Sep

2019
Cauvery Calling Special Edition

4
16 Reasons Why People are
Donating for Cauvery Calling
Know Why Cauvery Calling
is the largest charity
crowdfunding campaign on
the planet

9
Connect with Sadhguru
from the eyes of Rohit who
Bonding with a Mystic Biker shadowed him for 15 days
during Cauvery Calling

16
Mysteries that Two short incidents about
something extraordinary that
Our Mytic Weaves happened around Sadhguru

Here you will find some of the

17
What Happens When Grace and
Human Efforts Converge
most fascinating aspects of the
Cauvery Calling campaign - A
vivid account of heartwarming
scenes from the 15 days of
riding behind Sadhguru

39
A candid sharing from Sandeep
Narayan, the singer of the Tamil
Catching the BUG! version of Cauvery Thayi, who
knows Sadhguru as his father-in
law and much more!

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 No pen or camera can ever capture those
historical 15 days of the Cauvery Calling
campaign that culminated into the largest
charity crowdfunding campaign in the world.
If you were captivated by the tweets, videos,
Facebook and Instagram posts, and live blog
during the campaign, you would not want
to miss reading the chitchat of those who
traveled with Sadhguru sharing their intimate
moments with him - on the road, in meetings,
as a leader, as a motorcyclist, as a celebrity,
and as a Mystic. Lastly, we have a bit from
someone who you could not imagine would
share his impressions of these two weeks
with us… but all in Whispers.

Dive into this largest edition of Isha Whispers…

as a tribute to Cauvery Calling. A Must Read!
Why People are Donating
for Cauvery Calling
16 Reasons Why People are Donating for Cauvery Calling
– The Largest Crowdfunding Charity Drive in the World

Since September 3,
nearly 5 crore trees
It must be pointed
out here that much Cauvery Calling, on
have been paid for
through contributions by
larger crowdfunding
campaigns have
the other hand, is an
politicians, celebrities, succeeded in the opportunity to expand
the borders of human-
rich people, poor past, but most of
people, and even these were supporting
children, making it the
largest charity funding
video gaming or other
lifestyle technology
ity within us. So, let
campaign in the shortest innovations. A recent us make it happen and
possible time, in the campaign towards the
history of humankind construction of the set an example of the
– yet it is not even 5%
of what is needed to
wall at the Mexico–
United States border, miracle Human Hearts
transform the lives of
millions of farmers and
raised over $9 million
in under 3 days.
can create!
save the Cauvery river.

5 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
Here are some top was estimated in the range of
₹20,000-160,000 crores. A year
reasons why people later in the summer of 2017,
are donating for the Tamil Nadu faced a drought –
the worst in 140 years.
cause:
The reason for cyclical floods
and droughts is the loss of
#1. There is no risk vegetation in the Cauvery
of donations being basin. The trees in the river's
mishandled. catchment area slow down
the river runoff and help soil
There is a separate board and absorb rainwater and recharge
an independent auditing entity groundwater aquifers. Some
for handling the Cauvery Calling of this water is slowly released
funds. Isha Foundation will not into rivers over the course of
be involved in this at all. The the year. This prevents floods
board members are among the and water scarcity during the
most prominent people in the dry season besides helping to
country. revitalize the rivers.
#2. This is the only
#4. Should we just sit back
movement that is looking and watch our farmers
at revitalizing a river rather die?
than extracting from it
About 70% of the Indian
like concepts of river villagers work on farms. In
interlinking rivers, check traditional agricultural models,
dams, etc. the farmer often falls into a debt
cycle. For example, a farmer
Cauvery river basin has might take out a loan to buy
depleted over 40% in the last pesticides, fertilizer and seeds,
50 years with 87% loss in but the monsoon may not
vegetation in the basin area. By come, and a drought or a flood
planting 242 crore trees in its may destroy his crop. Then, he
basin, the river will flow again in has no food to feed himself and
her full glory. no money to repay the loan.
Sometimes, even if he gets a
#3. We want to say good yield, the farmer can suffer
goodbye to droughts and because of a glut on the market
that will drive down the price.
floods:
Tamil Nadu suffered some of its No wonder nearly 300,000
worst floods in December 2015. farmers have committed
More than five hundred people suicide in the last twenty
lost their lives, and the damage years. As Sadhguru says,
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“Farmer Suicide Count
Is Higher Than Fatalities
In Four Wars” that India
has fought since its
Independence.
Cauvery Calling will enable
farmers to plant 242 crore trees
in the Cauvery basin to help
increase their income 300-
800% in the next 5-7 years.
#5. We MUST preserve our
magical soil for the next
generation:
“Killing soil is like
killing the nation,” said
Sadhguru.
What is really fascinating about
India’s soil – though we don’t
know the reason behind it - is
that one cubic meter of rich soil
will have around 10,000 species
of organisms – the highest
concentration of life on this
planet.
Vegetation will save this unique
quality of our soil. When 242
crore trees grow in the Cauvery
basin, the soil will be under
shade and the organic matter
from the trees in the form of
fallen leaves, stems, bark,
flowers, etc. will increase the
soil’s ability to retain moisture
thus improving fertility and
translating into better crop
yields.
#6. The agroforestry
Ecological-economic
model is very easy to
understand
Under this initiative farmers will
be given saplings of different
timber trees. Timber is used
everywhere including for
firewood, furniture, scaffoldings,
pulp, paper, floorings, cabins,
musical instruments, sports
equipment, etc. Nearly 25%
of the over ₹70,000 crores
worth of wood used in India is
imported, while India’s timber
exports value at just a tenth of
that. This leaves a large market
to be tapped in timber both
nationally and internationally.
With the rise in living standards
in India, the need for wood is
only growing.
#7. Many farmers are
already profiting from
agroforestry
Senthil Kumar, a farmer from
Gobichettipalayam in Tamil
Nadu is one such agroforestry
pioneer. “I have planted
Malabar Kino on the periphery
of my farm. When I need some
money, I cut down 10 of them
to get ₹50,000,” he explains. “I
need not run after the bankers
or take a loan hoping for a
government waiver. In the long
run, say 30 years from now,
for my grandson's education,
for example, I could sell ten
red sandalwood trees to get
₹300,000.”
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#8. This is not an
experiment: Isha has a
lot of experience working
with farmers and helping
them move to agroforestry.
Till date, nearly 70,000 farmers
have taken that step with Isha’s
help. Isha has meticulously
developed, over the last fifteen
years, a network of farmers
thriving on agroforestry. Some
of these farms are designated
as model farms, with mature
agroforestry working models
that are a source of inspiration
to new farmers. For example:
Isha volunteers have helped
Senthil Kumar set up and run
his farms. Isha has 33 nurseries
where organic saplings without
any nematoid deposits are
raised.
#9. This is one project
that is supported by
political parties across the
spectrum:
The Central Government has
adopted the Rally for Rivers
policy recommendations,
and now both the state
governments are giving
full support to this project,
including financial support by
providing incentives to farmers
to shift to agroforestry. The CM
of Karnataka has donated 2
crore saplings for the project.
O. P. Raveendranath Kumar,
MP of the Theni constituency in
Tamil has promised to donate 1
crore saplings over one year.
Though leaders of different
political parties came on stage
for different events to speak for
Cauvery Calling, the first event
in Tamil Nadu at Hosur set a
historical precedence when we
saw top local representatives
of BJP, Congress, AIADMK,
and DMK on the same stage in
support of the initiative.
#10. For the first time
the representatives of
International Organizations
like UNDCC are looking at
India for solutions:
On September 9, in Delhi,
around 196 countries and 94
Environment Ministers took part
in the UNCCD COP 14 event or
the fourteenth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to
the United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification.
Sadhguru was invited to attend
the event in recognition of his
valuable work in preventing
desertification through the
revitalization of rivers and
increasing green cover by way
of Rally for Rivers and Cauvery
Calling.
Sadhguru met many national
and global change makers and
enviornmental stalwarts, all of
whom not only supported the
campaign, but also shared that
they would want to emulate
this model in other countries as
well.
#11. Because I drink water,
I must plant trees
By 2020, groundwater in 21 13. When the Chinese, the Sadhguru explained the
cities will touch zero level, economic impact of Cauvery
including Bangalore and Americans, Europeans, Africans,
Calling in the Chennai
Chennai. By planting trees, and other Asians are planting event saying, “If one third
the monsoon water will be trees for Cauvery, how can I of the land comes under
held back in the soil, and not? agroforestry, by the eighth
groundwater levels will go year, the government will
up. The top five countries, other than get ₹29,000 crores as GST.
the US, Europe, and the UK, where So, this will be of benefit
#12. When I can spend donors are are coming from are to the government and the
money on coffee, China, South Africa, Singapore, farmers.” 10,000 farmers
Behrain, and Malaysia. will be trained to create
cigarette, alcohol, nurseries, grow organic
expensive dinners and #14. It will set an example saplings, and make this into
clothes…, why am I shy for the revitalization of other a business. It will be a big
about spending money on tropical rivers. boon for rural women too.
planting trees.
#15. I can be part of rescuing #16. In the future when
All of which are nothing
millions of people from poverty. I see the Cauvery river, I
but products that require a can proudly say, “I was
substantial amount of water
and plants, so should we
The Cauvery Calling project will a part of this movement
transform the lives of 83 million
not at least replenish the that saved this glorious
farmers if they adopt agroforestry.
damage in some way? and sacred river.”

Bonus Reasons... in Whispers!

1. Because Sadhguru loves Cauvery, I love Cauvery too!
2. Because I love Sadhguru!
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Bonding with a Mystic Biker
When my sense of Sadhguru’s father
time and space just wanted to ride with
disappeared… him…
(A sharing by Rohit, an
ashramite) So, at 4 am, 4 of us, as a
part of the video department,
On the one hand, it feels left for Mysore and the
like those 15 days of start of the Cauvery Calling
Cauvery Calling happened campaign. We reached
his house in Mysore. After watching him leave. She then
in 15 seconds, and on
spending a little time with his jumped on Balaji anna’s bike
the other, if I visualize the father, Sadhguru was getting as pillion. A little while later we
first day of the campaign, ready to leave, when his found Sadhguru waiting for us.
it feels like it was from father said, “I want to go with “I thought you were going to ride
another lifetime – so far you for this rally.” Sadhguru with me,” he said to Radhe as
away! Both are true in my lovingly laughed, revved up soon as Balaji’s bike caught up
perception – I don’t know his bike and took off. with his. “You just left, what could
how to explain it. I do!” Radhe replied quizzically.
As he left, Radhe, who was “What else to do when your father
“Rohit, we are leaving supposed to ride pillion with wants to ride with you!” he said
tomorrow for Mysore, him, stood there perplexed with his generous belly-laugh.
have you packed? ”I
received a call from
Karthik from the video
department at 11:30 in the
night.

“Yes, I know we are

leaving tomorrow as
we had planned,” I said
wondering about the
reason for the urgency in
his voice.
“No, we are leaving really
early in the morning.
Sadhguru will start riding
from Mysore airport itself,
and we need to shoot his
ride all the way from there
to Bhagamandala,” he
said.
I took this in. “Oh! Ok!”

1 0 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
 “We are bikers!
This is how we
are!” Sadhguru
replied, his
expression
conveying his joy
at the uproar…
and of course
my appeal was
ignored.
He is so youthful and
wild even at this age
that many youngsters
like me can’t even
imagine matching
his vigorous sense of
abandon.

A Rider to the CORE way to his tent, on the far On a Ride with the Master
side of the site. But Sadhguru
insisted on riding his bike up Following the first ride from
As we rode on, seeing
to its parking space near his Mysore Bhagamandala, there
Sadhguru biking so feverishly
tent – and he did. Sadhguru were 15 days of non-stop
yet at ease was a sight to
really took that Honda VFR frantic activity and unparalleled
behold. The rain was coming
Superbike to its limit and excitement. The first night after
down hard, the lighting along
beyond. we left the ashram, I slept at 1
the road was poor, but there
was Sadhguru, swerving am in a tent – totally exhausted.
It was a delight to see how “How will I manage the next 15
through the mountain curves
much a biker he is at heart. days,” I remember thinking as I
with the ease of a biker pro.
drifted off to sleep.
On the way from Talacauvery
After a golf game on a rained
to Madikeri, Sadhguru That was the last moment of
out, slushy golf course, at 6
stopped for a roadside exhaustion I felt in those 15
pm, Sadhguru reached the
break. I rushed up to him days. I woke up at 5 am and
Bhagamandala site (which was
to ask him for a video byte. was ON. Though the schedule
also full of slush!). Sadhguru’s
He started to speak to the remained hectic throughout, I
bike weighed around 350
camera with his helmet on, didn’t feel an ounce of tiredness
kg, and it didn’t have a
bikes roaring merrily around after the first night. After we
clutch – it was not meant for
him. Sheepishly pointing to entered Tamil Nadu, we had
off-road riding. Some of us
the noise and to his helmet, around 3 to 4 formal events
felt concerned about how
I mentioned that it would not
Sadhguru would ride it all the
make for a good video.
1 1 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
 Some of Sadhguru’s Riding Moments

1 2 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
in a day. “Which city are
we in now?” I would ask in
bewilderment as we crossed
hundreds of towns in a day
through the rain or scorching
heat. The amount of activity
and what all I did, I never
knew just how I did it. I had
traveled for Rally for Rivers
with the video team too, but
there we were traversing
from one state to another
and we found the time and
space to organize ourselves.
During this campaign I felt my
activity was 4 to 5 times more
frenzied.

But I was in bliss riding on his

Grace throughout. Being with
Sadhguru in such proximity
left me in such an awe of
him that I cannot explain. I
wonder if I will ever meet a
person (if we can call him
one) with this level of energy,
compassion, attention to
details, so rushed and yet
so chill. Here I share some
special moments with him:
A love note for the
ashramites!
It happened on the way from
Mysore to the Bhagamandala
campsite. It was drizzling and
there was something feverish
about the way Sadhguru
was riding. Suddenly, he
stopped and asked for a
pen and something to write
on – as if he had forgotten to
convey something important
to someone! He wrote a
note for the ashramites. The
way he was covering what he The Master notices
was scribbling from the drizzle
was very touching. Handing
everything
over the note to us, he asked
After the Chamundi satsang,
us to let all the ashramites see
the entire convoy headed to
it immediately, and to ensure
Mysore for another event. After
that it wouldn’t get wet, so
a kilometer of riding, some 3
that all could read the note in
to 4 bikes along with Sadhguru
his handwriting. I feel he could
had to detour to shoot a
have given a video byte, but he
short conversation between
wanted to convey his message
Sadhguru and Cricketer Veda
in the most intimate way he
could at that time.
Krishnamurthy. Sadhguru
stopped and personally guided
the rest of the bikers to go

1 3 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
straight and waited for them to pass
before he took the left turn for the
shoot.

So, I was sitting pillion on a bike which

was about 5 to 10 bikes away from
Sadhguru’s bike. Since our bike was
also supposed to follow Sadhguru, we
were also waiting.

“Sadhguru is calling you,” suddenly I

heard Swami Naksatra saying.

“Must be for a video byte,” I said and

rushed to him with the camera ready.

I put my face really close to Sadhguru to

ask what he wanted since bikers were
passing by really fast. He knocked on
top of my helmet and said, “Are you
waiting for something to happen before
you wear your helmet properly?” see him online, but because “Connecting in 3, 2, 1,”
of some technical glitch, and somehow we got
“But I am wearing it properly, Shikhar couldn’t accept connected.
Sadhguru,” I said, perplexed. our request to go live, so
he couldn’t see us. For Silently I gave the phone
“Buckle it,” he told me. almost 5-6 minutes we tried to Sadhguru and stepped
but it wouldn’t work. In the aside. He carried on with
In my hurry to follow him, I had
meantime, Sadhguru had the conversation. I have
somehow put on my shoes and helmet,
finished his conversation and no idea how it suddenly
but I had forgotten to buckle it. I don’t
had started to move away. got fixed since we had
know how he had noticed it from 30
Then he realized we were tried everything possible.
meters away with so many bikes in
there so he started to walk
between. So, Swami held the camera
back towards us.
while I buckled my helmet right in front
of Sadhguru. I almost had tears in my
Maa Kanka went up to him
eyes.
and said, “Sadhguru, we are
not able to connect live with
A miraculous connect him.”

In Chennai, before we left for Salem, So, he walked towards me

we got an opportunity to have Shikhar and asked, “What is the
Dhawan go live on Instagram with situation, Rohit?”
Sadhguru. Sadhguru agreed to it. We
were in the lawn trying to connect with I just looked at him, and
Shikhar while Sadhguru was conversing then I looked at the phone
with someone on the side. We could which was displaying…
1 4 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
How He soaks in nature is
so fascinating
When we reached the KRS dam,
from Sadhguru’s tent the view
of Cauvery was gorgeous. In the
morning when we entered his
tent site, we found him standing,
just looking at the river. Swami
Vidhyavasanta asked him if we
could take some drone shots.
“You can do whatever, Swami,”
he said and went to the edge of
the river bank. Ignoring us, he
soaked in the river – I have not
seen anybody look at an object
of nature with such involvement.
He wasn’t posing for shots – he
was simply doing his thing, and
we ours.
The same night when we reached
Shivanasamudram, we could
hear the roaring crash of the
waterfalls. Sadhguru came out
of his tent and just walked past
all the participants towards the
sound. In almost pitch darkness,
he stood looking out at the edge
of the hill, from where we could
see a silver screen of mist from
the waterfalls. He asked me for a
torch and moved it here and there
to catch some glimpses of the
fall.
The way Sadhguru
gave himself was truly
heartbreaking
Sometimes, Sadhguru would
take off his helmet and
hand it over to me. I found,
especially in Tamil Nadu,
that it was soaking wet with
sweat. When he would take
off his jacket, his T-shirt was
often wet up to his navel. But
he kept going that way from
one event to another. Even
if there was one person on
the road with the Cauvery
Calling placard, he would
slow down and wave to that
person. We wouldn’t even
have noticed, but he made
sure that he acknowledged
each person who stood on
the road waiting to meet him
in support of Cauvery Calling.
At the end of a long day, the
riders would go to a hotel
to rest and refresh while
Sadhguru stayed at the
campsite in harsh locations,
with ten different things to do
– a satsang or conversation,
mingling with the participants,
dealing with pending phone
calls, approvals, meetings
with the organising teams –
so many things.
It is hard to describe how
hectic his schedule was, but
we never saw him devoid of
his sense of humor, wit, and
attention to details. We were
showing him so many videos,
every time he would stop for
a while. He could notice the
slightest editing error and
point it out.
-----

As soon as it became bright

enough in the morning, Sadhguru
came out to have a closer look
at the waterfalls wearing simple
white pajamas and his RFR
T-shirt. He stood there for at least
30 minutes just looking at the
falls. He later shared that he was
visiting this place after 27 years.

1 5 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
The mysteries
that our Mystic
weaves!
Pavan, who was overwhelmed
with yet another one of our
Mystic’s antics, shared with us
this experience:
 
On reaching Unduvadi,
actress Pranitha Subhash
was supposed to have a
conversation with Sadhguru the
The unbreakable bond go and have a look at the
next morning. Things went as
(A sharing by Maa Nirmuta) phone only after the entire
per the schedule and after the
convoy had passed over it.
conversation, when Maa Kanka
I was riding pillion with I was surprised that nothing
asked Pranitha if she would like
Sudar, a gutsy biker from had happened to the phone.
to hop on for a ride, she just
Tamil Nadu. Sudar is a very The phone has just a plastic
said “yes” without hesitation.
fast and fearless rider, and cover as protection, and I
After begging for a riding
a very caring person. Just was told by a phone expert
jacket from Swami Medinaja
before we were leaving that my phone was prone to
and borrowing Maa Nirmuta’s
Thanjavur hotel, she got breaking easily since it had
helmet, Pranitha was geared for
me a selfie stick to use so round edges.
the ride as she jumped behind
I could take photos and
Ramya akka and rode pillion,
videos of the convoy with Till today I wonder how
which she thoroughly enjoyed.
ease. Other riders advised it happened. It was an
When we caught Pranitha to me against using it as they expensive phone with a
share her experience on the felt it might be unsafe to good camera. The phone
ride she said, “I didn't know I carry a phone on this stick expert confirmed that it
would join a rally all of a sudden, while riding. Since Sudar was the first time in his
but somehow the jacket and was very keen that I used many years of experience
helmet appeared and the ride the stick, I went with it. After repairing phones that he had
happened!” riding a kilometer or two, come across this kind of a
my phone fell off the stick situation.
Later in the evening when from a speeding bike, in the
we were all sitting together middle of a gravel road. Had it broken in the middle
discussing this event, Ramya of the journey, my work
akka, the rider who drove I stopped Sudar. But since would have come to a stop.
Pranitha, mentioned that we were just the third bike I feel Sadhguru saw my
Sadhguru had said to her on the from Sadhguru, all the other phone falling and it was His
previous day, that she'd have a bikes and cars ran over it eyes that protected it.
pillion rider in the morning! at high speed. So, I could

1 6 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
What happens when Grace and
human efforts converge
It was August 23, just nine
days before the start of the
campaign. This was the fifth
time Sadhguru was meeting
the full group since our first
meeting on the Cauvery
on June 22. Since that first
meeting, Sadhguru has been
full-on behind this campaign.
Even during his time in Kailash,
and later on with an event-
packed visit to Australia, he had
always made himself available
to the Cauvery Calling team.
The last meeting we had was
on July 30, the morning after
Sadhguru arrived jet-lagged
from Australia. That meeting,
originally scheduled for only
two hours, went on late into the
night.
Today by about 1 pm, we had
all gathered in the Nalanda
Conference Hall. I was there
primarily as an observer. As we
sat for the meeting with him,
coordinators of different aspects
of the campaign started to give
him updates. He was listening
keenly to each one of them,
putting their challenges up for
discussion within the group –
on the face of it, it was like a
top management meeting in a
corporate setting – but there
was a difference.
Actually, there were four
differences…
One: Most of the area
coordinators had never before
done what they had taken up
to do – not of this scale. And
except for a couple, none of
1 8 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
them were qualified for the
job. They were all home-grown
leaders and were made incharge
of crucial aspects of this
campaign that had to run for 15
days, covering over 3,000 km,
through hundreds of towns and
cities with at least 4 to 5 events
every day.
Two: It was nine days before
the journey, and important items
on the itinerary were still being
discussed. Should we have
a press meet in every town?
Should the farmers be invited
for every event? How much time
would Sadhguru have to interact
with celebrities if they were to
be invited? How many should
we invite? How do we integrate
PayTM so we can still offer 80 G
benefits to the donors?
What I mean is, these
are very fundamental
questions, and the answers
to each of them would
require a flurry of activity
in different towns.
For example, if there is a press
meet in every town, the time
and venue need to be decided,
the press needs to be informed,
arrangements for their travel
and stay in 15 different towns
have to be organized, audio-
video needs to be set up...
Three: The leader of the
meeting – Sadhguru.
While on the one hand, he
would discuss the smallest
details of a task with the
utmost involvement like
his life depended on it,
on the other, he could
suddenly disorient you out
of it.
Like it happened in this meeting
– in the middle of the meeting
he started to pay attention to
the loud sound of the air outside
and talked about it for a while.
Then at one time, he pointed
at people outside the window
who seemed to be floating up
(they were on the roof, and we
couldn’t see their legs from the
hall), and told a story on how
such simple things can create
hallucinations. It was Krishna
Jayanti, and we could hear
ashramites celebrating it with
some traditional games outside.
“I should actually be
there, why am I here?” he
wondered aloud. Then he
started to hum something,
and at some point, he
started tapping his hands
to some rhythm within him.
And, after a while, he just
changed the dynamics of
the campaign by bringing
in a new requirement.
While it was being discussed
how many media interviews or
celebrity interactions or events
could be arranged, he said he
was willing to talk even while
riding if it was technologically
possible. “Plan for my every
single minute to be used to
reach out – meaning some
event or interactions for 18 to
20 hours a day,” he said as a
matter of fact. My heart broke
hearing it. Tears welled up in my
eyes.
Four: Sadhguru ensured
that we were all well connected
to the cause and that our hearts
were bleeding for Cauvery and
the farmers. In between the
technical discussions, he would
remind us why our work was so
important for humanity today.
“Thousands of people will die
if two more monsoons fail,” he
said
“How much does a clerk
earn?” he asked at one
time. We gave a number.
“Do you realize that except
for a few handfuls, most
1 9 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
farmers don’t earn even
this much,” he made us
see. “Why should the
farmers be so poor, tell
me,” he passionately
questioned us. “Do you
realize the suffering of
a person who commits
suicide?” he asked us in
the tone of a Realized One.
“I am telling you no one
would want to send their
children into agriculture if
we don’t make agriculture
a lucrative activity. Where
will the food come from
then?”
The entire meeting was so
organic, though we tried our
best to give it a structure.
Despite such intense
discussion, there were no
decisions taken - only the
direction was set. But when
he left which was about 6 pm,
everyone was highly charged
up, and willing to give their life
to save Cauvery. They were
all on the job right after, and
I wonder if any of them slept
much that night or any of the
following nights.
Leaving us behind in that state
of frenzy, Sadhguru left Nalanda
Hall and joyfully rode his
motorbike into the playground,
only to be mobbed by the
celebrating volunteers.
Looking at the scope and
scale of the project and
the unpreparedness of
everybody in comparison, I
clearly remember thinking
to myself, “If this rally
happens smoothly, it will
be nothing short of a
miracle!”
And the miracle happened… !
Here are some of the most fantastic aspects
of Cauvery Calling for you:

#1: 865 events were

conducted in 15 days
without a second's delay
and with the precision of an
army drill. For all the major
events, renowned local folk
artists performed alongside
Sounds of Isha. At least
5 to 10 dignitaries of the
highest office in the area
– politicians from different
parties, farmer leaders,
youth representatives, etc.
were present. Chairs were
neatly lined up and all the
attendees had the Cauvery
Calling placard. All the halls
were filled to the brim, with
people sitting on the floor
using every inch of the space
available in the hall. Not once
was there any rough behavior
or any sort of tension noticed
at any of the venues.

2 1 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9

#2: A bevy of 25 riders
rode over 3000 km at the
highest speed possible
through highways,
slippery and narrow
lanes, broken roads, mud,
and slush; yet not even
one untoward incident
happened...
These riders included professional
bikers, a Big BOSS winner, Actor
Rakshit Shetty, Actor Diganth, a
helicopter pilot, artists, business
professionals, singers, designers
- people of a varied social and
economic background. “This was
the most difficult ride of my life,
and I enjoyed every second of it,”
shared Diganth, a heartthrob of
many in Karnataka.
An avid motorcyclist, Sadhguru
sat with all of the bikers in
Nagarhole for an entire morning
despite his killing schedule. “Many
motorcyclists have ridden for a
cause and this cause is one of
the highest that one could pitch
for,” Sadhguru began the new day
reminding the riders about their
important mission. Then he took
them on a trip down memory lane to
his youth where a large part of his
life was spent on bikes. The master
storyteller left everyone listening in
a trance - they all sat like nomads
breezily passing their evening in a
desert.
When Sadhguru opened the floor
for questions, one question that
stood out was, “What do you think
2 2 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
of while riding? Do you get
into a zone while riding?” - to
which Sadhguru wittily replied,
“I anyway don't think anything;
I am always in a zone and never
come out of it.”
The riders bubbling with
unbridled excitement poured
out their experiences of riding
with Sadhguru. One young
rider, Kumaraguru Kannan let
out the secret that this was
the first time he was riding on
roads! He has participated in
many national championships,
but his parents allow him to
practice only on tracks. “Since
my parents knew I will be safe
with Sadhguru, they allowed me
to ride all the way,” he shared.
The way Sadhguru bonded with
the riders was heartwarming.
He held them as his comrades
at times, and at other times as
his sons and daughters. He
checked their bikes, gave his
inputs. They would also discuss
how to tune Sadhguru’s bike so
he is more comfortable. Many
times, Sadhguru stopped on
the roadside to give them a
break, asked them to hydrate,
and treated them with coconut
water. Once he bought off the
entire cart of super delicious
Mysore guavas for all to devour.
Another time he stopped at a
small highway shop, and said
“Eat anything you want, it is on
me,” and we all screamed in
joy.
The most touching part
was their parting. When the
motorcade reached Malaivasal
in Isha Yoga Center near
midnight, ashramites, guests,
and volunteers lined up on the
pathway, holding lamps in their
hands chanting the Nadi Stuti,
Bharatam Maha Bharatam.
Sadhguru roared to a halt in the
middle of the pathway with the
thunderous bikers close behind
him. As Sadhguru simply sat in
silence on his bike for a while in
front of Adiyogi, several bikers
got off their bikes, and in their
full biker gear - helmet, gloves,
and all - they prostrated fully
in the middle of the pathway
before Adiyogi, a beautiful
surrender at the culmination
of their victorious yatra for
Cauvery.
Once Sadhguru cruised to the
Welcome Point with the riders
following him, the moment of
parting had come. Sadhguru
stopped and got off his bike
to say goodbye to them.
They all surrounded him with
gleeful cries of joy and love.
He chatted with them, inspiring
them to carry the cause
forward. Here, Kumaraguru
Kannan requested Sadhguru
to sign his helmet and bless
him in his motorcycling journey.
"Victory Lap, Blessing, Sep 17,
2019," Sadhguru lovingly wrote
with a felt pen. Since it was
a smooth surface the writing
looked a bit faded, so Sadhguru
carefully retraced the lines a
couple of times with the pen to
make it clear. "I think it should
stay," he said while gently
giving back the helmet to an
overwhelmed Kannan. "Feel
at home here and spend some
time in the ashram,” he invited
the riders as one would invite
close friends.
2 3 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#3: The local #4: The entire media of #5: Isha Impressions
administration the two states lined up department produced 750+
provided three for time with Sadhguru. creatives in two months.
vehicles for security Sadhguru had 200+ Isha’s Social Media recorded
with 5 to 6 policemen media interactions. Many 400+ million impressions.
in each van and an popular national media From September 1 to 18, a
additional van with channels covered daily. live blog, live tweets and live
10 to12 officers from During the two weeks, instagram videos were posted
the striking force. over 1300+ articles within every 15 minutes for
were published online nearly 12 hours a day. Within
These vans took on
and in newspapers and a month of the launch, 25K
the roles of “Advance
Patrol” which cleared magazines; over 800+ people started crowdfunding
the road, the “Pilot” TV interviews were also pages and nearly 5 crore
which led the convoy, telecasted. saplings were donated for the
and the “Escorts” which cause.
escorted the convoy.
Besides, they had a
security plan for each
campsite and hotel
where the convoy halted
for the night, depending
upon the complexity
and perceived threat
at each location. The
smoothness with which
the police cars took
over from each other
was incredible. “It didn’t
seem at all that we were
on duty,” shared a few.
Many were surprised
that Sadhguru continued
to ride through the rain.
Each time there was a
shift change, both the
outgoing and incoming
police heads would
come to greet Sadhguru.

2 4 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
2 5 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
2 6 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#6:. A large number of
celebrities came out
in support of Cauvery
Calling.
Renowned cine stars
Srinidhi Shetty, Ragini
Dwivedi, Yash, Haripriya,
Pranitha Subhash,
Nithya Menen, Vijay
Raghavendra, and
Anushree traveled with
the motorcade and
shot a one-on-one with
Sadhguru. Actors Rakshit
Shetty and Diganth
Manchale rode alongside
Sadhguru for two days.
Karthik and Nithya Menen
stayed with the convoy
at the Mettur campsite.
Super friendly Karthik
enthralled everyone
at the camp with his
impromptu singing
through the downpour.
Shashi Kumar rode all
6 days in Karnataka. O
P Raveendranath, MP,
Theni Constituency, and
R Sarathkumar, a Tamil
actor and a politician,
also rode along with the
other riders for half a day.
Also, a host of celebrities
across the spectrum,
from cricketers to film
stars from business
leaders to religious
leaders, rose to support
Cauvery Calling. Many
donated or raised large
amounts towards the
planting of saplings.

2 7 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#7: Both the state
governments came out
in full support of this
drive and extended
incentives to the farmers
to support their shift to
agroforestry. The laws
are being re-written to
facilitate the shift to
timber farming for the
farmers.
Many MLAs and MPs
including B. S. Yediyurappa,
CM, Karnataka, Edappadi
K. Palaniswami, CM, Tamil
Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit,
Governor, Tamil Nadu, O
Panneerselvam, came on
stage to show their support
for Cauvery Calling.

#8 A group of 40
industrialists in
Coimbatore led by M.
Krishnan, the owner of
the popular Sri Krishna
Sweets retail chain, and Dr.
S Rajasekaran, President,
Ganga Hospital came forward
to express their solidarity
and love for Sadhguru by
organizing a huge welcome
for him on his return from the
2-week long Cauvery Calling
motorcycle campaign.

“This is a special moment for Coimbatore when the “who’s who” and the elite of the
city have come together to support this significant endeavor of Sadhguru. History
has been made today,” said Dr. Rajasekaran when he addressed the gathering in the
evening.

2 8 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#9: Our volunteers
approached 2.7 lakh
farmers in over 7,000
villages in a matter
of just one month to
educate farmers about
agroforestry. Sadhguru
visited a few farms and
food product factories
on the way.
The president of the
Farmer’s Association of
Tamil Nadu joined the
movement in Dharmapuri
and passionately offered the
support of all farmers. Many
farmers attended the events
and came forward to greet
Sadhguru and express their
gratitude.

2 9 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#10. About 200 people
participated in the yatras
and traveled with the
convoy with an additional
agenda weaved in.
Thanks to the participants of
Chamundi Trail in Karnataka
and Southern Soujourn in
Tamil Nadu, Cauvery Calling
convoy not only tasted the
adventure and intensity of a
pilgrimage, but also enjoyed
the gracious hospitality of the
yatra team volunteers.
We never stayed in one
city for more than a night.
Accordingly, a different stay
was organized in different
cities each day including
full-fledged campsites in 8
stunning locations. It rained
every night, and the locations
of two campsites had to
change one day in advance
because of the last minute
change of plans.
Three elaborate meals were
provided to the entire convoy.
Separate accommodations
were arranged for the riders
and the video editing team
in the city centers. At every
campsite, each morning a
handful of yatra volunteers
and sherpas would take the
tents down, load the luggage
and camping material, for
nearly 200 people, onto buses,
and unload and set up camp
at some other campsite in the
night.
3 0 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
Considering the amount of work
needed to set up a running
kitchen and dining for 200
people – 3 meals a day for
over 10 days in harsh weather
conditions at various campsites,
the team behind this phenomenal
effort was unbelievably small
and yet, all of it happened so
wonderfully.
Here are a few glimpses of the
dedication and commitment of
some of our yatra volunteers:
11:00 pm, KRS Dam: Vijay,
Bhargav, and Kumaran anna
were in the windup and setup
team. Along with the sherpas,
they relentlessly supported
this nomad caravan to rest for
the night. “It was the second
night around 11 pm and we had
just finished distributing the
luggage and were enjoying some
leftovers for dinner with some
light chitchat and gossip. The
kitchen team hurried us a bit to
finish dinner so they could finish
winding up. We joyfully went to
wash our hands and noticed
that three dining volunteers, Maa
Chandrahasa, Bhoopathi anna,
and Kavita akka were washing
huge kitchen vessels. It looked
like it would take them the whole
night. Instantly we joined in to
help them. It took the six of us
3 hours to finish washing
all the vessels, and we
could go back to our tents
only after 1 am. Since that
day, we started helping
the dining team with the
winding up at night and
went to sleep only well after
midnight.
These seven kitchen
and dining volunteers
traveled from campsite to
campsite, reaching ahead
of the participants to set
up the kitchen before
every meal and cooked
three times a day. They left
each campsite after the
participants with the kitchen
material. Every day the three
meals happened in different
locations.They would
wind up the temporary
kitchens after every meal
to safeguard against wild
animals.
Despite the meager facilities
available at the campsites,
they produced unimaginably
delicious and nutritious
dishes on a massive scale
and laid it out beautifully for
the participants to enjoy.
Swami Lavana exclaims,
“It's just a crazy amount

of work for the CC Akshaya
(Kitchen) team! Two days
ago, I caught a glimpse of
what they do when a few
volunteers and I joined to
wash a never-ending pile of
over-sized vessels for two
hours due to the shortage of
hands. A really amazing job
by the entire team. Not sure
if they are even sleeping for 4
hours per night!”
3 1 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#11: The yatra
participants came
forward to support
Cauvery Calling in
myriad ways after
watching the efforts
of Sadhguru, the
overwhelming response
of the public, the
farmers, and that of our
volunteers towards the
cause.
Usha Doshi, who donated
USD 250,000 towards
This is the reason we
Cauvery Calling, shared at
celebrated each meal on our
the end of the Chamundi
live blogs. However delightful
Yatra, “I am 73 years old,
it was to our palate, there was
but every time Sadhguru
a profound story behind it.
sees me, he says ‘Oh! Here
We express our gratitude for
comes the 93-year-old.’
the unwavering devotion of
At other times he would
our volunteers. We bow down
call me an 80-year-old. I
to the farmers, Mother Earth,
am so confused about my
and Cauvery for nurturing us.
age! I am really humbled
and privileged to be able
to do this wild yatra. If I
can do it, everyone can
do it regardless of their
age. To be able to actually
witness the Cauvery Calling
campaign and see Sadhguru
as an embodiment of
endless energy has been the
highest blessing.”
Besides her, most of them
have started their own
crowdfunding pages and
are encouraging their friends
and families the world over
to donate trees.
* “I have a target of raising
funds for 24,200 saplings in
one month. On the last day of
the month, I will plant whatever
is remaining,” said another
participant gleefully.
*“The proceeds from whatever
project I have undertaken since
I have come back from the
yatra, I would donate that for
Cauvery Calling,” said Raju from
Hyderabad. “This yatra has
changed my life, I feel empty
like Swami Nischala,” he added.
3 2 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
*“Please don’t mention
my name, I have donated
5 lakhs towards Cauvery
Calling, and will continue to
donate,” said another from
Kolkata.
*Super enthusiastic
Monica made a clarion
call to all volunteers in the
Netherlands and has started
a number of crazy initiatives
with them – we will hear
from her next month.
*Deepika has quietly sponsored
Cauvery Calling shout outs all
over the US on Zee TV and Radio
Zindagi for the next six months –
and still wants to do more.
*Lalitha of the US has set a
target of 11.111111 million
trees, and she is getting people
to donate daily. She has been
inspiring anyone and everyone
she meets to donate.
*Another participant from
Canada is hoping to convince her
oil company to sponsor 1 million
trees every year from their social
responsibility fund.
The list is long… No one went
untouched after traveling
in such close proximity to
Sadhguru…
3 3 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
#12. The
Mystic of
the Masses:
How warmly and
enthusiastically Sadhguru
was received by the top
dignitaries and the people
who attended the events -
you would have watched
it on the live streams. But
only those who traveled
with Sadhguru really
witnessed a phenomenon
that is difficult to
articulate. Many people
who came out in support own traditional and A Carpet of
of Cauvery Calling on the cute way. They would
streets were not those offer pooja to him, his
Flowers
who would have read up bike, and the bikes of
Once Sadhguru left
about Sadhguru on social other riders. They threw
the campsites and
media... kumkum and turmeric
reached the main
water on the front of
roads, every few
these were simple his motorbike, offered
kilometers the roads
villagers and townpeople flowers, coconut, etc.
would be lined on
who came out to show to both Sadhguru and
both sides by school
their devotion for him and the bike. Sadhguru
children, adults, and
to express their gratitude would bend down,
villagers holding
to him for working gather them around
Cauvery Calling
towards saving Cauvery him and talk to them
placards.
river. so intimately about
Cauvery. In some
These roads were left
At last someone is places Sadhguru told
carpeted with flowers
them to name their
saving Cauvery… daughters “Cauvery”.
after Sadhguru had
passed by.
Wherever we halted
The sense of devotion
for the night, local As we were
and gratitude
villagers got the whiff of approaching
expressed by these
Sadhguru’s arrival and Nagarhole, a sadhu
humble folks and how
gathered to see him off came forward with his
Sadhguru mingled
the next morning, wishing four disciples to greet
with them was truly
him all the best in their and bless Sadhguru.
touching…
What happened there
3 4 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9

was beautifully captured on video
which is now on YouTube. But for us
who were near him at that moment
– it was surprisingly overwhelming.
The first thing his disciples did was
to hold an umbrella over Sadhguru.
“Why are you going in the rain
like this for us,” the sadhu asked
Sadhguru. “Just thinking about how
he begged Sadhguru to take rest,
have a coffee, and warm up a bit
brings tears to my eyes even now,”
shared a rider.
The Tsunami of Sadhguru
A volunteer shared -
“At every place, we arrive in, the
enthusiasm of the people seems
to get higher and higher. The
entry into the Erode venue was a
spectacle that no one on this ride
will ever forget. Hundreds of school
students, youth, and adults had
lined up on both sides of the road
for more than a kilometer. Shouts
of joy and love reverberated in the
entire space. It was an ordeal for
the volunteers to have Sadhguru
enter the hall and be able to walk
to his seat, but it was amazing
to witness the thrill of the youth,
the children jumping in joy, and
3 5 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
the adults standing with love,
and the elderly having tears
of devotion. The tsunami of
Sadhguru is unstoppable -
nothing can cloud the shining
rays of the clarity of a Mystic.”
Here is another volunteer
sharing her conversation
with a few people who were
desperately waiting to see
Sadhguru after the Mandya
event.
“As we were waiting for
Sadhguru to come outside
the venue after the event, I
was intrigued to see many
young girls and boys eagerly
waiting to get a glimpse of him.
While sitting on my bike with
a helmet covering my face, I
still managed to have a short
revealing conversation with a
few of them.”
Three girls, Parineetha,
Vishakha, and Varsha, who
are all between 18 to 20 years
of age have been following
Sadhguru online for the last 5
to7 years. “We love Sadhguru,”
Varsha said and inquired how
she could volunteer for Isha.  Cauvery Calling
Cauvery Koogu
Kirtika, on the other hand,
had only heard of Sadhguru
that morning, but she was
desperately waiting to take his
photo.
I asked her, “Why this sudden
interest?” and she said, “I really
wanted to come and see this
great being who is going from
town to town to save our river.” 
Tejas, around 14 to
15 years old, looked
determined to take a
video of Sadhguru. He
was holding his phone
high, focusing on the
lane, hoping Sadhguru
would pass by him. I
asked him, “Why do you
want to take his video?
How do you know him?”
He didn’t say anything. I
asked again. “Kannada,”
he said one word.
Comprehending his
request,
I asked Kirtika to repeat
the question to him.
“Cauvery Koogu!” was
his only reply. And
how did he hear about
Cauvery Koogu?
“In the newspaper from
his rally in Mysuru,” he
said, his eyes still fixed at
the venue entrance so he
wouldn’t miss Sadhguru
coming out. 
Chinnappa and
While I was chatting
with the youth, one very
old man was trying to
make his way through
the crowd to the front so
he could see Sadhguru.
“What's your name?” He
murmured something so
softly I couldn’t catch
it. But then the people
around him shouted his
name: “Chinnappa!”
He had two blue Cauvery Calling
placards on the back of which he
had scribbled down what Sadhguru
spoke during the event. I asked him
to please give it to me so we could
post it online. He reluctantly showed
me but refused to give it. “No, no,
this is for me. I want to read it again,”
he said.  expressions of love and
HE HAD WRITTEN SADHGURU’s
SPEECH ON THE BACK OF THE
CAUVERY CALLING PLACARD.
Unfortunately, our phones were
out of battery, so I couldn’t take a
photo. Soon we heard the roar of
Sadhguru’s bike, and I knew I had
to go. I shouted out my number to
Kirtika and urged her to send me
Chinnappa’s photo with the placard.
Three days later I received the photo
which was posted in the live blog
also.
Love Beyond Devotion
Finally, what happened during the
culminating ride back to the ashram
is beyond comprehension for a city
person.
While in the quiet of the CODISSIA
seminar room we had the
Coimbatore elite showering their
3 6 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
gentle praises on Sadhguru Rockets on the Road
and vouching their support to
the campaign, what ensued At one place, the villagers
on the 20-km stretch to the kept a full box of rockets
Yoga Center was an entirely (firecrackers) in the middle
different scene altogether. of the road and set fire to
The moment Sadhguru it. Sadhguru had to wait
entered Thondamuthur, the at least 50 meters away
for the crackers to finish
devotion were like wildfire. exploding. But the night
In every village that convoy sky sparkled with the
passed, hundreds of villagers bright and colorful lights of
specially dressed for him, the firecrackers.
holding sacred offerings,
were waiting to receive
Sadhguru. The local youth
artists’ bands were pounding
their drums at such a feverish
rhythm and decibel level
that it could be heard from
kilometers away.
All they wanted was to
see him…
Men, women, children, and Offerings Beyond Their
the elderly, all vigorously
jostled with each other to
Means
touch Sadhguru.
Hundreds of villagers
brought offerings of freshly
We noticed some old men
and skillfully woven large
and women wearing freshly
malas of very high-quality
ironed clothes using every
jasmine or roses, huge
ounce of their strength to
bowls of traditional sweets,
reach close to Sadhguru.
water in copper vessels,
colorful shawls, and other
traditional items, just for his
After catching a glimpse
blessing.
of Sadhguru, they worked
their way back out of the
throng and sat exhausted on
A rural child offered his
the roadside but looked so
piggy bank made of cheap
joyful as if they had gotten
plastic but full of his
something that they had
precious coins to Sadhguru.
been waiting for, for a long
time.
3 7 / CA U V E RY C A L L I N G S E P 2 0 1 9
 “Where was the time to do
much? All we did was let the
news spread through volunteers
that Sadhguru may be passing
a particular town on this day,
and people can welcome him
if they wished. We didn’t even
give exact timings for security
reasons, but they guessed the
time and mostly waited for long
hours to see him no matter if
it rained or the heat was too
much, or even if it was night.
That’s all!”

How did this all happen,

The Spectacle of Gutsy What happened in
when nine days before the
Rural Folks those 2 hours was an ride even the route was under
expression of all- discussion?
While we were impressed by
the skills and perseverance
consuming love
of our motorcade, there
happened to be a couple of
Sadhguru was literally If this is not
local riders near Alandurai
who shocked us beyond
mobbed as he lovingly
accepted the pats magical,
belief! One of them was riding
the bike, and the pillion rider
of affection and the
offerings. In some then what is
was standing hands-off like
a Tollywood stuntman, with
villages, he spoke from
his motorbike to them as magical?
they had arranged a mic
a phone in one hand high in However, behind this magic,
for him.
the air and the other hand there are the heart-breaking
hanging free; all this to shoot efforts of Sadhguru and
In Thanjavur, a volunteer
a glimpse of Sadhguru. These hundreds of volunteers.
showed all the welcome
daredevils were dodging and
videos to Lokanetra –
zig-zagging and zooming A volunteer shares, “I feel Isha
coordinator of the Tamil
past our volunteers and our is like a colony of bees, and
leg of the journey – and
motor riders who were trying every event or project is like
asked him curiously,
hard to stop them. Finally, making a beehive. Each type
we realized that they could of bee performs specific tasks.
not be stopped and hence “What did you people
None of them know that they
it’s their perseverance and do? How did so know, but they all know what to
determination that made many people turn up do, and it happens according to
them reach their Guru,
our Sadhguru. We were all
with placards and plan. Never has anybody seen
a beehive abandoned because
overwhelmed and in awe of how was so much
the bees did not know how to
their amazing skills. arrangement made complete it.”
to welcome him?”
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Catching the BUG!

When the idea of joining to join the rally for the Karnataka portion. My
the Cauvery Calling first few days, and after original plan was to skip
Here we have a rally was presented
to me, I just thought
that, she would have
to leave to the US for
Tamil Nadu, as I had
some concerts already
bonus sharing from my attendance would her dance tour which scheduled and did not
Sandeep Narayan, be tagging along with was already scheduled. know if I wanted to go
son-in-law of my wife on some sort
of road trip, not really
I was hesitant whether
to even join for those
back and forth.

Sadhguru, who rode knowing the full extent few days or maybe Just before the first
for a good part of of what it actually was. just one or two events. leg commenced, I got
a call asking if I could
In fact, I never thought But as we had both
the rally as a pillion I would be riding in the missed the Rally for come to Coimbatore
passenger. rally for as many days as Rivers in 2017 due to and record the Thamizh
I did. our touring schedules, I version of the Cauvery
It all started about a decided I would join at Calling song, “Cauvery
month ago, when Radhe least for the few days Thaaye.” With just a few
told me she was going I was available in the hours’ notice, I jumped

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on the next flight and got to the
ashram for a 24-hour trip to learn
and record this beautiful song
composed by Sadhguru. I returned
immediately to Chennai, as I
had a concert already scheduled
there the next day, and decided
to join the Cauvery Calling rally in
Madikeri, Coorg.
As soon as I reached the event
in Madikeri, I was told by many
people that the previous day
and night were extremely rainy
and muddy and that I had luckily
avoided that! I requested to ride
pillion on one of the motorbikes
(as I don’t know how to ride one
myself… yet), not knowing how
long I would enjoy it. There were
also cars and buses coming along
so that was my back-up option if
I did not choose to continue on
the bike. I was fortunate to be on
the back of a Triumph Tiger with
Ariez Tata, a rider from Mumbai
who had committed his time to the
first part of the rally. His bike was
really comfortable, and after our
first 1.5-hour ride, I was hooked! I
immediately told Sadhguru that I
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wanted to learn how to ride one,
to which he gave me a quizzical
look and said, “If you get into
bikes, you will forget your music!”
We rode in the rain the first few
days and when the sun finally
came out on the fourth day
we camped at the KRS dam.
Radhe and I were set to return to
Chennai that night, but Sadhguru
told us we should stay so we
can go to Chamundi and visit
Sadhguru’s Spot. I had never
been, so we both decided to
extend a day. By this time, I
knew I wanted to return for a
part if not the whole of the Tamil
Nadu journey after finishing my
concerts and sending Radhe to
the US. Fortunately for me, after
completing a concert in Mysore,
I was able to join the rest of the
rally in Erode on Day 2 of the
Tamil Nadu journey. From there, I
was paired up with Arjun Raman,
who was also on a Triumph
Tiger! The highway roads of Tamil
Nadu were much smoother than
the hill stations in Karnataka,
and so pillion riding was a very
smooth journey, though smooth
journeys might get boring for the
riders at times! In any case, I was
enjoying every minute of the rally.
And much to my amazement, the
song “Cauvery Thaaye” was being
played at every event in Tamil
Nadu!
What started as just tagging along
with my wife became something
I really enjoyed. With each city
and event, I learned more and
more about Cauvery Calling and
how Sadhguru’s plan would help
solve this in the years to come. My
father grew up in Thiruvaiyaru (in
the Thanjavur district) on the banks
of the Cauvery river. It is a place I
hold very close to my heart, and I
frequently visit our ancestral home.
As a Carnatic musician, many of
our songs were composed and
sung by Saint Thyagaraja right
there on the river banks, and there
are even mentions of the Cauvery
river in many songs. I remember as
a child, we would go by the water,
but in the past few years, we have
only crossed the barren land that it
has become.
It was amazing to see the support
of the villagers, farmers, and
people of all ages – especially
the two state governments of
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu coming
together. Political parties and
ideologies were set aside, as
everyone agreed that this was
one issue that went beyond any
affiliations one might have.
Just before reaching Chennai,
Sadhguru asked me if I was
riding back to Coimbatore on a
bike. I said, “Yes, of course.” He
asked me again, somewhat in
shock, “What?! You are coming
to Coimbatore by bike?!” I said,
“Yes!” He laughed and exclaimed,
“You’ve gone crazy!” I told him
I loved riding pillion so the only
thing to do was to learn how to
ride one myself. He laughed and
said, “I see the bug’s got you too!”
During the long stretch of night
riding, I realized that it might be
comfortable to ride pillion, but it
definitely wasn’t the best part of
being on a bike. I could not see
any of the animals or farmland that
I enjoyed watching during the day.
Hopefully, my motorbike lessons
will begin very soon!
I am extremely grateful to those
riders who took me along with
them, Ariez and Arjun during
the rally, and finally Hormazd
Siganporia and Kannan for the
ride back to Coimbatore. If not for
them, I would not have been able
to have such a new experience.
One day when having lunch with
Sadhguru, he was mentioning to
me how the female bike riders
are so precise and ride so well.
He joked that men tend to be a
little more rash in comparison. I
replied that Radhe would be the
counterexample to his point! He
immediately replied, “Oh, she’s
a wild one!” and proceeded to
recount a story from her childhood.
When Radhe was just two years
old, it seems Sadhguru would
encourage her to climb trees. He
would tell her to climb as much as
she felt comfortable with and stop,
and then he would guide her from
there branch by branch. She would
listen to him diligently and go
exactly as he guided. Even today
she loves to climb trees and large
rocks wherever we go, however, I
asked him to please request her to
take it easy as she is a dancer and
must take extra precautions when
it comes to her legs and feet!
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Although I have seen
for years that all the
brahmacharis have amazing
energy that allows them to
do superhuman things on a
daily basis, it was surprising
to see that even the bike
riders were pushing their
limits and able to ride for
hours at a time. Most riders
are used to taking breaks
more frequently. However,
with the Cauvery Calling
schedule being so jam-
packed, there wasn’t much
time for breaks. From the
moment someone said,
“Gear up!” all the bikers
would immediately be
ready to go. They didn’t
know when the next break
was, when the next meal
was, where or when they
would be able to rest that
night. The ride could be
thirty minutes or it could be
five hours. It didn’t matter.
They were in it 110%. I
was so moved to see this
commitment from so many
riders that had joined from all
over India.
Now as I prepare for my North
American concert tour, I miss the
rally days of putting on a jacket
and helmet and riding to the next
destination. Although Radhe
and I will be in the same country
overlapping by about a month, we
will only see each other for a few
days. That is something we have
gotten used to over the years, and
we are happy when we can take a
few days off of our busy schedules
and meet somewhere in the
middle. Radhe was very jealous
that I got to finish the rally, but she
had already committed to some
festivals in the US and had to be
there. It was the first time I ever
did something like this, and I think
it shocked everyone around me
including my wife and father-in-
law, but now I am sure this was the
first of many adventures to come.
It seems to have lit a fire inside of
me, not only to support Cauvery
Calling in any way that I can but
to also learn how to ride a bike as
soon as possible!
Sandeep Narayan is a Carnatic
vocalist. Learn more and
follow him on Instagram @
sandeepnarayan.
 Mother Cauvery does not
know who you are. But
you should know, you are
Cauvery’s children from
Talacauvery to Tiruvarur.
Action Now. - Sadhguru

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