Imagine a Sunday, with fresh breeze in the lawn to relax and some hot coffee in a cup and things rolling in mind. Cleaning? Done. Cooking? Done. Shopping? Done. Movie night? Done. Gardening? Oops! Organic grocery? Oops! Handloom clothing? Oops again and that reminds of Ragi Kana. Wondering what is Ragi Kana? Just one word, stunning!
Ragi Kana, a cultural hub set up in Gottigere on Bannerghatta Main Road which serves rural market on every Sunday called Sunday Santhe. Prasanna, 70 year old Gandhian, theatre director and playwright from Heggodu started this in May 2017 and is aided by Gram Seva Sangh. Yes! Ragi Kana is that place which you can go on any Sunday, spend time amidst the greenery, water ponds, trees, playground, cows and the traditional clothes, snacks and finally buy those fresh vegetables. It depicts the traditional Karnataka state with its performances and local snacks. It is initiated to make the urban population experience the rural patterns of farming, weaving, follow the purest form of living style and life style, Ragi Kana has put an effort is spreading it to the public.
Chockalingam Muthiah, an urban harvester and volunteer of Ragi Kana from day one said “A 17-acre land, funded freely by the Sri Ramakrishna Samagra Shikshana Kendra and the open space to spend some good time, this is perfect for any age group. Kids come, interact and play. Elders come, share their opinions and buy grocery. Environmentalists come, give speech and suggestions. A positive strength turning out every weekend is encouraging the volunteers and the environmentalist and eco-activists etc to come and serve which is a contribution for the progress of the society.”
Ragi Kana is also putting an effort to make sure the Karnataka tradition doesn’t get blurred. There happens cultural programs, rural performances like folk songs and dances, workshops like clay making, weaving and spinning, exhibiting the handloom and khadi garments, stalls filled with organic grocery, vegetables and snacks, talks about various topics like importance to hand made products, rural sustainability, opposing machines, rural lifestyle, art of spinning, simple home remedies, natural farming and multi-farming and exhibitions like handloom clothing, terracotta handicrafts and many more.
When asked a customer, Sandhya Ap, an employee of BYJUs said “I’m a partial customer of Ragi Kana since a year and I rush to buy vegetables before 11 am on every Sunday because it gets over by that time. They organise selling of fresh farm vegetables and this cultural centre is refreshment. It adds a pinch of value to the Karnataka tradition and our lives too. They also organise awareness programs on aspects of environment by conducting speeches and discussions. Ragi Kana, by conducting some farm tours as well on regular basis which takes you to one such literal organic world.”
The stalls are filled with fresh farm vegetables, organic grocery, millets, oil, honey, saplings, terracotta handicrafts, hand-made home decor, khadi clothes, handloom clothes, traditional snacks and more but empties by the end of the day at Ragi Kana.
