150 varieties of Traditional Paddy Varieties conserved in the Sri Sarada Ashram, Ulundurpet

The newly installed majestic statue of Swami Vivekananda in the Ulundurpet Sri Sarada Ashram

I had earlier registered being asked to fetch some traditional varieties of paddy by a Sister of the Sri Sarada Ashram, Ulundurpet in October. The Ashram had gone on a target of gathering 150 traditional varieties of paddy as an unique celebration of the 150th Birth Centenary of Swami Vivekananda. These varieties acquired from farmers who are already conserving them in different parts of the state and neighbour states are now being conserved at the Ashram in situ.  It was great to visit and understand their conservation activities and the Ashram now plans to multiply these seeds by providing them to farmers in the region is a very welcome move and will go a long way to ensure that the traditional varieties are sustained and farmer's rights over seeds as well in the process. Here are some scenes from the paddy fields...