Guwahati: First Poetry Walk Held Amidst Nature’s Splendour

Poetry helps us feel. Poetry helps us express. Poetry helps us be mindful. Poetry helps us heal. Given the pandemic lockdowns and the mental health challenges we have battled this year, one way to seek and reclaim life is the bathe in nature and poetry. One may belong anywhere, to any profession or practice, they may have nothing in common, yet each one has their own unique song. Turning to poetry may help tune into our own song and develop a mindful way of looking at life. 

The morning light sieves through the woods, there is a serene stillness and silence in which the participants of the Nature Poetry Walk immerse themselves at the Encamp Adventures Khanapara hillside camp on December 20.

Before the start of the walk there was a brief discussion on mindfulness and being observant throughout the walk by poet Madhu Raghavendra.

There were a few scenic stopovers during the walk where Pablo Neruda, Langston Hughes, Raymond Carver, Mary Oliver and few of Madhu's own poems were read in silence and the participants shared about how they feel about the poem and the emotions related to it. At the end of the walk, participants gathered to attend a brief interactive workshop on journaling and writing poetry.

Madhu has authored three books of poetry, Make Me Some Love To Eat, Stick No Bills, and Being Non-essential. He is the founder of Poetry Couture, a movement that has created free spaces for poetry in many cities of India, including the North East. He uses poetry and performance as a tool to advocate human and environmental rights.  He collaborates with global artists to create cross disciplinary poetry experiences.

The need for a peaceful walk in the woods and have meaningful discussion with like-minded people is rare and an experience in itself and the need for it cannot be overemphasized given our stressful lives. One of the best quotes advocating for seeking arts and poetry is by Voltaire, 'Battles and revolutions are the smallest part of the plan; squadrons and battalions conquering or being conquered, towns taken and retaken, are common to all history…Take away the arts and progress of the mind, and you will find nothing remarkable enough to attract the attention of posterity.'

Encamp Adventures, one of the innovative travel initiatives, acknowledged by Startup India and Assam Startup's COHORT, have recognised the need for urbanites in Guwahati for short weekend getaways.  The initiative caters to the need that one needs a beautiful hike over the weekend but does not want to end up travelling hours to reach a serene zone, and end up spending all the time on the road.

Encamp has teamed up with well-known poet Madhu Raghavendra to organise a unique Nature Poetry Walks at the Khanapara Hill Side Camp every month through winter and spring.