On July 30th, 2023 we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Knowledge Systems Division, Ministry of Education at the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Here, our founder and CEO Shri Raghava Krishna reflects on the journey that brought us here.
Not too far from where we signed this MOU, Pankaj and I spent a few hours at a public park about a year and half ago, conceptualizing Bṛhat. We had just resolved the disappointment of moral cowardice that we witnessed and were contemplating our next steps.
That we had to do something creative together for Dharma via Culture was clear and blessed by our guru already. Even so, the experience of being on the road was real now. I was running fever and we had to cut a few hours before our appointment to go meet our advisor.
Pankaj told me abt some of his mystical experiences in between our discussion on what is that we can and want to do. Visualizing the complementary competencies we would need to amplify his range and vision, I messaged Nivedita and asked her if she would like to join. She didn’t say no.
We went and met our advisor. The one advice I received from that meeting was ‘think bigger’. I came out and called Amrit and told him, it is about time to put his genius to civilizational work full time. He said, “haan sir, karte hain.”
A couple of days later I called Kavita garu. We both knew beforehand that we were destined to come together. She relocated to India.
Conceptualizing the inter-linkages between culture and education, I called Anurag. He said, “Raghav ji mein aapke saath hoon.”
Next was Sai Priya, an MBBS doctor who had the courage to let go of her career and began studying law cause that is where she saw civilizational work as pending. Sai simply said, “Lets do it, Raghava.”
Our young guns Akshay, Anshuman and Sushant were always with us - First as our learners and now as colleagues.
From that day, we began giving - turning up, partnering, listening, creating, compounding, laughing. Along the way, Lakshmi and Simran joined us, bringing not just talent and art but critically, purity of spirit.
Reena holds all of us together.
Over 50 percent of our work is even today pro-bono. Our only strategy is Dharma and what we can do.
This MOU and everything else that happened over the last year is a result of that commitment to create a surplus. To give more than what we take. To ourselves, to each other, to our supporters, other orgs, to our community, to nature and to the big wide universe. This is our secret. This conviction that as long as we keep giving, we will keep growing.
Thank you to everyone who supported us, encouraged us and offered valuable criticism. To those who enable us by funding us. Civilizational journey needs every single one of us.