BENGALURU: In a bid to revive native greens and other vegetable plants, Bengaluru-based artist Suresh Kumar organised Sarjapura Curries, an event which entailed handing out of saplings and seeds to villagers and urban folk.
Held in a community hall off Sarjapura Road on July 29, this project has been supported since last year by a grant from Bangalore Sustainability Forum. Sarjapura Curries was all about the distribution of plants such as native tomato, brinjal and beans varieties, six types of sessile joyweed, Malabar spinach, hound’s berry and more, to the women of Volagerakallahalli village and people who showed up from the city. The event started at 1pm and went on till 7pm as people kept coming to get their saplings. Kumar wants more people to start having kitchen gardens as he feels that a lot of the natural vegetation is perishing because of rising infrastructure. He says one can cultivate vegetables at home instead.
“Sarjapura has witnessed a lot of corporate and residential infrastructural development, which has taken up a lot of farming land,” he says. He has been working with the Janani Abhiruddhi Sva Sahaya Sangha, a women’s collective from Volegerakallahalli, in growing green leafy vegetables. “We are 14 women. We grow green leafy vegetables at home as these plants are good for our health. A person learns by looking at the actions of another and this way, I hope many people will grow plants in their own house after getting inspired from us,” says Ashwathamma, president of the Sangha.
Kumar feels gardening and composting is a great way to bring people together. From the past few months, he worked towards setting up a nursery near the village and has given seeds and plants to anyone who comes by. Manasa, a woman from the village who is also a gardener, adds,”We grow carrots, radish and drumstick leaves at home, apart from the normal greens, and these are good for our health.” Kumar says he will be involved in this project for the next year and has plans to start planting trees near the village lake as well.