World Bamboo Day in Auroville

In 2009, the World Bamboo Congress in Thailand declared the 18th of September to be World Bamboo Day (WBD). This day is intended to raise awareness of bamboo, one of the best renewable resources, as one possibility for meeting the growing needs of our global population. Bamboo, the giant of the grass family, grows incredibly fast, doesn’t die when harvested, converts more CO2 into oxygen than any tree, and withstands compression move effectively than concrete. The range of uses for bamboo is equally impressive: framework, walls and flooring for homes, furniture, kitchen utensils, boats, soaps, fabrics, jewelry. It’s even edible. Bamboo also offers a realistic opportunity to move away from unsustainable deforestation. Each year since WBD’s inception, bamboo organizations all over the planet host celebrations of this unique plant, and the celebrations are growing louder. What started as an idea at a conference has become a worldwide movement. This year seventeen countries hosted official World Bamboo Day events, marking the most successful year to date.

Following suit, on the 18th of September 2014 a monumental event took place as a collaborative effort between the Auroville Bamboo Centre and the South Asia Bamboo Foundation. The two organizations invited farmers from the region to meet at the Bamboo Centre, joined by government officials, including the Director of Agriculture for the Villuppuram District of Tamil Nadu.

The discussion outlined the subsidies and carbon credits offered by the government for including bamboo in intercrop plantations and raised awareness of both the financial and environmental benefits of bamboo cultivation. The officials clarified they were present to show their commitment to promoting sustainable, livelihood-supporting opportunities in the region.

After the meeting, the government officials joined the Bamboo Centre team for a ceremonial first bamboo planting at the new Auroville Bamboo Grove. This is designed to serve as a model for a new era of intercrop bamboo farming. The government’s gesture greatly added to the excitement everyone at Auroville Bamboo Centre already felt regarding the official inauguration of Auroville’s new plantation.

The Auroville Bamboo Centre also ran a special workshop for World Bamboo Day. In response to Prime Minister Modi’s call to build millions of new toilets throughout India, the Bamboo Centre has developed a low-cost bamboo, eco-sensitive toilet design. The workshop attendees constructed the first prototype at Auroville Bamboo Grove. The final version will be displayed at the upcoming Kerala Bamboo festival.

Auroville’s World Bamboo Day celebration concluded with a special bamboo dinner. During the meal, the local percussion group, Mohanam Sound Crew, performed for the guests. As dinner finished, attendees joined the Sound Crew, dancing and singing. The bonfire lit among the crowd was a perfect end to a day of enkindling fires within the hearts of the bamboo community.