AKSP -- November, 2008 Report

Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation: Greening of Arunachala
[November, 2008 Report]

The Forest Department intends to take full responsibility for the reforestation of Arunachala Mountain and we wish them well in their endeavour. After working on the Western end of the mountain for six years we will, from now on, observe the efforts of the Forest Depart while attending to plantation on flatlands surrounding Arunachala. This prospect offers greater potential for raising environmental awareness in the community. We are pleased to join two well established trusts – one on Arunachala's east and one on the west, both oriented towards the growth of sustainable ecological perspectives in children: The Arunachala Village School at Vediyappanur and Nectar Soma Trust at Somasapadi.

We are also engaged in the development of an organic model farm – "Prakruti" - on land offered us for this purpose on the Adianamalai side of the mountain. The land will first be developed with basic amenities before we begin structuring the farm with the introduction of organic farming techniques. On land offered near Arunachala Village School we will maintain a nursery for trees that will eventually be planted along roadsides and in villages on that side of the Mountain. The initial task in this direction is offered by the Panchayat at Selvapuram in Vediyappanur; who have invited us to design and develop a new burial ground, which we consider an honour. The children of the Arunachala Village School will be assisting us in this plantation as well as in the village itself and along the roadway leading towards the town of Tiruvannamalai.

We are in the process of training the children at the farm run by our Managing Trustee in using shadow puppet theatre for communication about environmental matters in surrounding villages. These children are forming a theatre group with Prahbun – a puppeteer from Bangalore, who visit regularly and assist with productions. This group will also give shadow puppet workshops at the Arunachala Village School where the Manager presents an ecological component in the curriculum. It is hope that this school will become proficient in spreading environmental awareness in their area.

At present we are building a nursery at the Nectar Soma children’s farm with considerable future prospects for plantation in the villages and on private lands. Adjacent is land owned by the Atma Saranalayam Ashram who have invited us to create a forest for its own sake on this land. We now feel oriented towards a wider arena of influence in our contribution to the greening of Arunachala.
[Apeetha Arunagiri]

AKSP -- 2009

Arunachala Greening -- Report by Apeetha Arunagiri

"As everyone can see, the hill is definitely greener now.

Ramana photo taken in mid 40's



Photo taken at same spot in 2006

The Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation is a registered Trust engaged for the past six years on restoration work contributing to the ongoing task of greening the Holy Hillock. The artesian reserves surrounding Arunachala desperately need regeneration so that the children of the future have good water here; the only way is by a reforested hill.

The Managing Trustee of AKSP - Apeetha Arunagiri, initiated the now very evident greening process by forming The Arunachala Reforestation Group in the mid eighties, which later became The Annamalai Reforestation Society. Her intention in originating this smaller project (AKSP) was to confront the social aspects of ecology that require a different structure than that imposed by the structure of ARS. For this reason indigenous rural women and men are engaged from the villages close to the project site on the more protected western slopes of the hill; the thrust of the project is to enable these workers to develop a keen working consciousness of taking responsibility for restoration work in the face of our savage civic environmental problems, on behalf of their own community.

We have learned much by our experience in the past six years. Now in 2009 we are poised for a shift into higher gear:

- our workers are ready for further training out of station where they will transform their capacities and meet other persons engaged in the global struggle towards ecological health,

- many of them are now capable of taking supervisory roles and there is plenty of work to engage seasonal labourers on essential reconstruction ground work as well as plantation in season,

- land has been offered us for a second nursery on the Adianamalai side of the hill so that we can begin plantation there. This land needs to be developed now and in addition the slopes on that side need drastic water conservation strategies.

One of our Trustees - Mr. Kasiviswanathan, is an organic farming specialist who fortuitously purchased this land many years ago. We hope eventually to create a chapter of the Trust to develop a model organic farm adjacent to the nursery. When Kasiviswanathan was working as a Permaculture and Organic Farming teacher in ARS he had the opportunity to train several persons who we are hoping to engage on this work. The view of Arunachala from this site is shown to the right above.

Although the fire problem has diminished and the hill does appear greener, the area still to be planted is vast. We encourage those with the hill in their hearts to consider their capacity to contribute towards the support and development of this work into the future. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about the project operations - details of which are given here below."

Contact Details:
Project Manager: Hari Prasad in Thiruvannamalai (telephone 09362152674; General Trustees: Kannan in Thiruvannamalai (telephone 09443435830) and Kasiviswanathan in Hyderabad (09490690792)

Email: arunachalagreening@gmail.com
Website: www.hotkey.net.au/~apeetha/index.html

AKSP Update

Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation (AKSP) has taken responsibility for the denuded Reserve Forest on the lower slopes of the mountain. The thrust of the project is social ecology. Eighteen rural persons - almost all illiterate - are engaged in water conservation strategies, bunding and check dams, seed collection, nursery work and plantation, maintenance and protection of saplings on the slopes.

The primary objective of the Greening of Arunachala is the rejuvenation of the artesian system. However the Arunachala Kadu Siva Plantation has a wider social ecological import:

To undertake responsibility for solutions to civic needs

To participate in the making of decisions about these solutions

To utilize and regenerate indigenous knowledge

To communicate the meaning of this work with villages and in the wider community.

Vediyappan Shrine at Plantation -- click on photo to enlarge

"Archeologists report that since time immemorial the mysterious wilderness - conducive to asceticism, meditation and contemplation, has always been juxtaposed with the cultivated terrain of Thiruvannamalai town. The prognosis for the future of Thiruvannamalai is a city with a mountain in the middle; the urban spread that will accomplish this is flourishing mightily right before our eyes. Yet Arunachala provides sufficient area designated as wilderness to support a flourishing botanical variety and habitat for many species of wildlife. The forest essential to enable this wilderness to be healthy will naturally replenish and regenerate the water table and eventually change our seasonalweather patterns. Such a forest therefore will ensure that the cultivated terrain presented in opposition to the wild mountain becomes truly synonymous with prosperity as it potentially is since the only sound economics in any nation lie in co-operation with natural processes."

[Aruna Apeethagiri - AKSP]

To find out more about Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation and different aspects of Arunachala Greening and about the indigenous community and ethos of the area, you can visit Aruna Apeethagiri's excellent website at this link.

AKSP needs support

We have written many times on Arunachala Grace about the Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation and about their excellent reforestation work. One of the most unique aspects of their work is that the structure of their organisation is such that it empowers the forest worker with a voice in decision making. Sadly, as is often true in the case of the worthiest of organisations, AKSP is in a precarious financial position and urgently needs the support of Arunachala devotees to help fund their work. Otherwise their organisation might have to fold - which will be sad day for Arunachala reforestation.

To understand exactly what it is they do, please check an earlier posting here. And also to meet some of the friendly, hardworking decent forest workers, please read about a recent Saraswati Puja at this link.

Saraswati Puja

Saraswati Puja, the ritual worship of the Goddess is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the Magha month of the Indian calendar, on the day called 'Vasant Panchami'.

Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahma and is the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge. She is the personification of knowledge - arts, science, crafts and represents Shakti, creativity, inspiration and the union of power and intelligence from which organized creation arises.

Puja is performed extensively in Hindu households on the day of Saraswati. One of the most essential aspects of this puja is that one dedicates the instrument of one’s work (gardening implements for a gardener, computer for a programmer, car for a driver etc) to the Goddess on this day.

In this respect I was invited by workers associated with Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation to their puja which was performed by a priest from Sri Ramana Maharshi at the forest location of the reforestation work of the organisation.

First I have to get there so I take the very beautiful 'inner' mountain path.

Already many of the forestry workers and their families have arrived at the reforestation area, at which place the puja will take place.

Folk are busy preparing the area, and their working implements for the upcoming puja.

And now the puja, which is being performed by a priest from Sri Ramana Ashram, commences.

After a very beautiful worship the puja is completed with the waiving and breaking of a white pumpkin (to ward of evil spirits) and the cracking of a coconut.

Now all that remains is to sit down under a cooling tree and eat some delicious prasad of sundal (spicy garbanzo beans i.e. chick peas) and sweet pongal (rice dessert).

AKSP

The Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation (AKSP) refers to a group of local persons engaged on restoration of forest on the western end of Arunachala in the area stretching from below the peak above Kattu Siva Thirthum on the inner path route to the end of the hill slopes at the feet of Siva.

The indelibly stated aims of its work are as follows:

1. To regenerate our artesian basins by reforesting Arunachala hillock in co-operation with natural processes, preserving diversity in genetic, soil and water sources;

2. To gradually re-structure the contours of the hill from Kattu Siva to Vediyappan on all sides in order to maximize water conservation;

3. To take responsibility for plantation, maintenance and protection of forest growth in a sustainable manner;

4. To nurture seedlings for plantation in our own nursery for a wide variety of species particularly indigenous;

5. To extend our knowledge of all aspects of ecological management within our organically functioning group;

6. To include supervisors of our working group in discussions about planning and management and enable workers to extend their experience and expertise in training, encouraging their work towards stable empowerment and self determination.

We are over-ripe for some of our group to go away for further training. This requires additional funds: funding which I invite you to consider since the further education of Green Workers creates ripples of influence far into the community, perhaps more pervasive and more truly beneficial than any other form of contribution.

Land to be used for new Plant Nursery

We have also been offered an acre of land adjacent to our area on the other side of the hill for developing a nursery (see above photo). This is a great boon to us. We will need to raise funds for the fencing of the land and the sinking of a bore down the well since the water table has diminished so much in recent years. These are the most urgent foundational needs.

Aspect of Hill

There is a photo for you to see the aspect of the hill from this land. We shall begin rock work on this side of the hill during the coming dry months of summer so we would like to establish a vermiculture system as soon as possible so that we can improve the soil up on these degraded slopes.

Spreading Vermiculture

Now we have seasonal workers digging pits up on the slopes, adding vermiculture to improve the eroded soil up there and the women have the arduous task of carrying water to drought threatened trees. We are somewhat impatiently waiting for the second rains so that we can plant but a heavy nocturnal cloud hangs over our whole area making nights much cooler than is normal while the days are March to April days, which doesn't augur well for rain. However Deepam is coming up soon and it almost always rains then.

Apeetha Arunagiri

The Deed of the Trust will be registered by November 5th. Once we have our Registration Number we can open a new bank account. Until that time, to remit donations please contact apeetha@hotkey.net.au to learn how funds can be sent by cheque or money order, or by electronic transfer. Please visit us at our website to find out more about the Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation. With Thanks. Apeetha Arunagiri.