Jeevan Vidya A Workshop With A Difference

 Are you above 70? If yes, do you attend workshops at your age? If not, when did you last attend a workshop on 'Life?' Not a religious camp or self-styled gurus?

Answers may be no in both cases. Then what has prompted Ghumakkad to sign up for a workshop titled Jeevan Vidya meaning 'Life Knowledge' or 'Life Learning'? That too when he has been a teacher for the last 22 years! And attending an eight-day workshop away from home in the summer at the age of 73? Madness? Crazy?

Well, you can call me by any name. But when I explain the concept and content of the workshop, you may agree with my decision. But before that, what attracted me to the workshop? Few things that it wanted the participants to bring along:

• A tent, if you have one (Ghumakkad was overjoyed!)
• An umbrella (Ghumakkad has many golf umbrellas)
• A mosquito-net (Ghumakkad sleeps in a m-net every night)
• A torch (I always carry one for my after-dinner-walk)
• A water bottle (avoid plastics)
• A bed sheet (Own linen is always better)
• A yoga mat (Will gladly carry one)
• A helping hand for farming, cleaning and cooking at the farm (something that Ghumakkad loves!)
• Availability of a tree house for sleeping (what more do you need?)
• Any seeds or sapling (am carrying a Gudmar sapling which cures diabetes)
• No workshop fee. It had been paid-forward by previous participants. More on it later
• And to cap it all- the key resource person had been a participant in my earlier program on NGO Managemnt many years ago! Moment of great satisfaction for a teacher, simply!

Now, how do you feel about the workshop? Ghumakkad is no longer branded as crazy, I hope! Pictured below are some of things am carrying for the workshop.

What is Jeevan Vidya?

It is a process of guided introspection, of 'doing philosophy' rather than studying it. There is no sermonizing; the facilitator presents sets of proposals, and helps participants bring their attention to bear on the inner workings of their thoughts, fears and aspirations. The idea is to trigger an empowering, self-critical inner dialogue that begins with the workshop, but doesn’t end with it! The venue for this workshop will be Suman Sangam forest-farm, Dharwad in Karnantaka.

The Facilitator:

This workshop will be facilitated by Vinish Gupta, who leads the Centre for Holistic Learning. He has been involved with various social and environmental movements in the past. In his youth he spent over a decade as a Buddhist monk, exploring traditional Indian systems of thought and living. 

Sharing below is the creative logo of the Centre for Holistic Learning. Comapre it with Ghumakkad's logo shared at the end of the story.

Selection Process

The workshop has limited seats. Just 25 participants. It is held at few venues in India where the partner organisations are willing to support it. Participants are selected based on an on-line application and two pointed questions:

1. Please provide references of people (as many as you can) through whom you have learnt about this workshop
2. How do you think this workshop would be relevant to you?

Joining Instructions

A prompt mail confirmed the registration. Detailed joining instructions soon followed and reminded me of my days in the Navy. Salient points:

• Location of the forest farm from both Hubbali and Dharwad bus and railway stations
• The organisers discourage travelling by air because of excessive carbon footprint
• Public transportation timings and fare
• If not using public transpaortation, contact details of auto/taxi drivers
• Contact details of volunteers
• Weather forecast for the duartion of the workshop

Workshop Fee

The workshop is shared as a gift and the facilitator does not receive any payment for facilitation. The costs (for food and stay)  of your participation have already been paid by those who attended the workshop before you and found it beneficial; should you find the workshop beneficial, you may pay forward for the participation of future participants. What an innovative and sustaiable way to run the workshop

The Beginning

The concept to create an open learning space began in late 2006 with the Gap Year College, an educational initiative that was based in the Garhwal Himalayas. However, after an year the Gap Year College could not sustain and later gave brirth to the Centre for Holistic Learning. There is now a wide network of co-explorers like:

Shikshantar: The People's Institute for Rethinking Education and Development, Udaipur

Swaraj University, Udaipur

Arivu, Mysore

Sambhaavnaa, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Vidya Ashram, Varanasi

Suman Sangam, Dharwad

Ghumakkad is all set for Jeevan Vidya Wporkshop from 26th April to 3rd May at Dharwad. Will share the experiences and pictures from Dharwad, broadband bandwidth permitting!

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   - Harsh-the-Ghuamkkad/ Secunderabad/ 23rd April 2025

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