Satara

Living in Harmony with Nature

On the bank of a calm river, three ancient temples have been blessing the area since centuries. A beautiful old gateway stands at the foothill.

     As we entered, into the area of Warangal village in Satara district ,we were welcomed by a cool balmy breeze and the sound of temple bells. We drove along a tree lined narrow but well maintained road guided by Dr. Shashikant Salunkhe on his motor bike. An unbroken chain of fields marched with us -Sugarcane, turmeric, vegetables.

      Dr.Salunkhe first stopped at his organic turmeric fields, where harvesting was in full swing. His wife was waiting with a picnic lunch with mats spread under a group of shady trees. Most of the food came from other and his own organic fields organic fields and we ate it with freshly harvested raw turmeric.

   During the meal which was one of the best fine dining experiences I have had , we listened to Dr.Salunkhe’s struggles and successes in organic farming.

     As an ayurvedic doctor and a farmer with considerable land holding, Dr Salunkhe feels, his real journey started in 2006, when he held the first Art of living Happiness and rural Youth Leadership Training Program(YLTP)* in Warangal village, for eight days with a batch of 124 farmers, youth and women from surrounding villages also. Dr Ranjeet  Phule, a dynamic Sri Sri agriculture teacher conducted the course with him.

    Currently Dr Salunkhe holds a YLTP course every month, including more and more villages. Ten neighbouring villages have adopted organic zero budget farming from the desi cow. There are atleast two to five desi cow tabelas( cow sheds) in every village for using the valuable cow urine and dung for agriculture and as medicine besides A2 milk.

       An extensive tour of the fields was highly instructive. As we walked across Dr.Salunkhe ’s field, the soil was soft, black and porous, despite the post harvest. In the next field it was hard and lumpy not able to hold, absorb or retain much moisture. This one was a regular chemically treated soil. And how much more work for it to be ready for the next harvest!

     The turmeric too is richer in health benefits and curcumin content (Benefits of organic Turmeric)** 

      To visit his organic sugarcane field ,we had to walk through other dense Sugarcane plantations. The leaves were like blades, cutting and scratching. Learning to walk through them was an unforgettable experience. Dr.Salunkhe guided us to hold our hands partially outstretched and palms open in invocation like in Namaaz. I added to that by covering my head and hands with a dupatta. This position helped but it was tiring. Yet it was highly interesting wading through a rustling curtain that kept opening up and closing behind our supplicating palms

        The soil of the organic Sugarcane fields had again a different structure from the ones we had passed through. The Sugarcanes were flatter, taller and juicier ,sucking on them was a rare treat.

        I uprooted a few Dandelions with roots. It’s rare to obtain them from an environment where they have not been forced to absorb a plethora of chemicals and toxins from the environment. Medicinal wild herbs can only then be healing. The roots in decoction are diuretic and blood purifiers. We can also make a bitter coffee. The leaves are a tasty and highly nourishing salad or boiled as tea.

         Back on the country road, a valve had been turned into a water pipe bubbling with sweet rainwater. In that small waterfall , we washed the dandelions and also hands and legs. From the wild Nirgundi and Neem trees growing on the paths we gathered leaves to take home. Dr.Salunkhe harvester men, women and young boys crowded around me asking me what I was going to do with these. One or two out of these people were aware of the traditional applications and proudly shared these. “We also use neem stem and leaves to clean our teeth, See” .He smiled on a shining row of healthy teeth. “Sometimes we use the nirgundi leaves on sprains or a fevered brow, as a drink for arthritis or gargle for cough. “   They knew dandelion was edible but they had never used it. Sadly the awareness of using the wild richness and abundance around them had been reduced to 1 or 2 older men and women. However in many ways their good air, water and food keep them in good health.

      Dr Salunkhe shared that in a few neighbouring villages there are naturopathy doctors who treat the villagers from the entire district of Satara, those who know about them from word and mouth. Dr Sameer from Zanjune village, Dr Pramod Barge, to name a few are organic farmers with desi cow tabelas and effectively treat serious ailments also with Panchgavya therapy, cow urine and herbs from the wild, and organic fields. 

Many farmers have one or more indigenous cows for example Khillari, Deoni, Gir, Nimari, Red Kandhari etc local breeds that are found in Maharashtra. The organic farmers prepare Jivamrut , Agniastra , Beejamrut or Brahmastra with Indian cow urine, dung and leaves of wild plants and trees, adding jaggery, besan, or some mud (as each formula may demand)  which maintain the health of crops and their own selves when they consume the food grown through these natural applications. Villages all over India have at least one Herbal , Naturopathic, Ayurvedic ,Vaid , Siddha babas or traditional doctors. Sometimes traditional housewives may prepare and dispense medicines from their rough rural kitchen. But dependence on these for healing and self knowledge of emergency first aid from wild available plants is by and large submerged since the British rule in many rural districts.

      We are working with many villages to help contribute to the wave of traditional revivals both in organic zero budget farming and re-educating tribals, farm labourers, women self help groups and farming communities to utilize organic produce in value addition products, creating market links and awareness about using home remedies and wild herbs for simple ailments or diseases.

      Finally, an early dinner at Aaji’s small organic farm capped the day.

Dr.Salunkhe has formed a support group under the Sri Sri Kissan Manch of more than 200 organic farmers and Aaji Malan Salunkhe, a member woman farmer and her son Vaibhav are very good examples of active participation. About 4-5 indigenous local cows gently nuzzled our hands as we petted them. Dried layers of cowdung from these cows lined the courtyard and floor of the house. This is a natural antibacterial and dehumidifier. Following tradition, a few natural farmers in Maharashtra have cellars which they coat all over with a mix of river clay and cow dung. Produce stored in such a room would need no toxic or chemical preservative.

  Home-Grown vegetable, Jowar bhakri and unpolished rice straight from the fields fertilized only by the Desi cows. Ghee and milk from these cows is indeed food for the Gods! Completely fortified, we left after a tour of Aaji’s farm where too we could see from the soil that only natural methods were used. We stopped briefly at another farm to buy Desi Cow Urine and Cow dung for our own plants in Mumbai. 
    The setting sun was glowing on the river water washing the temple steps. After the day’s work ,young children were splashing blissfully around. Starting back to Mumbai after prayers in the temples, we felt doubly blessed and happy to have shared in this revival of natural farming.

         

Footnote

*Art of Living YLTP courses

The Art of Living’s role is to become a driver of change by helping communities to shift their mindset from a ‘want state’ to becoming the ‘drivers of change’ themselves. We do this through our capacity building workshops, awareness campaigns, resource-building exercises and by offering technical expertise to help communities become independent and empowered.

The YLTP focuses on personal development and communication skills. Through stress-reducing breathing techniques, individuals find inner peace and communities to come together in a spirit of service. Participants are inspired to volunteer for rural projects. The fruits of the seeds sown in these sessions are experienced by the community as a whole.

Reference- https://www.artofliving.org/youth-leadership-training-program

                                                  Walking through Sugarcane fields 

 

Washing Dandelions for Salad from the Organic fields