Tapovan is a 15 acre Homa Organic farm situated in Parola, Jalgaon in the north of Maharashtra state in India, owned by the Paranjpe family of Dhulia. The caretakers are Bruce Johnson and Anne Godfrey from Australia who have been staying on the farm since 1997. Tapovan is an ancient place of Healing Fires. With time this practice was lost, and now it is being revived. Tapovan is a teaching centre, where anyone of any caste, creed, colour or nationality can learn about Agnihotra and other Yajnyas (Healing Fires) we practise here daily. And where one can experience directly the healing results which derive from the regular practice of these Yajynas.
In recent years Jalgaon is said to be worst hit with approx 3300 villages facing water shortage and Parola and Bahadarpur are one of them. The deteriorating water situation in the region is gauged by the steady decline in farming in the area. "The problem started in 2014 when they had below-average rainfall. The next year, Marathwada received excess rainfall of 136 per cent. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, we again had about 50 per cent deficit monsoon. Freak hailstorms during February-March in 2014 and 2015 destroyed the standing Rabi crops (October-March)," This situation continued till my (Arun Kashyap an environmentalist and founder of the farming technique called Sustainable Farming With Forest) visit to the farmland regularly from last four years. The situation is gone worse in a way that the dam near their site and Bori rivers went dry since then.

Moreover with the rise of population and  BT-cotton belt for last eight-ten years with extensive use of chemicals fertilizers and pesticides further worsen to such a waterless condition, deteriorated health condition and farmers couldn't be relished much from crop yield and forced them to cut more trees from the nearby forest and sell the wood to earn something for their survival. Those who had access to groundwater, started using it and selling to others for some surplus earning and led further to the situation of water table gone down also. This led to extreme climate condition to rise in temperature, storms, flood and drought conditions in the region.
Farmers are not comfortable with forest and in the greed of earning more and more forgotten all old sustainable techniques of maintaining diversity which survived the human being and all species for thousands of years without any loss of soil, water, and forest. Before it takes any further severe crisis or two to a worse situation, we all, with combine effort of a community of farmers, are planning to establish a reforestation drive with initiating sustainable farming with forest technique to all common village area, farmlands of marginalized farmers at the priority. And other farmers to turn this area sustainable and self-reliant in terms of food, soil, water and forest, using natural practices without any chemical input from outside. In this derive, developing Tapovan as a community centre for imparting all such knowledge in their area is the requirement felt today at the first level. In this process, we need to turn Tapovan in the first phase as:

1. Demonstration site known for its organic farming techniques and site knows for its sustainability for preserving resources (fertile soil, water, forest) available for all the round in year.
2. A training centre with classroom and lodging facility to promote free education to marginalized farmers and other farmers at minimum cost to motivate them to sustainable farming with forest techniques.
3. Nursery and a seed bank to promote native varieties and focus on millet crops needing less water.
4. And a Homa therapy and natural healing centre to promote Ayurveda and natural medicines for the community.

A big project involves overseeing a lot of moving parts, often from different people. In Tapovan to have a successful roll-out, we follow the principle of moving consciously to achieve small results step by step. We are looking for people who can from their earning lend some donation for us to establish a not only system for them, but for the masses to promote such biodiverse forest farming system (zero dependencies on chemical or any outside input) keeping in mind mitigating greenhouse gases emission. We have to partner with those people and non-government organizations on this project who would seek the benefit of our teachings, get connected and work with us as well.

1. Phase 01:  Rain Water harvesting and management system storing 20 lacs litre of water by establishing a natural pond on the farm at the cost of Rs. Three lacs and recently completed with support friends & community contribution.
2. Phase 02:  Maintenance of available infrastructure (Mud hut repair, classrooms, Bamboo presentation hall for 30 farmers etc.), natural irrigation system and planting trees which requires fund of Rs. 15,50,000/- before this rainy season (before July 2020).
3. Phase 03:  Initiating Community Outreach and Education every month to 5000 and more local and nearby village farmers on sustainable integrated farming techniques develop from ancient traditional and new connected knowledge which nourished us from thousands of years.
4. Phase 04:  Initiate forest revival, restoration, conservation, and preservation for better biodiversity and environment.  

THANKS