Van Niwas > Normal Curve

The Himalayan workshop was a great way to connect with yourself.  We first got off the train at Kathgodam and took cabs to van niwas Ashram in Nainital. The journey from the station to Van Niwas offered some breath taking views of the flora and fauna of Naini Tal. The ashram is situated further up the Nainital and one can catch spectacular view of the city from the ashram. The night view was even more fantastic. The Ashram is nestled among heavily wooded hills, in an ambiance that feels divinely serene. The entire span of our 5 day stay consisted of activities like trekking, rappelling, rock climbing and river crossing.  The fresh air and the connect with the nature made this trip a really memorable.

The biggest learning out of the whole program was the ability to stretch one beyond the comfortable zone. e.g. people were not very sure about completing 18 km trek but almost everybody completed. This type of activities give us the real examples of how we behave in our normal life and if we want to achieve something that look intimidating at first , we should not give up.

The awesome ashram provided a very good atmosphere to be away from the hectic life of the campus and we get to connect with our fellow participants. This was the experience mix of sharing, cohesion, fun and adventure. The food was simple and that pushed us to think of mess food as luxury. The rules of ashram made us test our own self decline and control over the way we behave otherwise . Morning we get up at 6:45 am and by 7 we were doing either pranayam aur yoga .8 am is the breakfast time. We had to "shram-dan" i.e. wash our utensils once we use them. And after the whole day activity 10 p.m. The light goes off. The set of activities which were planned were told to us in the first and the people were sceptical about their ability to walk 18 kms a day and hang from a rope.

It was a moment of self reflection for all of us as we had grown accustomed to a way of life which lays no importance to the well being of the mind and body. The sessions on stress management were an eye opener for the participants and the techniques which were talked about were taken very well.We also took a time to visit the city and buy some gifts. Designer candles were the speciality of Nanital and we bought lot of it. Boating, Tibetian market, rope way etc was one of the memorable experience that one can cherish for the lifetime. This

Van Nivas > Naini Baba Aur Nau Chor

Our entire group would first of all like to thank our institute for having such a program as a part of PGP. I also thank Prof. Srinivas and JV Sir for their encouragement and inspiration and for all the enthusiasm which made IDL very interesting and exciting. All the events were meant to teach us about Coordination, Cooperation and Collaboration. The group activities helped us increase our bonding with nature as well as with each other. 
We arrived Nainital on 17th Oct morning. After our delicious breakfast we had a briefing from Prof. Gunta and JV Sir for the trip itinerary. We were asked to choose a name for our respective groups.  We decided our group name to be "Naini Baba aur Nau Chor". We also gave each other nick names. In the afternoon, we trekked towards Tiffin top, which is the highest point in Nainital. The scenery throughout the trek was awesome as we went through dense forests. We were awed by the beauty of the ranges when we reached Tiffin top. It was just amazing to be there and none of us wanted to return. After spending couple of hours and clicking a million pics we started our decent to Ashram.


IDL was not just about fun, we had sessions on Pranayam and Yoga in the morning of Second day which was very refreshing. We learnt about the power of mind and what miracles human mind can do if we are able to focus. After breakfast we did scrambling in the caves in which we had to squeeze ourselves in order to pass through small cave opening and creeks. We enjoyed the experience and was real fun.


Third day mostly consisted of the whole day trek. We trekked for 17kms on Wednesday! It was challenge for us to maintain energy in the group and we successfully did so. We carried packed lunch from Ashram which we enjoyed thoroughly at mid point during the trek.


There were adventure games too like bouldering, rock climbing, rappeling, river crossing which we did on the 4th and 5th days. They taught us to overcome fear and helped us believe in "Darr ke Aage hi Jeet Hai". Each group was also asked to present a group performance which was very interesting. Finally teams were recognized for their efforts. We won the "Best Team Name" Award. 


IDL@Nainital was definitely a stress reliever and has gifted us with memories we’ll cherish our entire lives.

Van Niwas>Dus Bandal Baaj

  The Integral Development Lab 2 at Himalayas was an eye opener for every member of our group Dus Bandal Baaj. Every member of the group found undiscovered troves of energy and potential within themselves while performing some daunting tasks like a day long 21 Km Trek. On a normal occasion, we would consider this a waste of time, but this was something different. Once we reached the snow top view and started our jungle trek, there was no turning around and people had to complete the trek. This was an important lesson for everyone. In life too, we would face similar situations where once we had committed to some task, we would have to put in all our efforts to achieve success and we should not be afraid of anything because we would have the company of our friends, well wishers and guides who would accompany us on this journey.

Vanar Sena - Nainital

It was unique experience of our lives where we had wonderful learning experience in the lap of nature. The best part of the trip was that we could bring out inner strength which could not have been explored without this program. Starting from the day zero when we reached there till the end, there not even a single day when we didn’t learned a new thing. We had wonderful trekking experience in a dense forest land followed by well planned activities like bouldering, cave explorations, river crossing and scrambling. Most of these activities looked scary at the first sight but when we made our mind to go through it, it seemed like a child’s play to us. One of the striking part of our program was the visit to the Jim Corbett Park. We were lucky enough to get into the park as it got opened just a day before our scheduled day after a closure of 3-4 months. It was thrilling experience of searching out for tigers in an open jeep in the heart of jungle. But unfortunately neither tiger could spot us nor we could but we managed to see deer, stag, elephants, peacock and wild boar. It was not just an entertainment visit but spiritual too where we got to know innovative ideas for stress management for mental peace and Yoga/Pranayama for physical fitness. After coming back we still remember those Golden riles taught by JV sir and ready to implement them during the need of hour. This gives us much satisfaction that now we are ready with armour to handle and win any mental way which will come in our way now. Even though it was quite cold over there but surprisingly very few of us fell prey to the cold climatic conditions. The credit for this goes to the well-disciplined structure of the program, availability of all the necessary facilities in the ashram and a simple food. We could actually feel the trueness of the statement “Early to bed and Early to rise, make a man healthy wealthy and wise” which we could not have realised staying back in the college where keeping awake till late night is a tradition. Keeping the long story short we can say that it was a lifetime experience to undergo such well-structured program which offers us a blend of natural beauty, chance to explore inner self and teaching the lessons of team building. 

Van Nivas > Ahaa!!!

Himalayan Workshop is a mandatory 5-day workshop for the second year students. As part of this program, our group, consisting of 10 members, went to Nainital. The journey started on Oct 15th 2011. The route was Indore --> Delhi --> Kathgodam --> Nainital. Some of our group members also visited the great Taj Mahal, Mathura and Gokul during our waiting time in Delhi. We all know that this is a kind of one-off life-time opportunity and were keen to enjoy every moment of it. But little we had known, before the trip, that this trip would encourage everyone of the team to take some important lessons for the life ahead. We thank Prof Gunta, Prof JV and members of Van Nivas Ashram for making the trip memorable.

We reached Van Nivas ashram on Oct 17th morning. The introductory speech given by Prof JV Avadhanulu gave us a glimpse of what is in store for us. We understood that the next few days is going to be fun-filled and more importantly a very unusual life for an IIM student completely away from technology, away from the outside world, more close to the nature and importantly to the inner-self. The volunteers of the ashram were very helpful through out the trip. Everyday we had to do some adventurous activities along with Yoga and Pranayamam.

We started the first day with a trek to Tiffin Top. The path was extremely tough, narrow and at some places a bit dangerous. Most of our group members were doing such an activity for the first time in their life and enjoyed every moment of it. We had loads of photos after reaching the view point. It just gave us a taste of tryst with nature.

The second day we went on to do scrambling, trekking through caves). Though a few guys were skeptical if they would pull it through, at the end everyone of us comfortably completed the activity. This just gave us all the confidence that we can do such activities.

The third day we had a choice of going to either a 19-km trek or to Jim Corbett National park. All of us chose 19-km trek. I should day that this was the best part of the entire trip. The trek was a test of endurance and stamina than anything else. For the first time in life, many of us are very close to nature for at least 6 hours and completely forgot our body pains. We came back with loads of memories.

Day 4 started with bouldering, rock climbing using hands. This was a bit risky in the sense that it's more of ability to balance once body and shed the fear of heights. At the same time each of us kept encouraging each other and completed the activity.

On Day 5, we had rappelling (rock climbing using rope) and river crossing. Rapelling was very challenging and river-crossing was a different experience. Though we were disappointed with river-crossing, we all enjoyed rappelling.

We also had to perform skits on Day 4 and Day 5. This is also a highlight of the trip because it made us realize what we are capable of and every has a artistic angle in him. The preparation for this event was more of team building exercise and we all will always remember the fun we had. We came up with a skit "Chalo Nainital" with a small but effective message about the importance of preserving our environment.

On a whole, we had many lessons about having self belief, importance of Yoga in life and more importantly the impact of being close to nature as much as possible. Each one of us were very impressed by the stamina and agility of Prof. JV even at an age if 60+. We came back from nainital with many gifts to near & dears, and more importantly loads of memories.

Kuch Bhi

The IDL was a great way to connect with nature.Team Kuch Bhi enjoyed its stay at Naini Tal to the fullest extent. Right from the moment we got off the train to Kathgodam we felt as if we were in paradise. The journey from the station to Van Niwas offered some breath taking views of the flora and fauna of Naini Tal. As the vehicle negotiated sharp hair pin bends on our way uphill the feeling was one of pure exhilaration. The Ashram is nestled among heavily wooded hills, in an ambiance that feels divinely serene. The entire span of our 5 day stay consisted of activities like trekking, rappelling, rock climbing and river crossing. Naini Tal with its clean air and vast swathes of rolling green hills provided the perfect getaway to recharge ourselves. On one of the days of our stay we visited the quaint little town.

Kuch Bhi Group is one of the most boasted group as the member of this group are go getters. The composition of group and the right mix of internal and external faculty in the most wonderful place on earth called the Arbindo Ashram at Nainital is a life time experience for everyone in the group. The group exhibit immense potential and right team building attitude because of casual and fun approach of doing things.

The first day when we reach Kathgotham ,the cool air of Nainital started hitting us from that point itself.The next 45 minutes of journey to Nainital through circular roads made some group member fall into the beauty of romantic path we were traversing on . At the same time some group member like Indernath Guha was struggling to control his nausea and motion sickness feeling. We had with us the sare-ga-ma-pa singer Piyush Pandey who ,at no place tried to get into the musical cords and made the ambience light.

After the 45 minutes of this chilling drive ,we reached the Arbindo Ashram .The rules of of ashram made us test our own self decline and control over the way we behave otherwise . Morning we get up at 6:45 am and by 7 we were doing either pranayam aur yoga .8 am is the breakfast time. We had to "shram-dan" i.e. wash our utensils once we use them. And after the whole day activity 10 p.m. The light goes off.

The set of activities which were planned were told to us in the first and the people were skeptical about their ability to walk 18 kms a day and hang from a rope.

"Abey kaise karenege yaar " was on everybody's reaction , but as the days progressed all of us grew in self confidence as we crossed one hurdle after the other and the it was amazing to see people run back to repeat the activity as they had started enjoying and fear was nowhere to be seen.

It was a moment of self reflection for all of us as we had grown accustomed to a way of life which lays no importance to the well being of the mind and body. The sessions on stress management were an eye opener for the participants and the techniques which
were talked about were taken very well.

We also took time off to visit the city on our second day. The natural picturesque beauty captivated our  attention. The striking lakes and mountain peaks left us completely spellbound. Nainital is frequented by tourists in large numbers in various seasons as the place witnesses pleasant climate throughout the year and it was quite palpable as we saw the streets buzzing with people from across the

country.

We enjoyed boating in the lake and the serene environment got us connected to nature , the experience we seldom enjoy living in the cities suffering from incessant infrastructure development at the cost of greenry.

Van Niwas > Comical Characters

The sleepy town of Kathgodam was the first signpost that came our way, in the eventful 5 day sojourn to Nainital and our stay at Van Vihar Ashram. But wait, why I am telling you this. It shouldn’t start here. The day before, we left Indore for Delhi and reached there in the morning. The nearest station to Nainital was Kathgodam and the train was scheduled late in the night, so this brief stopover was spent with some of my college friends.

 

My friends were intrigued by this Himalayan Workshop and couldn’t see any sense out of it. One of them even remarked, -“the Honorable Education minister laments about the quality of management research in India, and you people go and while away your time in the mountains.” I didn’t have an answer then, may be even I had the inkling that this wasn’t worth the effort. This was the start, the start of searching the essence. All throughout the trip, I was looking for answers to the questions raised by my pals. Thus, the story starts from here.

At Kathgodam, we took a cab to the Ashram and the ride was where you got to appreciate the pristine beauty and enthralling order that nature brings to these places. It was juxtaposed against the eerie feeling that you get from travelling in these torturous mountain roads. In some 140 minutes, we were at the Ashram. The Ashram is run by the Aurobindo Society, Delhi Chapter and is situated some 3 kilometers away from the town of Nainital down in the valley. The food at the ashram was very good and the hospitality rendered to all the participants is what makes this experience the one to cherish for days to come. They even helped us in all the tasks and were very approachable day in and day out. Three Cheers to Mr. Jayanto and his team!!!

 Later in the day, the hike up to Tiffin Top was the most difficult trek we were put to in these 5 days. The lanes were narrow, edgy and the climb was steep. In the evening, as the air became cooler, and the clouds cleared the way, we could see the Himalayan peaks standing aloft in all its celestial beauty. The Himalyas are one of the oldest features of this planet and the snow appeared as testimony giving it a hoary look just like canescent old people. The shops at Tiffin Top make awesome stuff, and the Maggi that we had there was arguably the best ever. We tried to find out from the lady there, her secret ingredient, but we guess that was a futile effort. Some of us, tried to emulate the preparation, but it all fell flat!!!

Getting up in the morning at 6.30 am and that too in the hawkish weather of the Lower Himalayas, was tough. There weren’t many options though!!! The yoga and the pranayama were the usual types that we all know, but watching a few people moving their hips around, brought in that fun element there too. Jokes aside, these things are to be imbibed and institutionalized by the individual himself and cannot be taught or instructed. They can be introduced and then must be taken forward by the subject himself. As young people, we have our sights on our dreams, our ambitions, the priorities are different, the needs are different, and the exigencies are different. May be a few years down the line, we may be able to appreciate what was taught to us here. Today, it was difficult to identify and connect, but you never know!!! The next that followed is what we would call the high point of the whole trip. Scrambling was a huge hit, and in that darkness of the caves, we found the light of hope, the thrill of challenging ourselves and the titillation of coming out alive!!! What an experience it was!!

The evening at Nainital town was well spent and we also found a restaurant named Anupam which served delicacies at half the price we pay at Indore!!!

The next day, we started early for the 16 km trek and we didn’t pack any food for ourselves for the trip. Some light snacks on the way and then late in the afternoon, when the whole group halted for lunch, we realized what mistake we had made. Pegging ourselves up and some help from our dear friend Adhir we treaded downhill some 3000 feet to a place called Kanchi Dham. Hungry and tired, we were one of the first groups to complete the trek and that we all would list as one of our achievements and the group deserves accolades for making no noises despite the difficult situation we were in. We celebrated our victory over our own ghouls and insecurities at Hotel Anupam again!!!

The next two mornings were spent doing the rest of the tasks which included rock climbing, rappling, bouldering and river crossing. The afternoons were enlightening with Captain JV sir taking us through his experiences and apprising us about stress and how to manage it effectively.

We appreciate the fact that even at an age of 60+, he could match us in energy, enthusiasm and was amazingly fit for his age. For people, whose lives are driven by negative emotions, the fear of failure and ignominy is what drives all our intrinsic motivations, the perspectives of JV sir were food for thought. Even as a person, who is deeply intrigued by philosophy, the co-existence of an internal and an external world were disconcerting. As a group, we discussed as to what was told in these sessions and I am sure all the members would have taken something from that. The gist of these sessions can be aptly summed in the words of James Allen – “A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.” I am sure, the insights and deliberations during these two sessions will surely help the participants figure it out what is that they need from their lives.

The evenings were a major highlight of the workshop with people putting in awe-inspiring performances despite the fact that we got very little time to prepare. The characters of Shakitman and Gabbar Singh would have put the original protagonists to shame. Our team wanted to deliver the message of the adverse sex ration and its implications on the future generations. We thought it would be apt given the setting and the audience and were appreciated by Prof. Srinivas and JV sir as the most socially relevant concept.

The workshop came to an end, though we wouldn’t have minded an extended stay there. Looking at our group, some of us were very apprehensive, how it would all go. In the end, it was much better than everybody’s expectations and the friendship and the bonding that was engendered during these five days will stay on forever. With new friends and invigorated older relationships in our hearts we all made way back to Kathgodam and then to Indore stopping at Delhi again.

We would like to thank our two mentors for such an enriching sojourn with all memories to keep. We would also thank the institute for giving us this opportunity to discover the new facets of learning and wisdom. We could haven’t have imagined to be scrambling through caves, walking those distances, couldn’t have been through rock climbing and river crossing, if this workshop wouldn’t have shown such what we are capable of. The positive energy that we take from these experiences will stand us in good stead all our lives. I have all the answers to give to my friends and next I meet, I am sure to do that.