Tiny Farm Friends Podcast Ep.01
In the words of today's guest, we must camouflage with nature and not stand out. We must be regenerative and not just sustain. He is someone who did not take a conventional path and questioned the status quo. He is indelible, as meeting him shaped our life paths. He leads his life with ever-growing curiosity, compassion, ethics with great sensitivity towards natural ecosystems and indigenous culture. Meet Sourabh Gujar. Sourabh is a friend, environmentalist, bamboo ninja, storyteller, and lighthouse. It is not enough to appreciate the natural beauty but understand it, preserve it, and regenerate it. Sourabh's artistic activism to make the world a better place is a dynamic combination of his practice as an ecological builder and permaculture designer. He has brought a positive change in the rural areas of Madhya Pradesh through his art. He has helped TIEEDI, a permaculture forest garden in Darjeeling, design natural buildings using Bamboo. He has galvanized local communities, volunteer groups for various ecological projects.
"Like a human being, a natural material-based building requires certain caressing. It requires your touch. It breathes with you. It helps you stay healthy."
In this conversation, we covered a myriad of topics. We talk about Permaculture, his rural explorations, the effects of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the rise of gated communities, security through architecture, Gandhian philosophy of gram swaraj, rewards of building naturally with the community, and the role of an urban activist working in rural areas. We always relish our conversations with Sourabh as he is a compelling thinker about meaningful things. His depth of understanding and sensitive approach towards the physical environment, cultures, and people is a gift to humanity. Make sure to stick around until the end, as Sourabh leaves you with some great advice. We all need to soak in his light and spread it to others. Also, check out the work that amazing humans at TIEEDI do in the link below. TIEEDI