Vidya Vruksh
Understanding the bridge between Vyaspeeth and Vidyapeeth to expand rural education and modern learning.
Rajkot Ram Katha: A Bridge Between the Vyaspeeth and the Vidyapeeth The Ram Katha of Morari Bapu, being organised in Rajkot by Phulchhab, the 105-year-old daily of Saurashtra Trust, from January 9 to 17, will be not merely a historic event, but one with profound spiritual, social and global significance. The Ramayana, the great epic of India, and the Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Tulsidas have travelled far beyond the geographical boundaries of India through the medium of the Vyaspeeth and the Ram Katha. Morari Bapu, whose Ram Kathas have reached not only different countries and continents but also the skies and the seas, is, at heart, a teacher. For nearly six and a half decades, he has conducted a vast movement of public education through the medium of the Katha.
Connecting spiritual wisdom with educational empowerment across rural Saurashtra and Kutch.
Truth, love and compassion are not merely words in Bapu’s vocabulary; they are integral to his way of being. He transforms these words into lived emotions and communicates them through his Katha. The Ram Katha, which Tulsidas described as being composed “Swanthah Sukhaya”—for one’s own inner joy—is sung by Bapu in the spirit of “Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya”—for the welfare and happiness of all. Phulchhab, Saurashtra’s leading and 105-year-old newspaper, has a long tradition of journalism that works in the same spirit and towards the larger good of society. It is therefore fitting that Phulchhab is now organising Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha in January with the larger objective of creating an enduring movement for education and learning. The purpose is to expand and deepen the reach of education in the rural and remote areas of Saurashtra and Kutch; to strengthen the foundations of primary and basic education; to enable students to benefit from modern educational trends, new technologies and innovative teaching methods; and to provide teachers with appropriate training. Scholarships, incentives and other forms of support for students, along with initiatives for the welfare and professional development of teachers, will also form part of this larger effort. The Janmabhoomi Group and Saurashtra Trust will initiate this vast educational endeavour—an Akshaya Yajna, an everlasting effort for the cause of education—with the Ram Katha serving as its beginning. The larger vision is to bring all these initiatives together under the shade of a Vidyavruksh—the tree of knowledge and learning. Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha has, by now, become a truly global phenomenon. Whether it is the welfare and upliftment of soldiers and the families of martyrs, projects for old-age homes and tree plantation, or the revival of literary and educational institutions, the Vyaspeeth has repeatedly served as a powerful medium for social transformation. The Saurashtra Trust’s educational initiative is also receiving Morari Bapu’s blessings. Invitations are being extended to the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, and Union Ministers to attend the Katha. Leading industrialists, educationists, eminent professors from premier institutions of higher learning, researchers, and Mahants and saints associated with the various religious institutions and spiritual centres of Saurashtra are also expected to be present. Bapu has always had a special affection for young people. Since the very purpose of this Katha is the advancement of education, arrangements are being made for large numbers of students from leading educational institutions of Saurashtra to attend. Before the Katha, an international-level conference on education and careers is also proposed. The Saurashtra Trust is considering the preparation of a White Paper emerging from the deliberations of the conference, which could subsequently be presented to the Government in the presence of Morari Bapu. It is estimated that more than 50,000 devotees and listeners will attend the Katha every day. In keeping with the traditional hospitality of Saurashtra and Kathiawar, arrangements will also be made to serve meals and prasad to the gathering. The Katha will conclude in the afternoon. In the evenings, a variety of cultural programmes—including folk literature, light music and humour—will be organised. The central purpose of the Ram Katha in Rajkot is Vidya—education and knowledge. Its larger objective is to strengthen the Vidyapeeth, while its chosen medium is the Vyaspeeth. In that sense, this Ram Katha will become a bridge between the Vyaspeeth and the Vidyapeeth—between the timeless wisdom of the spiritual tradition and the living institutions of education, learning and knowledge.