We started the day early as we drove out of New Delhi in a fog so thick that I couldn’t see the other shoulder of the road (Photo 1). Dr. Srivastava picked up doughnuts for our trip, and then we all fell asleep for the first leg. The drive lasted from 5:30 am until 3:30 pm with breaks for tea and lunch. We drove down single-lane dirt roads to arrive at the Nadi Village. If you haven’t been greeted by a whole village tossing flowers petals all around as drummers lead the parade to the meeting area, I definitely recommend it (Video 1). All of the villagers surrounded us with joy and kindness which showed us how welcome we were.
The villagers began dancing to the drums and blessing us with their Rupees (Video 2). Then, we all sat down in the center of the village to discuss how the villagers were being sustainable (Photo 2). The first thing I noticed were the solar panels in one of their fields. I was impressed that they were using this technology in a rural area. The villages also use drip irrigation to ensure they use every drop of water in the most effective manner. They grow flowers for the markets, gooseberries for consumption and pickling, and vegetables for consumption. They plant these different crops in strategic places such as planting spinach under the fruit trees for sun protection to ensure they use their land in the best manner they can.
The villagers then gave each of us a beautiful flower necklace and cups of hot tea (Photo 3 & 4). We handed out candy to the children (Video 3) and Dr. Srivastava handed out pencils (Photo 5). Next, we all took a tour of the fields of flowers the villagers were growing (Photo 6). It was an amazing experience to stand in the middle of a village in India surrounded by marigolds and mountains as far as I could see (Photo 7). On the way back to the bus, some of the villagers picked gooseberries for us to try. I think the villagers took even more pictures than we did during the visit! We all said goodbye and headed back to the bus, but not before being given some oranges for the trip.
After the Nadi village, we went to the National Research Center of Seeds and Spices (NRCSS). They are working on making a more effective crop for medicinal purposes. They are working with 8 different crops at the moment. We all had tea/coffee and various nuts before going outside to learn more about their processes. They had many protective measures in place to ensure that the crops have the best chance of surviving. Each section of the field held a different crop that they were working with (Photo 8). One of my favorites was the dill. We were handed a small sample of it. When I squeezed it between my fingers, the aroma of dill immediately came out! I found it interesting that the smell didn’t stay on my hands after I had passed on the sample.
We all went back to the hotel for dinner with our hosts from Ajmer. The hotel restaurant was on the roof with a nice but sometimes chilly breeze. There was a man playing guitar and singing throughout dinner. The food was great, and we had a sweet carrot dessert dish. We all still smelled like flowers and had them in our hair from the Nadi village. It was an amazing day filled with places I never thought I would have the chance to see and experience.
The final picture is of our group with the group from the Nadi Village.
