2026 Events list
January 8–10, 2026: Nature Study Workshop
A three-day nature study workshop for teachers was organized by the Nature Classrooms team. 9 persons including Punarchith team members, Grama Setu members, and teachers from St. Peter’s School participated. The workshop, guided by Aditi, introduced methods for incorporating nature into the classroom, learning through observing small natural elements, and lesson planning for nature study. On the last day, participants developed lesson plans and conducted nature-based activities through songs and games at Punarchith’s Saturday children’s program (Aniketana).
January 29, 2026: Suggi Habba at Angarike Mala
The Suggi Habba/Harvest Festival was celebrated with small farmers on January 29, 2026 at Angarike Maala. Small farmers emphasized the significance of the festival by celebrating the organically grown ragi, millets, pulses and other crops in their fields. The main objective of the program was to promote healthy food, food security, the need for threshing-harvesting-sharing of crops, and to strengthen community cohesion through community cooking and sharing traditional knowledge. A total of 69 farmers participated, playing local games, taking part in grain and bullock worship, and sharing their stories to others. Farmers Mary, Kalamma, and Mahadevamma, and young farmer Mahendra shared their experiences. They raised issues like the high cost of inputs in agriculture, the shortage of labour, procurement hurdles etc. They said that organic farming has increased health and self-confidence. Chief guest Vishalakshi Padmanabhan, and Punarchith Trustee Dr. Hemalatha, were present on the stage and shared their thoughts about the importance of farmers, their livelihoods, food security, and the need for chemical-free farming. The importance of crops, rain, and agriculture was showcased in dance form through cultural programmes like Kolata.
January 23-26, 2026: Ohana School Visit
In January 2026, twelve children and three teachers from Ohana School in Bangalore visited Punarchith for a three-day experiential rural learning program. The children were introduced to sustainable agriculture, soil health, and the food and clothing journey through ragi millet and cotton. They participated in hands-on activities like cracking ragi millet and separating the seeds, removing seeds from cotton, and attempting to spin cotton thread.
The Ohana children joined the Nagavalli children in their regular Saturday program, and participated together in a village tour, Tap game, singing “Hallige Hoguva/Let us go to the village”song and cyanotype printing activities, which all brought joy to the children. Teachers actively participated in learning as well. There was a final creative art activity where the children used soil, seeds, flowers, and the program concluded with the lighting of lamps, song and dance.
January 31, 2026: Souharda Program
Punarchith organized a Souharda/Friendship program at the Nagavalli office on January 31, in which 26 women and 42 children participated. The program was organized with the aim of instilling the spirit of souharda/friendship among religions and mutual respect. The children presented the messages “Oh my spirit/Oh nanna chetana” and “Harmony of all religions/Sarvadharma Samanvaya” through drama and songs. The values of equality, respectful living and mutual understanding were conveyed through a prayer for peace. This engagement began on August 15, 2025, and included children of all communities in the village visiting each other’s homes and places of worship (Mosque, Church, and Temple) to encourage understanding and fraternity, and combat the growing tide of communal tensions. The program succeeded in bringing children of different religions and backgrounds together, and learning things about each other they did not know before.
Information was also given about the preamble of the Constitution. Parents appreciated the performance of the children and felt that such programs are necessary to reduce caste/religious discrimination in the village. They expressed happiness that the children had the courage to speak, participate, travel, and learn and had the opportunity to share their problems.
February 7–8, 2026: Magadi Youth ILP
We organized a two-day orientation programme for 12 youth and 3 coordinators of Ajji’s Learning Centre, Magadi (Bengaluru district). The Centre was founded by Sabiha Hashmi and is now being run by her sister, Shabnam Hashmi, after her demise. The ILP training focused on topics related to rural India, agro-ecology, democracy, leadership, and communication. Resource person U.N. Ravikumar conducted a session on the importance of water and water conservation as well. The team appreciated the sessions and invited the members of the Punarchith team to visit Magadi.
February 20–22, 2026: Tumkur Youth ILP
An Integrated Learning Programme training was conducted for the youth and youth training staff of Navya Disha Foundation, which saw 22 participants from Tumkur. The training covered the concepts of democracy, current political trends/political economy, communication and conflict resolution, introduction to Angarike Mala, and climate change. The participants were given certificates at the closing ceremony. Nomitho and Swami, Shripad Bhat, and the Punarchith team participated as resource persons.
The participants of this group showed good understanding of the subject, interest in learning, participation in activities, and sharing of experiences. The staff of the Navya Disha team provided good training to the youth, and they successfully managed communication, cooperation in work, and responsibilities during their stay. The youth of this group appreciated the training, the atmosphere, food, and the way they were treated, and invited the Punarchith team to their villages.
March 3, 2026: Small Farmers Meeting and Photo Exhibition
On March 3, a meeting was held with 50 farmers and discussions were held on the definition of small farmers, organic farming, importance of native seeds, soil testing, land preparation, construction of bunds, need for trees in fields and formation of a farmer unions/collective. A photo exhibition of farmers was also held.
March 14–15, 2026: H.D. Kote Youth Training in Mysore
On March 14 and 15, training was given to the youth of the Adivasi Youth Club of H.D.Kote Taluk at the ODP Institute, Mysore. In the training, topics such as tribal history and identity, adolescent problems and concerns (child marriage, love affirs, child pregnancy), youth club purpose, leadership development, activities, creative writing topics, interests and goals of the youth were shared. A.R. Vasavi, Madavi Kuppachchi, Ramakka, C.M.S.Gowda, Badri, Chandrakanth participated as resource persons. Asha, Bharat of the Youth Club organized and managed the youth.
April 29th to May 2nd, 2026: Children’s Summer Camp at The Land Art and Craft Study Centre, Bengaluru
A four-day children’s summer camp was held at The Land Art and Craft Study Centre in Bengaluru from April 29 to May 2, 2026, with 14 children from Nagavalli and Tumkur taking part. Surronded by greenery all around, the camp gave children a joyful mix of storytelling and story-building, pottery, wall painting, mapping, nature walks, block printing, swimming, and craft made from old materials, along with songs, games, and dance. Roshan Shahi, Vinita, and Padma led the sessions as resource persons.
May 8th and 9th, 2026: Summer Camp at Punarchith, Nagavalli
A two-day summer camp was held at Punarchith on May 8 and 9, 2026, drawing around 45 children from Nagavalli. Activities included wall painting, drawing with thread and plastic, making seed balls, and clay work finished with natural colours the children prepared themselves, all alongside songs and games. Shivamurthy and the Punarchith team guided the camp as resource persons.
May 17th, 2026: Arivu School Visit to Punarchith and Angarike Maala
On May 17, 2026, 24 children from Arivu School, Mysuru, visited Punarchith and Angarike Maala. They learned about soil, water, and seed conservation, organic farming, biodiversity, food security, and climate change, with songs, games, and hands-on activities woven through the day. The children took part enthusiastically and said at the end that they had learned many good things.
May 23rd, 2026: “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” Screening at Punarchith, Nagavalli
The documentary “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist),” about small farmers, was screened at the Punarchith Learning Centre in Nagavalli on May 23, 2026. Children opened the event with song and dance, and singer Vasu Dixit performed songs. Around 180 people took part, including farmers, women, youth, children, and leaders of local organisations. Santhosh Koulagi along with several farmers shared their reflections on the film.
June 21st, 2026: “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” Screening at Infosys Science Foundation, Bengaluru
“Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” was screened at the Infosys Science Foundation in Bengaluru on June 21, 2026. Filmmaker Sumukh and A.R. Vasavi gave the opening remarks. After the film, invited speakers Prof. Ganeshaiah K.N., filmmaker Kesari Harivu, and Dwiji Guru shared their thoughts. They spoke about the difficulties small farmers face, praised the film, and suggested ways it could be taken further. A lively question-and-answer session followed, touching on sustainable agriculture, the changes in ragi farming, and the measures and policies needed to improve rural livelihoods amid climate change and other pressures.
June 28th, 2026: “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” Screening at Kalpa Kshetra, Mysuru
“Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” was screened at the Kalpa Kshetra in Mysuru on June 28, 2026. Chandru read a poem by Dr. Shivakumar Mali Patil on why rain still matters in our changing way of life, Sumukh spoke about the making of the film, and C. Balachandran introduced Prakriti Foods. Farmer and activist Kusuma Ayarahalli spoke about how farmland prices have soared to the level of gold, so that farmers now earn more by selling land than from a lifetime of cultivation, and reflected on the realities of growing ragi. Theatre director Prasanna spoke about seeing ragi farming as a metaphor for a longer view of life. Punarchith team members, trustees, and friends took part.
July 18th, 2026: Youth Workshop at Vidyadeep, Bengaluru
A workshop on life skills and reimagining education for young people was held at Vidyadeep in Bengaluru on July 18, 2026, organised jointly by CMCA and Punarchith. Adithi, Priya, K.T. Thippeswamy, Shripadh Bhat, and A.R. Vasavi spoke about Maithreyi’s book on youth and the themes it explores. Talks and group discussions covered the challenges young people face, their roles and place in society, their hopes and expectations, democratic systems, and how life-skills training could be shaped. Participants came from several organisations across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
July 24th to 26th, 2026: Bhoomi Bandhavya at Angarike Maala
The third edition of Bhoomi Bandhavya was held at Angarike Maala from July 24 to 26, 2026, with 11 participants, including a two-year-old child. Over three days we shared the journey of Punarchith, Angarike Maala, and our relationship with the land, with discussions on farming, food, and sustainability alongside a nature walk, a short trek, games, and many meaningful conversations. Everyone gave warm feedback and offered useful suggestions to make future programs even better.
July 31st, 2026: “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” Screening at NIAS, Bangalore
The National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) hosted a screening of “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” on July 31, 2026, attended by professors, students, and friends of Punarchith in Bangalore. Vasavi and Sumukh introduced Punarchith’s work and the film before the screening. In the discussion that followed, Sudha from the Millet Foundation shared her thoughts on farming and its history and on the strategies farmers once used in uncertain times. Other threads included caste and its influence on agrarian structure, hybrid versus native seeds, and the effects of urbanisation, along with some discussion of the film.
August 1st, 2026: Health Awareness Program at Nagavalli
A health awareness program was held on August 1, 2026, with 52 participants in all: 39 women and 13 older children. Resource persons Dr. Akshata and Dr. Chaithra spoke in detail about the importance of women’s health, the need for balanced and nutritious food, personal hygiene during menstruation, iron- and calcium-rich foods, ways to prevent anaemia, the habit of drinking enough water, and the value of regular exercise. Those who needed it received advice on regular health check-ups, and the doctors stressed the importance of seeing a doctor in good time rather than ignoring health problems. The women asked questions freely and came away with practical guidance.
August 7th to 10th, 2026: Shibumi School Visit to Angarike Maala
From August 7 to 10, 2026, a group of 15 from Shibumi School, Bengaluru (12 students, 2 teachers, and 1 parent) visited Angarike Maala. As part of their learning trip, and wanting to travel in an eco-friendly way, they cycled all the way from Bengaluru to Angarike Maala, with a break in Mysuru. On August 8 and 9, they took part in a range of learning activities on the restoration and conservation work at Angarike Maala, rural systems, farming, and the challenges here. These included a village visit, a conversation with Kaalamma, making leaf plates, bird watching, nature journaling, songs, and hands-on work with the land. The children took part in everything with great enthusiasm, and for our team it was a real joy to spend time with them.
August 13th to 16th, 2026: Biodiversity Survey at Angarike Maala
On August 13, Abhisheka from Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) briefed the team on the People’s Biodiversity Register, explaining the process, the sections of the list, and the scope of the project, and how such a report can support education, youth involvement, and advocacy. From August 14 to 16, Abhisheka, Mittal, and Ovee carried out a biodiversity survey at Angarike Maala, identifying and documenting several species of birds, trees, grasses, plants, insects, and reptiles. The team was amazed by how much life is thriving on the land and plan to return in other seasons to continue the work.
August 16th, 2026: Screening at Gandhi Bhavan, Bengaluru
On August 16, 2026, the Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi and Desi Trust held a seminar, “Gandhiji’s Ideas in Today’s Times of Crisis,” at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru, where “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” was also screened. In the seminar, A.R. Vasavi spoke about the rural crisis, the growing responsibilities and challenges women carry in agriculture, and the changing attitude of young people towards farming.
August 20th, 2026: “Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” Screening at Deenabandhu School, Chamarajanagar
“Hottege Hittu (To Subsist)” was screened at Deenabandhu School in Chamarajanagar on August 20, 2026. Students and teachers watched together and shared their impressions and appreciation of the film, followed by a discussion on the challenges involved in farming.
August 27th, 2026: Moonfrog Labs Visit to Punarchith and Angarike Maala
On August 27, 2026, Abhishek, Neelagandan, and Mahesh from Moonfrog Labs, Bengaluru, one of Punarchith’s funders and a supporter of the Angarike Maala building, visited the Punarchith Learning Centre and Angarike Maala. They met farmers Ratnamma, Veronicamma, Nagaraju, and Marayya on their land, saw Muja Katte, and were introduced to Punarchith’s kitchen garden, seed bank, and Honneru products. After lunch, an overview of Angarike Maala covered water, soil, compost, the conservation zone, the building’s design, and rainwater harvesting. The team warmly appreciated Punarchith’s work.