Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Day 4: "Think globally; act locally"

Our day started bright and early and at 7 a.m. we loaded our three vans and headed to the natural oasis that is Navadarshanam.
Our day started bright and early and at 7 a.m. we loaded our three vans and headed to the natural oasis that is Navadarshanam. About two hours later, we arrived at the small community farm, dedicated to sustainable farming, ecological balance, and inner peace located in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. After we arrived, one of our hosts, named Murthi, gave us a tour of the farm and the surrounding area.


He showed us the different varieties of agriculture grown on the farm , as well as a pit where fresh cow dung and water are mixed together to create methane which is used to power their stove as well as other appliances throughout the area. Navadarshanam is completely self-reliant, and as a result they use solar panels to power the lights and use the water they collect from rain, for drinking (after filtration) and for irrigation.


After lunch, we took a couple of hours to regroup, rest, and try to cool off from the heat and humidity, but we spent this time together, along with the other interns from Bangalore (Anna, Neha, and Kailas) getting to know everyone more in depth and bonding in the process.


Later in the evening, we went on a silent 45-minute walk through the property led by another one of our hosts, Gopi, a former technologist based in California for 20 years. He decided to leave his career and focus on his passion for sustainable agriculture and finding his inner peace. Toward the end of our walk, we were hiking up a hill just at the same time the sun was setting, creating a picturesque view of the hills down below.


After the walk, we returned to our cabins and went to bed listening to the sounds of nature at its finest, which was definitely a nice change from the never-ending traffic and car horns of Bangalore.




--
Aaron K.