Social media deal with Dakshina showcases the way of life at Sarang, a one-of-its form different faculty in Palakkad

Roasted and floor puzhukkalari (double boiled rice) is blended with jaggery, grated coconut and crushed pappadam. The candy is served on banana leaves stored at 4 corners outdoors the home. It’s for the ants! That is Urumboottal or feeding the ants, an age-old ritual in Kerala finished on the night of Thiruvonam, which has been documented on the social media deal with, Dakshina.

Whereas the follow will not be recognized to many, siblings Kannaki Sarang and Unniyarcha Sarang have been doing it yearly at their residence, Sarang, close to Attappady in Palakkad district. They, together with their mates and siblings, Vishnujith Unnikrishnan and Indulekha Unnikrishnan, have recorded it for Dakshina.

The social media deal with has many such tales from Sarang, another faculty opened by the trainer couple, Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalekshmi, over 40 years in the past. They transformed barren land right into a lush, inexperienced forest, and created a way of life and studying for his or her three kids – Gautham, Kannaki and Unniyarcha who didn’t obtain any formal faculty schooling. Vishnujith and Indulekha, who belong to Thrissur district, are alumni of Sarang.

Life at Sarang

Dakshina’s YouTube, Fb and Instagram (@darpanaofficial) pages have movies about life at Sarang. Moreover capturing the greenery round Sarang, unfold over 12 acres, and the wildlife on its picturesque hilly terrain, the movies have a good time meals, particularly these made with foraged greens, greens, and tubers from in and round Sarang.

“Trainer (Vijayalekshmi) has a treasure trove of recipes along with her. She doesn’t maintain a file of it and we felt that they needed to be documented. Since cooking movies have a very good viewership on social media, we determined to function her recipes via Dakshina,” says Vishnujith, 29, who joined Sarang when he was 12, alongside together with his sister, Indulekha.

They grew up with Kannaki and Unniyarcha and discovered all the things of their firm, be it artwork types, life expertise, or cooking. They wished to do one thing collectively and selected social media to showcase their lifestyle. “That’s how Dakshina was began over three years in the past. We determined that even when individuals don’t watch it, we’ll carry on posting movies. That approach, we are able to maintain a file of all the things,” provides Vishnujith, a flautist.

Vijayalekshmi, 66, who was not enthused in regards to the idea initially, provides eloquent voiceover for the movies. “I’ve all the time stored myself away from know-how, devices and social media. However I by no means discouraged them from doing it. Now, I take pleasure in doing the movies, particularly after studying the feedback on the movies,” she says

Along with acquainted Malayali dishes , Dakshina options a number of curries corresponding to bamboo shoot thoran (stir-fried vegetable and grated coconut) and curry, thoran made with madantha or younger leaves of the taro plant, pickles made with foraged greens and fruits, Karkkadakanji ( gruel with medicinal worth ), chutney constructed from puliyarila (Indian sorrel) leaves and many others. amongst others.

“The content material usually is dependent upon the ingredient out there at Sarang, now often known as Sarang Hills. If it’s the time to reap a selected vegetable or fruit, we shoot a video that includes that. For instance, Sarang has a number of tuber varieties, together with purple yam, and so we now have finished fairly a number of movies that includes these,” Vijayalekshmi says. Harvesting varied crops additionally grow to be content material, as within the case of turmeric, tubers and ginger. Pageant particular delicacies, particularly these associated to Vishu and Onam, too have been featured.

The recognition of Dakshina has a lot to do with the way in which the movies have been shot. There may be an aesthetic and seamless mix of frames within the crisp, brief movies, shot by 26-year-old Unniyarcha.

The speaking level of the movies has been using the Nada Chulha, a mud range developed in Nada village in Haryana within the 80s. In one of many movies, 73-year-old Gopalakrishnan explains the elements of the two-pot range they use at Sarang. One other range, constructed outdoors the lavatory, is a desi model of a water heater because it ensures regular provide of scorching water to the lavatory.

“Dakshina is all about who we’re and the way we stay at Sarang. We’ve not shot the movies simply to run the channel. That is our lifestyle and we’re completely satisfied that persons are liking it,” says Indulekha, 25.

Unniyarcha provides that one of many earlier movies that went viral was of the soapnut tree at Sarang. It confirmed how the extract from the nuts is used to scrub garments and vessels. The Onam collection was additionally extensively watched. The episodes confirmed how they made pookkalams (floral carpet) on 10 days of the pageant day with flowers from the Sarang campus — round 42 kinds of them.

The youngest technology of the household — Hiranya, Parthan and Chinmayi, the three kids of Gautham and his spouse, Anuradha, are additionally featured in a number of the movies. Additionally they don’t go to any faculty and are being introduced up the Sarang approach by their dad and mom.

Vijayalekshmi is completely satisfied to be passing on her data to the following technology. “Urumboottal is what I used to do as a child whereas rising up in my native place, Ranni in Pathanamthitta district. It’s all about being benevolent and compassionate to others,” Vijayaleksmi says.

Factfile

Sarang needed to be closed down in 2016 attributable to monetary difficulites and lack of amenities. The courses at this faculty had been based mostly on the aptitude and expertise of a scholar. Language, arithmetic, science topics, pc and politics had been taught to the scholars, however solely in keeping with a scholar’s greedy energy. College students had been additionally educated in kalari, music (each vocal and instrumental), dance, and many others.

There are 4 cottages at Sarang Hills out of which two have been constructed by the Sarang household. The others have been constructed by labourers and volunteers. “There are plenty of pending work in all these cottages. We’re ending it as and once we can,” says Indulekha.

The closest city from Sarang Hills is Agali, which is round eight kilometres away. However there isn’t a correct highway to Sarang Hills for the final one-and-half kilometres.

Though the varsity at Sarang was closed down six years in the past, Dakshina has introduced it again to the limelight. “Now, persons are asking us whether or not they might go to us and expertise a keep at Sarang. Proper now we are able to’t afford that; nevertheless, we’re working in the direction of it,” says Vijayalekshmi.

Group Dakshina has already chalked out plans for the long run. “We wish to revive the YouTube channel, Sarang, which focussed on the historical past and curriculum of Sarang. We additionally wish to function conventional medicinal mixes that trainer is aware of,” says Vishnujith.

Vijayalekshmi provides, “I’ve been planning to put in writing them down for the long run generations. However I’ve realised that it is a higher medium to succeed in out to individuals.”