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“The earth does
not belong to men; men belong to the earth.”
- Sri Aurobindo
The Gnostic Centre has been engaged in research and innovation since 1996,
towards creating spaces that facilitate an inner development and are based
on organic and nature-friendly principles.
In Sri
Aurobindo’s yoga, spirit and matter are two states of one consciousness of
the Divine. There is no divorce between the Material World and the Spiritual
State. Matter is to be infused with the spirit, and Spirit is to be
manifested in Matter. In other words, Integral Spirituality is not divorced
from the material domain. Another term for the manifestation of spirituality
in our environment and nature can be called eco-community or organic systems
that are sensitive to the needs of the earth, and treat Her as a conscious
being, ‘Prakriti’, the Earth Mother.
That is why we at the Gnostic Centre have been researching, experimenting
and applying principles of organic growth and eco-sensitive methods and
procedures to bring a greater self-awareness of how we use resources put at
our disposal by Nature, in a conscious way.
Organic Farming
Making of
Vermicompost
Vermicompost is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some
species of earthworm. Vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic
fertilizer and soil conditioner.
Vermiculture
means artificial rearing or cultivation of earthworms and the technology is
the scientific process of using them for the betterment of the soil.
Vermicompost is the excreta of earthworm, which is rich in humus. Earthworms
eat cow dung or farmyard manure along with other farm wastes and pass it
through their body and in the process convert it into vermicompost.
The municipal wastes; non-toxic solid and liquid waste of the industries and
household garbage can also be converted into vermicompost in the same
manner. Earthworms not only convert garbage into valuable manure but keep
the environment healthy. Conversion of garbage by earthworms into compost
and the multiplication of earthworms are simple processes and can be easily
handled by any of us.
Biodynamic Compost
The word Bio-dynamic is derived out of the Greek words Bios and
Dynamics, which mean Life and Energies respectively. We may understand it as
“working with the energies which create and maintain life.”
Biodynamic compost is one of the major components of biodynamic agriculture.
It is an effective soil conditioner and is an immediate source of nutrient
for the crop. It can be prepared by using green leaves (as nitrogenous
material), dry leaves and cow dung (as carbonaceous materials) in 70-80
days. The composition of air, moisture and warmth is very important in the
breakdown and decomposition of the material. In our exploration towards
preparing different types of compost, we came across the method of applying
Biodynamic composting. Though biodynamic composting is a very old method in
the field of organic farming but at the Centre we have recently adopted the
method to make the soil richer and also to harmonise with Nature so that we
can achieve our aim positively.
The most fascinating part of the Biodynamic principle is that it gives great
importance to the lunar phases which play a major role in determining the
time for planting, spraying and ploughing of crops. Since we have adopted
this method we have used the planting calendar and seen a good result in our
products and also a decrease in pest attacks on crops and vegetables.
Bio-diversity
The trees and plants at the Gnostic Centre are abundant and have created
a bio-diversity that we ourselves are only now beginning to discover
consciously. The work of cataloguing the plants and their medicinal usage
has just begun. Nature-walks and bird-watching are a delight, for many small
creatures, butterflies, and birds visit and live in the premises.
Conscious Building
Guided by ecological architects and well-wishers, we are gradually
integrating ecological innovations in the developing structures at the
Centre... ...
The Earth Tunnel System
What happens four meters below the earth?
The temperature about 4 meters or more below the earth is about the same as
the year-round average temperature above, and therefore feels cool in the
summer. In fact, even in the very hot locations, the earth temperature
remains below 30°C. For instance, in Delhi, it remains about 26°C.
This interesting phenomenon has been used to provide air cooling in summers,
and heating in winters – naturally – by channeling fresh air through the
required depth below earth and then re-channeling it upwards into the room
through pipes and ducts – popularly known as the Earth Tunnel System.
This is what we have used at the Shrine. The system is environment friendly
and uses minimal energy – reducing the running costs drastically.
Chilled-Water Based AC System
This air-conditioning system pipes chilled water to the rooms and saves
a significant amount of energy by efficiently chilling the water and storing
it when not required. The air is cooled by fans blowing the room air over
the chilled water coils in devices called Fan Coil units. These units in
turn are fed by pipes from a Chilled Water tank. The water can be chilled
(overnight for instance) and used to cool the air even when there is no
electricity for a few hours. When there is electricity, it reduces the load
on the machine by allowing it to always work at its best capacity and chill
the water until its setting makes the chiller switch off. When the chill in
the water reduces with usage, the air conditioning unit comes on – not to
cool the huge area of the room, but only to bring the water back to the
requisite cold temperature.
At Alchemy (gym, yoga hall) by using this system we have been able to make
do with a 10 TR AC plant where the need was 18 TR.
Shankar Balram Septic Tank
First innovated and installed over 50 years ago by Balram Singh, this water
based Septic Tank is environment friendly and easy, economic and fast to
make. Instead of the conventional RCC underground chamber, it uses readymade
Hume Pipes – reducing costs and time. Not only that, it uses water for
decomposing the waste and does not accumulate sludge. This minimizes the
foul-smelling gas emission from the tank and also does not require periodic
maintenance or emptying out of sludge. The effluent it discharges is in
liquid form.
At Quietude it is this form of the Septic Tank that we have used – with an
additional detail by Revathi Kamath (an architect & urban planner). By
adding a soak pit root zone around the Shankar Balram system, and directing
the effluent to this pit before a final discharge into the rainwater pit,
even the effluent is cleaned further by the roots of the banana trees
planted above – ensuring that only clean water goes back to the earth.
Our Small Steps...
Construction
Materials
- Natural materials like marble, slate, stone and wood used in Main Hall;
very little cement or steel and less bricks used
- Use of Bamboo – for Shrine chamber flooring – unlike wood, bamboo is a
grass and much faster growing; it mainly uses up lots of water but very
little of other resources
Energy Conservation
- The buildings face towards the South (Alchemy, Quietude) - reducing heat
accumulation during the summer months and allowing the winter sun to enter
the building during the winter, thus making the building more energy
efficient
- Greening of the buildings through trees, grass on the roof (Shrine
chamber) to keep it cool
- Solar water heating instead of electric geyser – with gas (not electric)
back-up (Quietude) (Grid electricity has more CO2 emissions than equivalent
gas)
- Good insulation of the Main Hall ceiling – against heat
- Cooling & Heating of the Shrine building through a Fresh Air based Earth
Tunnel system
- Water based Chilling system at Alchemy
- Use of CFL bulbs
- Switching from Air Conditioner to Desert Cooler or Air Washer wherever
possible – AC used in monsoon only (Yoga hall, Resource Centre)
- Gas based oven instead of electric (Café)
Waste Management
- Playground equipment through Waste - Hume Pipe tunnel, Tyres & electric
pole for balancing etc.; an old bathtub converted to a pond (L’avenir)
- Use of old newspapers, magazines, paper & plastic glasses-plates reused
for art-craft work with children, teaching aids (L’avenir)
- Paper & Plastic, organic and non-organic waste being separated – through
separate dust-bins in different spaces
- Used paper & envelopes re-used for printing, writing, etc.
- Old newspaper, magazines re-used for cleaning purpose
- Have started getting milk in a container from the dairy, rather than the
polypacks
- Thermocol glasses replaced by paper ones for easy disposal (Café & Gym)
- Empty soda bottles re-used for syrups after thorough cleaning (Café)
- Flower petals from Shrine flowers re-used for making syrups (Café)
- Old ferns, flowers, kitchen waste, garden waste (also cut grass) re-used
for making manure
- Plastic cups used for growing saplings
Soil Conservation
- Soil Stabilisation through plants - passive soil erosion control with no
cement (Amphitheatre)
- Have tried out an Organic anti-termite mixture in the Shrine chamber
- Grey & Black water cleaned before being discharged into the soil
(Quietude)
- Using less chemical manure for vegetables and plants, and more of
vermin-compost, home-made manure
- Neem seeds used as an anti-termite medicine
Water Conservation
- Excess water (cleaning, rain) directed to plants or for ground water
re-charge, through rainwater pipes, trenches, rainwater pits, correct
sloping of land and gardens
- Greater use of Sprinkler than the garden hose for watering
- Use of washing machine
- Minimum water used for spraying shrine flowers, cleaning at the Shrine
(use of small buckets, sprays)
Related Articles
Our
Journal, the Awakening Ray
publishes articles on eco-living - ecological issues, practices and case
studies and a few are:
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Bamboo floor at the Shrine chamber
80 Solar collectors for hot water
Harmony with Nature |
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