Venu Madhuri

Author : Sriman Rupa Vilas dasE-Mail : rvd_rns@rediffmail.comDate Produced : AprilL, 2007Edited : Sriman Prafullakumar SeelamSerial No. : 24 of 54

VENU MADHURI VENU MADHURI

I wish to open centers in the villages… Letter to Radheswaranand Goswami, Perth,

I am very much pleased ----- that we do not stick only to the cities, but we train people in the remote villages also. Letter to Brahmanand Prabhu

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

So if you can organize in the villages, they are interested in chanting Hare Krishna mantra and getting nice prasädam

Room conservation, Sept-12th, 1976 Vrindavan

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

My beloved sannyasi disciple Swami Pusta Krishna has promised to give me a car, and as soon as I get it I shall move from village to village along with some selected assistants and organize this farming village development program

Letter to Kartikeya Mahadevia

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

The immediate program should be village organization as Mahatma Gandhi contemplated. In India the majority of the population is in the villages. The difficulty is that there is no sufficient supply of water to produce food grains.

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

The mass problem at the present moment in India is actually a food problem. I have therefore decided to start some village organization program--I shall arrange for the irrigation of the land and the people living there should give their labor for their own food and clothing, and then chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and cultivate Krishna Consciousness. ----

Letter to Radheswaranand Goswami, Perth,

Australia, 10th May 1975.

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

–In India, they are not less than 95% villagers and Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. I think this is a solid program

Letter to Radheswaranand Goswami, Perth, Australia 10th May 1975

So peaceful atmosphere can be attained only when there is large-scale village organization, actually village life.

Letter to Rayarama

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

Srila Prabhupada on village organization

If we establish such projects (village

organization projects) all over India, we shall be the proprietors of India..

Letter to Mahavirya Vrindavan 7th Sept 1975

Aims and Objectives

� Use as a tool and conduit for preaching

Krishna conscious philosophy in rural India

� Develop ideal villages based on Vedic principles

� Promoting Sustainable Development through

Traditional Wisdom

� Work with existing villages to make a model village

aiming towards self sufficiency

Mission statement

We shall strive with sincerity, to promote integrated, sustainable rural development that is based on traditional, time-tested wisdom, which aims towards local self-sufficiency with special emphasis on preservation of indigenous breeds of cattle and which foster the highest human values.

Key Result Areas

Watershed development Organic farming Animal husbandry (Cow protection) Cottage industry Education Culture & Health

Selection of Project Area

� Survey of few villages was started in year 2000 based on the need for development

� Village named Ramanwadi (Site no.1)

� Located in Radhanagari taluka of Kolhapur district, state-Maharashtra

Village Ramanwadi from distance

Our vision for Ramanwadi

� Work towards development of Ramanwadi and its community into a self-sufficient unit

� A model village for other villages to follow

� Target time of 12 years

Key Result Area – an interim report

� Watershed development� Organic farming� Animal husbandry (Cow protection)� Education� Cottage industry � Health� Spiritual Culture

Watershed Management

Aim: Making adequate water available for drinking and irrigation

Till date 3 Projects

1] Percolation tank - May-20032] Gravity scheme 1 - March- 20043] Gravity scheme 2 - December-2006

Watershed Management - results

Percolation tank - May-2003� Under the guidance of Venu Madhuri, villagers worked

together and constructed a 40 feet long and 15 feet high mud check dam

� Villagers rallied months together to contribute money and free labor

� The dam was constructed using locally available construction material

� In first rains, the dam was partially washed away due to the force of water

� Villagers have rallied once again to repair the dam

Watershed Management - results

Gravity scheme-1 (2004)

� 3000 feet pipeline to carry water from stream to farms

� Villagers contributed in cash,free labor and grains.

� Contribution of villagers 50% to project cost

� 10 acres of land under perennial irrigation

� villagers recovered their money in first 3 months � 40 Families benefited from project

Watershed Management - results

Gravity scheme.2 (2006)

� 9500 feet pipeline to carry water from stream in deep forest to farms

� Villagers contributed in cash,free labor and grains.

� 23 acres of land under perennial irrigation

� 18 Families benefited from project

Survey

Action

Hand in hand we stand

Villagers Participation Free Labor + Grains/ Cash

Agriculture before irrigation projects

Total village had 1 hectare of land under irrigation

Agriculture after irrigation projectsNow 33 acre of irrigated land

Water Basis of development (Village produce for imp. crops)

I shall arrange for the irrigation of the land-S.P

Year Sugarcane(in tones)

Wheat(in Quintal)

Groundnut(in Quintal)

2003(Before irrigation

project)

80 - -

2004(Before irrigation

project)

75 - -

2005(After irrigation

project)

75 - -

2006 150 - 7

2007 200 - 25

2008 400 8 45

2009 650 25

With successful irrigation projects, migration to cities is being reduced

Organic Farming

� Awareness through regular training program � Villagers have realized the damage to their farmland

due to chemical fertilizers and pesticides

� More than 15 farmers have started their shift by utilizing cow dung, urine slurry, vermicompost and doing “bija samskara”

� 35 Vermicomposting units distributed� Various demonstration plots � 1000 + horticulture plants were distributed amongst 55

families

organic farming Pump provided for herbal /cow urine spray Sapling distribution

Vermicomposting

Towards self reliance in farming

Animal husbandry (cow protection)

In India everyday more than

60,000 cattle are

slaughtered Animal Welfare Board

“--keep a careful eye on the cattle wealth of village. If we cannot use this wealth properly India is doomed to disaster and we also shall perish. For these animals will then, as in the West, becomes an economic burden to us and we shall have no option before us save killing them”. - M.K. Gandhi,

The barometer of the spirituality of any society is how happy and protected the cows are - Srila Prabhupada

Cow Protection (Animal Husbandry)

� A young devotee from Ramanwadi sponsored by Venu Madhuri completed two year diploma course in Veterinary Science

� Villagers are getting cows back from the forests� 3 youths have taken vows for cow protection� A full time vet taking care of cows in five villages � A veterinary clinic set at Ramanwadi � Tooth powder developed is in demand � Cow Protection awareness film developed. Watched by

more than 1 lakh people. � Villagers decided to care for cattle as family member

Revival of culture and tradition of Bendur (Festival to worship oxen)

Cows naming ceremony

Some Inspiring stories

Gobar gas

• 22 plants constructed for individuals

• Cattle became more productive

• Benefits from local to universal level

Impact of intervention Immediate (personal) Impact Reduce drudgery of household woman for fuel wood

collection. On an average 2-3 km daily

Immediate (personal) Impact Freedom for family (6 heads) from Indoor Air Pollution*

Agriculture (Personal) impact Good organic fertilizer for fields

Local Ecological Impact Approximately 93.6 tones of fuel wood saved every year (because of 18 plants)

Local Gene bank Impact Local cow breed will get preserved and developed as dung gained importance.

Universal Impact 169.2 tones of Carbon Dioxide causing green house effect will not be emitted per year. Other wise that would have emitted by burning fuel wood by 18 families

*Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) is a major health threat for women and children under five in the developing world. According to W.H.O, annually, 500,000 women and children in rural India die prematurely due to diseases linked to long term exposure to IAP. A major cause of IAP is smoke in the rural kitchen, due to use of firewood, agrowaste as biofuels in traditional cookstoves. (Source ARTI)

Dark nights to . . . . . .

Sustainable gobar gas light

Traditional yet scientific • Entrepreneurship development – Satisfied

youth • Happy women – because of smokeless,

faster, clean and fuel efficient cooking

Cattle rise at lower hamlet (8 houses)

05

10152025303540

No.of

cowsin

2001

No.of

cowsin

2008

No. of cows

Cow Protection (Animal Husbandry)

• Ex. of Yuvraj’s family with no cow in 2002 and in 2008 have four cows and two bulls

Researched posters developed

for awareness Promoting organicjaggery as importantpart of cow protection

Cow Protection (Animal Husbandry)

“It’s sinful not to engage the bulls in service” – S.P

� Bull powered Flourmill (An successful R&D experiment)

Efforts recognized

Daily Sakal on the occasion of ‘Maharastrian Bendur’ covered VMT’s bull

power experiment

Times of India, Punecover the news in detail

Star TV (Marathi) called with a desire tocover the story

Education “Samskara Varga ” (7th year)

� Instill spiritual and moral values, ethics, culture, community spirit environmental awareness and value-based non-formal education

� Impart knowledge of traditional sciences and certain skills required as part of modern educational curriculum

� Provide tuitions to village school students

� Daily training for 5 days a week

� Special training programs/ activities during school vacations

Our simple temple

Mangal arti

Tulsi Arti

Morning activities

Learning traditional science

Education “Samskara Vargas” - results

� Children are influencing their parents

� Prince of Kolhapur visits the school

� Children win prizes at taluka level by singing devotional songs

� Inspiring example of Usha’s determination

Cottage Industry

� Special training in Handloom at Ramanwadi

� Profitable business of striping Bamboo

� Mataji from 3 villages trained in Papad making

� Mataji trained in bead bag stitching

� Self Help Group Formed

Health – “Annamrita” (7th year)

Free, nutritious, sumptuous lunch prasad for rural school children for the development of physical and spiritual health

Health – “Annamrita”

� Every day 40 school children are served hot, nutritious prasadam (program going for last 6 years)

� After every Tuesday satsang program around 60 devotees are served with Dinner Prasadam

� Once in a month feast to whole village

� Villagers constructed a kitchen

� Villagers regularly contribute rice & fuel wood for this program

Annamrit –Kitchen and temple room

Regular health checkups

Hygiene & environment drive

� Toilet for every house scheme of Govt.. stimulated

� VMT introduced 1st toilet and guided all

� Because of this Ramanwadi is selected as ideal village and villagers were awarded by President in Delhi

� Environment awareness activity consisting of rally & several activities conducted for villagers and school students on behalf of Ministry of Environment and Forest, GOI.

Toilets constructed

Free dental camp

Annual Dental camp with help of K.L.E.S-Belgaum

Photos

Annual Free Dental Camp

� Weekly satsang program on Tuesday attended by around 65 villagers

� Preaching programs in neighborhood villages� Vedic marriages� Every Ekadashi kirtan in evening � Spiritual festivals celebrated� For major festivals, villagers visit Kolhapur ISKCON

center

Cultural Results

Simple temple

Cultural Results

� Most of the political and caste groups dissolved creating

an atmosphere of unity and love

� Meetings and programs start with harinaam kirtan

� Animal slaughter during social festivals stopped

� Once in every month whole village get together for a

cultural program, consisting of traditional games,

dramas by youth and children, sumptuous meals and

much more

Village meal program

¥ 50 devotees chanting

¥ 15 devotees wore kanthi & chant 16 rounds

¥ Three marriages as per vedic culture

¥ Land donated for trust activities by police Patil of

Ramanwadi

¥ Villagers have unanimously chosen their leader for the

post of Sarpanch, avoiding election process

Cultural Results- Village Ramanwadi

Cultural Results- Village Ghosarwad

ℓ Twenty seven devotees are chanting 16 rounds and are wearing kanthi. ℓ Twenty plus devotees are chanting less than 16 rounds.

ℓ Six families have altar at home that includes one who welcomed Gaur Nitai deity

ℓ Four devotees are cleared and waiting on list for Harinaam initiation

ℓ First VTA (Vaishnava Training Academy) started by ISKCON-Kolhapur, under the observation of H.G Radha Gopinath Prabhu has 7 members of which 6 are from Ghosarwad congregation and 1 from Ramanwadi

ℓ Visiting Preachers: Among the regular visiting preachers are

1] Krishnanand Prabhu 2] Radha Gopinath Prabhu

3] Gopijan Vallabh Prabhu 4] Nitaipaad Prabhu

ℓ All major Vaishnava festivals celebrated are attended by hundreds of villagers

Cultural Results

� For all trust activities excellent support from

villagers

� Active participation of women and youth

� Village meetings (Gram sabha) on regular basis

� Regular meeting of Village development committee

� Neighboring villagers are inviting Venu Madhuri to start activities

in their villages

� Staff nominated and selected for various courses offered by well

known organizations in India NIRD,ANTHRA, PRINCE, NWA.

� Staff member selected as free seat, for 12 day Permaculture training

at Sri Lanka. The selection was from amongst several candidates

from Asia and Australia

TEAM achievements

Success story

VMT’s Ramanwadi success

story goes to national scientist,

policy makers and high rank

Govt. officers from

Nation workshop at Hyderabad

in Dec-2008.

For people with people

� Connection with prominent personalities in rural

development like Anna Hazare, Rajendra Singh,

Anupam Mishra, Max Lindiger and many more

Team achievements

Additional Projects in the pipeline

� Rural Technology center (Vedic based)� Quarterly newsletter on rural development� Goshala � Irrigation project in village Bharibhambar � Gobargas for 100 houses� Ambulance for cows

Presently working with

Four villages

1] Ramanwadi

2] Bhari Bhambar

3] Ghosarwad

4] Khotwadi

& invited by few other villages

Our struggle

� 12 false police cases were filed against the staff under the heading of atrocity, fight, misleading people, etc

Our some Visitors

Photos with title Mohit - New Mexico (USA)

Dr Suresh-Hyderabad

Shrayas, New York-USA Sameer, Pennsylvania-USA

Nitin from Dallas

VISITORS

Major Supporters� Sriman Arvindbhai Mafatlal

� Sriman Krsnacandra Prabhu

� Sriman Krsnanaam Prabhu

� Sriman Srigaurang Prabhu

� Sriman Krishna Kumar Prabhu

� Sriman Radha Giridhari Prabhu

� Sriman Amala Bhakta Prabhu

� Sriman Rakesh Mahapatra

Major Supporters .. Cont.. � Er. Sadashiv M Khatakalle � Rajesh Bajaj� Association for India’s Development - USA � Global Ecovillage Networking - Australia � Sri Dagdulal Marda Charitable and Research Foundation � Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals � Sri Walwalkar Kapad Dukan Trust� Siddeishwar Krishi Va Gramin Vikas Samstha � National Institute of Rural Development � National Water Academy � ANTHRA - Pune� Promoters & Research in Non-Conventional Energy� Karnataka Lingayat Education Society (K.L.E.S)� Department of Animal Husbandry� Rotary Club � Ministry of Environment and Forest

Keep your self updated by visiting us on www.venumadhuri.com

Hare Krishna Thank you very much

rvd_rns@rediffmail.comRupa vilas das- 09372 208 108