Photograph by Binoy Sivadasan, Media Instructor at Amrita School of Communication on Onam celebration held in Amrita University, Coimbatore that appeared in several English and Regional newspapers.
 

Photographs published in English, Malayalam, Tamil newspapers.
 

Photograph in Times of India, English Daily, Photograph in Deccan Chronicle, English Daily
 

Photograph in New Indian express, English Daily, Photograph in The Hindu, English Daily
 

 
They stood in the line for lunch; they stuck around the hostel premises; they chit-chatted under the trees and sometimes during serious lectures; they learnt some valuable lessons too.The “They” that is referred here aren’t some college students who fancy their age; instead they’re the ones who “talk in the dreams of the students”. “They” are teachers of all kinds.
 

The “Teacher’s Camp” which is annually held at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham served as
an opportunity for all the teaching staff of the holistic organization to motivate themselves to be a better teacher. In this age where the student-teacher relationship is very much constrained, this programme offers the scope of learning for the teachers which helps in fulfilling their roles.
 

From the physically refreshing ‘Nature Walks’ in the early morning to the mentally cogitative ‘Talks by Swamis’, every aspect of the programme ultimately helped in realization of the roles of the Guru. “Everyone has a role to perform in a society and this programme helps us in identifying our role” opined Prof. Adinarayan of the IT department.
 

And that was not all; they were allowed to exhibit their expertise in various subjects in the form of ‘Paper Presentations’, ‘Group Discussions’ and not to forget the ‘Quiz’ which reflected on the cultural values of our motherland.
 

It was good to see each and every teaching staff participating in the camp with enthusiasm. It was one of those days inside the holistic campus which evoked the eternal student inside a teacher.
 

He shares his experiences and learning with readers. The account below is in his own words.
 

Healthcare in the twenty first century faces a number of issues such as changing demographics, advances in medical technology, workforce shortages and growth of information technology.
 

To meet the challenges, we need to develop strategic priorities related to growth, redesign care processes, develop effective teams and develop an organization’s knowledge and skills management capabilities. The M.Phil. course helped me understand all these aspects.
 

If working in a tertiary care center like the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), where quality initiatives are already implemented, it is a definitive advantage to pursue an academic program in healthcare management. Many of the best practices that we learn can be implemented, because systems are already in place.
 

An M.Phil. in Hospital and Health Care Administration is for those people who want to serve in a hospital. It is a hands-on program. The subjects include strategic management of healthcare organisations, health economics and financial management, quantitative methods, biostatistics, total quality management, project management etc.
 

There were three components consisting of contact sessions at CMC Vellore and the BITS Pilani campus in Rajasthan, online teaching sessions using web-based technology and thesis presentation.
 

My final semester thesis was developed on patient satisfaction with services provided by private health insurance companies.
 

During the study period, I had the privilege of meeting eminent practitioners from across the country who helped me learn more about current healthcare management practices in India. Among them were Mr. Sunil Kumar, COO of Narayana Hrudayalaya Bangalore, Dr. Sanjay Mehta, DMS of Medanta Hospital Delhi, and Dr. Ravi Prakash, Nephrologist at St. John’s Hospital Bangalore.
 

We were fortunate to receive training from teachers such as Drs. Jayaprakash Mulliyil, George Chandy and Suresh David from CMC Vellore, and from Dr. Usha Manjunath and Ram Shukla from BITS Pilani campus.
 

It was winter time and extremely cold during our sessions in Pilani. Mornings witnessed thick fog all over the place and we could barely see anything beyond a distance of 5 feet. The Saraswati temple in the heart of the campus reminded me of our University Headquarters at Coimbatore. The countless peacocks on the campus provided a rare treat.
 

Pilani campus also had an excellent museum of technology and library. A Nigerian citizen Dr. Adiwale, was my classmate. We are good friends now.
 

Overall, it was a rebirth of student life again for me and was a very thrilling experience. I could pursue such an intensive academic program during busy day-to-day activities only because of our beloved Chancellor Amma’s grace.
 

She shares her experiences and thoughts with the readers.
 

The gold medal exam on India and its culture has enabled us students to have a glimpse of the vast ocean of greatness of our country. Truly, the glory of India and its culture is incomparable.
 

We are greatly blessed to study at Amrita where we are exposed to India’s rich cultural heritage.
 

Amma has always said that the main purpose of education is to impart a culture to the heart. We are proud to say that our institution strives in that direction.
 

Gold Medal Exam was surely a step towards the goal. It has encouraged us students to read and know about the culture of our country. We indeed are fortunate to know how our glorious past has influenced our present.
 

In this context I wish to quote the words of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, who has once said:
 

From the beginning of her history, India has adored and idealized not soldiers and statesman, not men of science and leaders of industry, not even poets and philosophers, who influence the world by their deeds or by their words, but those rarer and most chastened spirits whose greatness lies in what they are and not in what they do, men who have stamped infinity on the thought and life of the country, men who have added to the invisible force of goodness in the world.
 

To a world given over to the pursuits of power and pleasure, wealth and glory, these honored spirits declare the reality of the unseen world and the call of spiritual life.
 

Their self-possession and self-command, their strange deep wisdom, their exquisite courtesy, their humility and gentleness of soul, their abounding humanity proclaim that the destiny of man is to know himself and thereby further the universal life of which he is an integrated element.
 

It has really been a great experience for all of us to join and win awards in this prestigious exam. For me, it has been an honor winning the gold medal and I sincerely acknowledge the efforts of my teachers and parents who have helped me to accomplish this esteemed award.
 

“We worship Goddess Saraswathi, who is attired in a pure white robe, adorn with a garland as white as dew drops, and is holding the Veena in her hands…..” chanted the students and faculty at the College of Nursing at Amrita’s health sciences campus.
 

They chanted in unison to pay obeisance and to invoke the blessings of Goddess Saraswati during the Saraswati Pooja conducted at the Nursing College campus on February 01, 2011.
 

The pooja was led by Sampooja Swami Poornamritananda Puri, one of the senior most disciples of Chancellor Amma.
 

Swamiji spoke on the significance of the pooja.
 

“Amma says that god can attain any form as the devotee wants him to be. As you all belong to the student category, let us all worship god in the form of Mother Saraswati for obtaining her grace and to invoke her blessings. With her grace, it is possible to invoke icha sakti (power of will), jnana sakti (power of knowledge) and kriya sakti (power of action). ”
 

For the next few hours, the gathering seemed immersed in the pooja. While the 108 names of the Goddess was chanted, the gathering followed by chanting “Om Saraswatyai Namaha.”
 

Later, the organizers informed that every year the pooja is conducted for students to obtain the divine blessings for their academic excellence.
 

“During the pooja, our mind and body was fully immersed in divinity. We could certainly feel the positive energy vibrations,” stated the students.
 

Pomegranate, the fruit rich in every sense, has stood with us since ages, still creating an enduring bond with our mind and body. For the aesthetic, the tree, its flowers and fruits flavor the mind with bountiful imagination. Cultivated from the very earliest ages, the fruit stood for as a symbol of fertility and eternal life in many religions.
 

Raised all over the world, the shrub requires porous and well drained soil. The small leathery leaves have a brownish tinge. The fleshy flower with its vibrant texture attracts insects to help with pollination. The fruit has a thick skin and inside a membrane covering hundreds of tightly embedded glossy pink seeds.
 

The protective and curative powers of the sweet tangy fruit seem endless. It acts not only as a good antioxidant but also assists with digestion and circulatory flow. It is a reliable source for vitamins B, C and pantothenic acid. The juice also fights against bacterial and viral threats.
 

The Katkari, a former hunting and gathering tribe of Maharashtra, found worlds inside the fruit. Each world is wrapped around a glowing seed. The exceptional, earthly nourished fruit keeps a silent promise of longevity, vigor and vitality. The healing, nourishing, symbolically earthy and yet divine fruit persists in parts of civilizations of the world and of the people and cultures that made them-and yet so essentially Indian, bringing the universal to the particular, the past to the present.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On Dec 27, 2010 in Bangalore Campus, Swami Amritaswarupananda ji visited the Bangalore campus.

Swamiji spoke on the essence of divine grace that is sure to flow from fearless righteous efforts in our chosen path of life. He laid emphasis on the willingness to change oneself for both self improvement and for the progress of the society. Negating the undue importance given to nurturing the body and mind, he said that the natural human emotions of the heart truly contribute to the real growth of self and society, further stating that the heart is wiser during times of conflict.
 

A series of anecdotes narrated by him reflected the values of honesty, truthfulness, loyalty, love, patience and perseverance, which he said was the essence of Amma’s message to mankind.
 

Swami Amritageetananda Puri and several bramhacharis from the ashram were present.
 

Uravu and the Ecoshop offered a moving and informative Saturday afternoon of fascinating information about the bamboo plant and the solutions it offers to global warming, environmental degradation, and economic uplift of poor communities. Uravu, an NGO located in the Wayanad (North Kerala), aims to empower marginalized and economically disadvantaged social groups. In particular, they work with traditional artisans, women and indigenous people to teach them how to become economically independent through crafts production, primarily using the eco-friendly and fast growing bamboo plant.
 

Surendranath, president of Uravu, was in Cochin for the Bamboo Festival and took time from his busy schedule to meet with interested people at Amritapuri. He explained that the organization had originated with a group of friends who were political and social activists on the far Left. They left that mode and decided to do something directly themselves to help people. Thirteen years ago they founded Uravu, which means “spring”. In a unique leadership model, the members rotate in all the positions of authority.
 

Surendranath told us that they chose to work with bamboo because:

• It conserves forests through timber substitution.
• Bamboo grows more rapidly than trees and starts to yield within three or four years of planting.
• Bamboo plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters.
• Bamboo can be harvested annually and non-destructively.
• Bamboo functions as one of the most efficient carbon sinks and so helps mitigate global warming.
• Bamboo is an alternative to non-biodegradable and high energy-embodied materials such as plastics and metals.
• Bamboo rejuvenates degraded lands and provides protection against soil erosion.
• All parts of the bamboo plant can be used in rural livelihoods and industry – shoots for food, leaves for fodder and branches for making over a thousand traditional products as well as a host of new generation industrial products.

He described how women can be empowered through earning their own money for the family and learning to manage their own home business. Handicapped people also make crafts for Uravu to market and can earn money even when bedridden. Craftspeople are taught a skill, supplied with the raw material, and the finished products are marketed. Micro-enterprises include bamboo and coconut shell craft, edible bamboo products like shoots, pickles and bamboo rice and dried flowers.
 

After the inspiring presentation, crafts were displayed and many rushed to pick up bamboo refillable pens, jewelry, candle sticks, bags, rain sticks and cell phone covers for themselves or as gifts for friends. Surendranath had to return to Cochin to close out their booth the next day at the Bamboo Festival. He thanked us for our interest and support, bade us farewell and packed up. Unlike other executives, he took public transport, carrying his battered laptop and carry bag over his shoulder. Despite the cloudy rainy weather, somehow we felt as if the sun had come out. Good news is hard to find these days, but here was a real success story and a win-win project for everyone. For more information about bamboo and Uravu, visit the Ecoshop and www.uravu.net.
 

– Rita, Amrita Learning
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham