Isha Gramotsavam 2007
Anna University, in Chennai, is generally known for its excellence in technical education. Its homely campus has not only been the alma mater for the many Indian IT professionals who dot the globe, but also the home for the illustrious Dr. Abdul Kalam, arguably one of the most popular Indian presidents.
However, on the 23rd of September, showcased in its grounds were not the frontiers of science and technology, but a deep invigoration and celebration of the core and the essence of another India – the rural India. Over 500,000 people from various parts of Tamil Nadu, and a sizable number of national and international visitors thronged Chennai to participate in Isha Gramotsavam, a unique celebration of the land and culture that nourished thousands of generations of people in this part of the country.
Gramotsavam literally means “celebration of the village” and the village has been the focus of a number of carefully designed interventions of the Isha Foundation, aimed at bringing health, well-being and prosperity to the rural masses, which account for 75% of the country’s population. Fun and frolic was in the air and festivity reigned the day as Isha meditators found many excuses to call for a celebration.
To begin with, Isha Gramotsavam is a feisty annual celebration sharing the joy of transformation in the villages of Tamil Nadu through Isha’s Project Action for Rural Rejuvenation. Action for Rural Rejuvenation is a holistic and well defined program that offers free medical care through Mobile Health Clinics, and community rehabilitation and human upliftment to more than 3,600 destitute villages in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Karnataka.
Other key components of the project include various services such as libraries, computer centers and training, herbal gardens, free yoga programs, programs for environmental awareness, village games that promote healthy competition and build community, and Isha Craft for the empowerment of rural women through meaningful employment. Isha Vidhya, an Isha Education Initiative, aims at providing at least one English “computer friendly” Medium School in each of the 206 Taluks in Tamil Nadu within the next five to seven years. These Isha Vidhya Schools are expected to benefit over 500,000 underprivileged students when fully functional.
