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Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The guide Soul Forest And the Children Who Heard the Earth’s Secrets helps readers discover the planet by way of playful chapters consisting of fifty quick tales and illustrations. Written by Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati and illustrated by Ramesh Manickavel, this Penguin publication was launched just lately.
Book for all
The guide cowl | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
While this ‘half story, half science and half manifesto’ narrative in a dialogue format focuses on hilarious conversations between the daddy Sathya and his two kids Virat and Ira, the guide is an try and make youngsters and adults see ‘earth not because the background noise however the principle character.’ “The guide is an inter-generational learn for folks and youngsters, grandparents and grandchildren and the kid inside you,” says Sathya.
Online initiative
Soul Forest Circles, a web based initiative, can also be being launched to coincide with the guide launch on November 14. Sathya calls this 30-minute ritual as a peaceful revolution. “Just such as you go to a spot of worship, an grownup and a baby can do a weekend ritual of sitting subsequent to a plant or a tree, devoting 10 minutes to learn any guide, mirror and act.”
Those forming a circle with their households or buddies can publish their observations on their Instagram web page (@soulforestindia). “We hope that within the subsequent decade, one million circles like this might be fashioned to create that many circles of calmness, reverse of the disconnect, restlessness and anxiousness the world is coping with.”
Sathya, CEO and co-founder of Soul Forest, an organisation that works in the direction of changing barren lands into thriving eco-systems, can also be the co-founder of Hyderabad-based agri start-up Kheyti. The guide’s backstory began when Kheyti’s Greenhouse-in-a-box answer gained the 2022 Earthshot Prize. This former chartered accountant and TED speaker questioned whether or not what they know and do was sufficient. The curiosity acquired him to learn round 50 books and a whole bunch of articles on local weather change and biodiversity disaster and in addition discover what others are doing within the local weather change house. “I went to the beginning — the Big Bang concept and Supernova to know origin of the Earth. I additionally met many individuals and requested a fundamental query: “What do you imply once you say local weather is altering as a result of local weather all the time modifications.”
Stories to spark conversations
Ramesh Manickavel | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
While the analysis took a few years, he wove tales from his reflections to reply questions of his inquisitive kids. As he wrote his personal journal, the topic appeared much more interdisciplinary than he had anticipated and his buddies inspired him to put in writing a guide.
Once he selected framing the guide as a dialog along with his kids, the work turned severe. “People take pleasure in conversations not lectures. Stories construct tradition, which in flip helps us to construct what we worth. Once now we have a shared recognition of what we worth, we are going to shield it, go all out to struggle for it and have a good time it. The guide is an try to inform the tales, the secrets and techniques of Earth in a method that creates the seed for the forest to develop.”
For Sathya, a join with Nature is a join with one’s ancestors, which incorporates not only one’s forefathers but in addition the Earth, animals, rocks and crops. “We have to recognise that we belong to them and carry part of them. This recognition must be cultural involving households the place one finds a spark of connection, a way of belonging with Nature.”
Creative course of
Sathya and his kids Virat and Ira | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
From writing 10 hours throughout weekends to following ‘constructing a startup’ method helped him navigate the artistic course of. The story, nevertheless, is incomplete with out illustrations by Ramesh Manickavel, a seasoned programme administration chief and safety champion at Broadcom Inc, Hyderabad. Ramesh helps the training of underprivileged kids and creates alternatives for youth improvement by way of his basis — Anand Memorial Trust. Says Sathya, “No directions or necessities got to Ramesh. His heartfelt sketches introduced a lot life to the guide.”
From having many questions firstly to having a nuanced perspective on the finish, Sathya calls the journey transformative. “Once individuals recognise their roots as Nature, they may worth it.”
Soul Forest And the Children Who Heard the Earth’s Secrets, ₹499, is offered on-line and at bookstores.
Published – November 13, 2025 12:33 pm IST
