce that our

bio-methanation plant has been
given patent by the Republic of
South Africa under the number
2012/00072

Paper Presentations in this

month
At the NGO IARI Inter-phase
programme organied by the
Indian Agricultural Research
Institute (IARI), New Delhi at the
IARI
Conference
Hall.
Dr.P.Kamalasanan
Pillai
presented the paper titled
Success in Azolla bio-feed
technology and the transfer of
technology to Northern states of
th
Punjab and Haryana on 16 of
this month. This was attended
by 30 delegates.
Instinct is something which
transcends knowledge. We have,
undoubtedly certain finer fibers
that enable us to perceive truths
when logical deduction, or any
other willful effort of the brain, is
futile. Nicolas Tesla

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, April 2014, Vol. 6 No: 2

The physical body is not only a temple for our soul, but the means by which we embark on the inward
journey toward the core . Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is
free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.
~B.K.S. Iyengar

From our
Publications

In continuation of giving eco-toons from Samagraha Vikas

Development with a human face, in this newsletter we give ecocartoons that speak about the need for developing an Indic
health model based on a radical paradigm shift. The eco-toons
also speak about the mind-body connection, the sustained
indigenous medical system like Ayurveda and Siddha which are
based on an entirely different integral perspective of body-mind
connection.

Heart of Energy Medicine

starts from the very cell

Rather than behaving as

programmed
genetic
automatons,
biological
behavior
is
dynamically
linked to the environment.
Though this reductionist
approach has highlighted
the mechanism of the
individual
perception
proteins, an understanding
of
the
processing
mechanism emphasizes the
holistic nature of biological
organisms. The expression
of the cell reflects the
recognition of all perceived
environmental stimuli, both
physical
and
energetic.
Consequently, the Heart of
Energy Medicine may truly
be found in the magic of the
membrane.
Dr.Bruce Lipton
(Author and Cell Biologist)

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, April 2014, Vol. 6 No: 2

We need not a human answer to an earth problem, but an earth answer to an earth problem. The earth
will solve its problems, and possibly our own, if we will let the earth function in its own ways. We need
only listen to what the earth is telling us.
Thomas Berry

Earth Wisdom
Once we step into the reality of a
holistic consciousness that is truly
in interrelationship with the whole,
we will find our self in a very
different world in which everything
is interacting with us in a continually
dynamic
state.
Even
our
consciousness is affecting the
physical world. The question then
becomes what is our role in this
truly interdependent reality? Even
our present image of deep
ecology primarily sees the world
through
a
consciousness
of
separationthe
analytic
and
rational framework of our education
and
conditioning.
We
rarely
experience
our
consciousness
merged into the oneness of the
world around us, as for example
exists with indigenous peoples for
whom even the idea of an individual
being
separate
from
their
environment does not existI. If we
recognize the sacred and embrace
it within all of life, we will find that
life will speak to us as it spoke to
our ancestors. It will remind us of
how to live in harmony with
creation, and how to restore the
balance that is intrinsic to life. This
is the ancient wisdom of the Earth
itself, the Earth which has evolved
and changed over millennia, been
through previous ecological shifts.

- Llewellyn
VaughanVaughan-Lee
Sufi Mystic

Earth Bliss
The man of science knows, in one
aspect, that the world is not merely what
it appears to be to our senses; he knows
that earth and water are really the play of
forces that manifest themselves to us as
earth and water - how, we can but
partially apprehend. Likewise the man
who has his spiritual eyes open knows
that the ultimate truth about earth and
water lies in our apprehension of the
eternal will which works in time and
takes shape in the forces we realize
under those aspects. This is not mere
knowledge, as science is, but it is a
perception of the soul by the soul. This
does not lead us to power, as knowledge
does, but it gives us joy, which is the
product of the union of kindred things.
The man whose acquaintance with the
world does not lead him deeper than
science leads him, will never understand
what it is that the man with the spiritual
vision finds in these natural phenomena.
The water does not merely cleanse his
limbs, but it purifies his heart; for it
touches his soul. The earth does not
merely hold his body, but it gladdens his
mind; for its contact is more than a
physical contact - it is a living presence.
I When he meets the eternal spirit in all
objects, then he is emancipated for then
he discovers the fullest significance of
the world into which he is born; then he
finds himself in perfect truth, and his
harmony with the all is established.

-Rabindranath
Tagore

Earth Feeling
To understand Gaia, we must let go
of
the
mechanistic,
compartmentalizing
conditioning
imposed on us since childhood by
our society. From an early age
nearly
all
Westerners
(and
especially young scientists) are
exposed to the concept that life has
come about due to the operation of
blind, meaningless laws of physics
and chemistry, and that selfishness
underpins
the
behavior
and
evolution of all plants and
animalsI. The result is a totally
dry, merely intellectual ecology, not
a genuine perception of the
dynamic power, creativity and
integration of nature. A Gaian
approach opens new doors of
perception and opens up our vision
of the inter-dependence of all
things within the natural world.
There is a symphonic quality to this
interconnectedness, a quality which
communicates an unspeakable
magnificence.
I
As
you
experience this dynamic, evershifting reality, you may suddenly
find yourself in a state of
meditation, a state in which you
lose your sense of separate
identity,
and
become
totally
engrossed in the life process being
contemplated. The contemplated
and the contemplator become one.

Stephen
Harding
Ecologist

Poet-Philosopher

Vivekananda Kendra nardep, Kanyakumari-629702 Phone:91-4652-246296 www.vknardep.org