ARUNACHALA
KATTU SIVA PLANTATION
2007-8
Rains were disappointing to us this year but much foundation work was accomplished:
restructuring water-holding areas, bunding and check dams, pits and soil improvement
strategies were undertaken to great advantage for future seasons of better rain
– as you can see here with the beautiful rock work on the frog pond and
the line up of blokes with their kadapas (crow-bars).
1. Rock work frog pond - 2. Blokes with kadapas
With the second burst of rain plantation could be taken up in pits already dug and prepared with vermiculture:
3. Planting pits - 4. Planting on slopes
5. Ranganathan - 6. Vermiculture compost
Unfortunately that burst was short and hand watering had to be carried out; we kept stashes of plants waiting for the next spell of rain hidden in the forest nearby:
7. Watering on slopes - 8. Carrying water to slopes - 9. Plant stash
The wonderful hand pump and water holding tank beside the nursery proved to be a tremendous asset to our work:
10. Holding tank -11. Pumping water
Another worthwhile job of the dry season was making the resident sadhu cave hospitable during the rains so we are now joined all year around by a distinguished young swamy most interested and supportive in our work.
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12. Sadhu Cave |
By the time the Monsoon finally broke we were intent on emptying our nursery and the feet of Siva showed their true colour again.
15. Monsoon breaking - 16. Green feet of Siva - 14. Nursery - 13. Saplings on slopes
During the past five years we have planted 46,013 saplings, 32,000 cuttings and broadcast 1,200 kg of seeds on the slopes. During our meeting in September some changes were made in the work force and it was decided to undertake plantation of the long bare road to Vediyappanur with the cooperation of students in the Arunachala School: 19. School planting on roadside
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18. Roadside plantation Vediyappanur - 17. ASKP meeting
We were able to employ our seasonal labourers again in the coming months and a couple of them joined us permanently.
20. Seasonal labourers
We have to acknowledge that the workers were harassed from time to time from the greedy peons in the Forest Department but Apeetha went to Delhi in October and was able to ensure that higher authorities are aware of our work.
The Trustees of the newly formed Trust and all the workers, with a few children and friends met one morning on the new nursery site over the other side of the mountain from where we have an inspiring view of the right foot of Arunachala Siva. We made decisions about calling for estimates for the foundation work on this land, and Jayalaxmi was given the future responsibility of being Manager of this nursery site while her husband, Rajamani, remains responsible as Manager of the established nursery on the south side of the mountain.
21. Meeting on new nursery site - 22. Right foot of Siva from new site
Our Navararthri puja this year was slow beginning due to the full moon crowds and our pujari took a nap while waiting for all of us to show up.
23. Dandapani resting - 24. Full moon business
The puja was a very beautiful thanksgiving ceremony as you see from these images:
25. Leaf plates for stone gods 26. Navarathri puja fire 27. Navarathri puja 28. Puja Parcel
29. Puja garland
Prasad was sent to all those persons who supported our efforts this last year, and we express our thanks here to the very special anonymous donors who have contributed so generously over the years.
We are making application for funding to undertake the foundation work on the new nursery site and feel that it is imperative now for some of our workers to undertake specialized training in other centres. The delta region directly above the nursery site on the south side of the mountain remains to be reconstructed in order to conserve the optimum run off from the two streams. Please contact us if you are in a position to consider offering donations towards this work.
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Apeetha Arunagiri on behalf of the Arunachala Kattu Siva Plantation Trust
30. Sleeping Sadhu
