आगळे वेगळे पुणेकर किस्सा क्र. २ - व्यायामशाळा नव्हे, गिरणी

 

१८१८ साली यंत्रज्ञ सर विल्यम कबिट्ट यांनी बनवलेली एक गिरणी इंग्लंड मधल्या एका तुरुंगात लावली गेली. उद्देश हा की कैद्यांना काही तरी उद्योग मिळावा.

ही बातमी एका काकांच्या नजरेला पडली आणि त्यांच्या मनात एक तुफान घुमायला लागलं.

"तुरुंगात जर पिठाची गिरणी चालवतात तर आपणही घरी असली गिरणी चालवू शकतो. तेव्हढच काय, ते पीठ दळत असतील तर आपण तेलही काढू शकतो."

झालं. काकांनी हे करायचं ठरवलं. काका इंजिनिअर होते. यंत्रं बनवणे म्हणजे त्यांचा डाव्या हाताचा मळ.

ड्रॉईंग बोर्डवर यंत्रांचे आराखडे दिसायला लागले. पिठाच्या गिरणीचा बनला, तेलाच्या घाण्याचाही बनला.

घरात दोन्हीही सुरु करणं शक्य नव्हतं. तेलाचा घाणा कुणा मित्राच्या घरी ठेवू असा त्यांचा विचार पडला. पण कोणी बळी पडले नाहीत.

एका मित्रानं सुचवलं की हे सगळं घरात करण्यापेक्षा एक जिम का काढत नाहीस. मी नक्की मदत करेन. ढासू आयडिया आहे.

लोकांचा व्यायामही होईल आणि तेल पीठही मिळेल. ज्यांना तेल हवं असेल ते भुईमूग घेऊन येतील, कधी पीठ हवं असेल तर गहू घेऊन येतील.

दोघांनी ठरवलं की ही जिमगिरणी साधारण अशी असेल - ट्रेडमिलला एक छोटासा जनरेटर जोडायचा. जनरेटरला मोटर. माणूस चालला की ट्रेडमिल फिरणार. ट्रेडमिल फिरली की मोटर फिरणार. मोटर फिरली की पीठ निघणार.

थोडक्यात काय, ही फक्त जिम नव्हती अन्ननिर्मिती व्यवस्था सुद्धा होती.

काकांना आयडिया चक्क आवडली.

म्हणजे आपल्याकडे येणारे व्यायामपटू किती मैल चालले असं म्हणणार नाहीत. एक किलो पीठ चाललो किंवा एक लीटर तेल चालले असं म्हणतील. वा:

दोघांनी अभ्यासाला सुरुवात केली. उदा. एक लिटर तेलासाठी किती चालावं लागेल, एक किलो पिठासाठी किती धावावं लागेल वगैरे वगैरे. बैलावर चालणारा घाणा एका तासात १२ किलो भुईमुगातून ५ लीटर तेल काढतो. त्यासाठी बैलाला सुमारे ३.५ किलोमीटर फिरावं लागतं (आपल्या व्यायामपटूना गोल फिरावं लागणार नव्हतं. ट्रेड मिलवर चालावं लागणार होतं). एक किलो गव्हाच्या पिठासाठी किती पळावं लागणार ह्याची काही त्यांना माहिती मिळाली नाही. पुढे आपोआप कळेलच म्हणा असा त्यांचा विचार झाला.

स्वच्छता हा एक मोठा प्रश्न होता. घामेजलेल्या हातानी लोकांनी उपकरणाला हात न लावता त्यांना तेल पीठ कसं मिळेल त्याच्यावरही तोडगा हवा होता.

असं ठरलं की व्यायाम करणाऱ्याने घाण्याला किंवा गिरणीला हात लावायचा नाही. काकांकडे गहू/ भुईमूग सोपवून ट्रेडमिलवर चढायचं. गहू संपेपर्यंत चालायचं किंवा पूर्ण तेल निघेपर्यंत पळायचं आणि घरी जाताना आपलं पीठ, तेल काकांकडून घेऊन जायचं. अगदी दुरून, सांभाळून.

म्हणजे घाण्याला किंवा गिरणीला हात लावायचा प्रश्नच नाही.

हळू हळू 'गिरणी व्यायामशाळा' लोकप्रिय होऊ लागली. व्यायामशाळेत नुसता घाम गाळण्याऐवजी, पीठ आणि तेल मिळण्याची कल्पना लोकांना भुरळ पाडणारी होती. अंतर मोजण्याऐवजी "एक किलो पीठ चालले" किंवा "एक लिटर तेल चाललो" असं म्हणण्याची संकल्पना भन्नाट होती.

काही लोक तर फक्त मशीन बघायला येत.

एकदा कोल्हापूरचे एक वस्ताद काकांना भेटायला आले. त्यांनी काकांना कोल्हापुरात तेल घाणा काढायची विनंती केली. पण त्यांना राईच्या तेलाचा घाणा हवा होता. कारण त्यांच्या मल्लांना कुस्तीपूर्वी तेल लावून आखाड्यात उतरावं लागतं. काका एका पायावर तयार झाले.

काही सभासदांनी विचारणा केली - फक्त गहू आणि भुईमूगच का? ज्वारी का नाही? तीळ का नाही? वगैरे.

आत्ता आली का पंचाईत?

काही म्हणाले, गिरण्यांची संख्या वाढवा. आम्हाला दुसऱ्याचं संपेपर्यंत नुस्तं बसून राहावं लागतं.

काकांनी ह्या सगळ्यावर काय तोडगे काढले ते सांगेन कधीतरी. सविस्तर.

मग, कधी जाताय गिरणी व्यायामशाळेत?

आगळे वेगळे पुणेकर - किस्सा क्र. १ - होराभूषण काका आणि खड्ड्याची कुंडली 🔮🚗

 

पुण्यातले एक काका आहेत. होराभूषण काका. त्यांचा एक अफलातून किस्सा सांगतो.  

हे काका मनपाकडे (महापालिकेकडे) तक्रार करून आपला मौल्यवान वेळ कधीच वाया घालवत नाहीत.

काकांचं अगदी स्पष्ट मत आहे, "अरे, महापालिकेचे अधिकारी नागरी कायद्यानुसार चालतच नाहीत. ते चालतात ग्रहांच्या चालीवर . कधी राहूसारखं फाईल गायब करणं, कधी शनीसारखं कामाला साडेसात वर्ष लावणं, तर कधी मंगळासारखं विनाकारण लालफितीत अडकवणं ."

मागच्या पावसाळ्यात आमच्या सोसायटीच्या अगदी मुख्य दरवाजासमोर गाडीचे शॉकऍबसॉरबर तोडणारा खड्डा पडला होता. सोसायटीतली तरुण मुलं मनपाला आणि स्थानिक नगरसेवकाला ट्विटरवर टॅग करून थकले, पण खड्डा काही बुजेना.

शेवटी काका मैदानात उतरले.

काका हातात मोजपट्टी घेऊन खाली गेले. त्यांनी खड्ड्याची लांबी-रुंदी मोजली, खोली नोंदवली; खड्डा पडल्याची वेळ टिपली आणि तात्काळ शनीच्या ग्रहाची स्थिती तपासून एक अतिशय अचूक गणित मांडलं.

दुसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी कामावर जाणाऱ्या पुणेकरांना रस्त्यावर एक विलोभनीय दृश्य दिसलं. त्या खड्ड्याच्या मध्यभागी काकांनी छानशी पिवळी, लॅमिनेटेड कुंडलीची पाटी रोवली होती.

त्यावर स्वच्छ, मोकळ्या अक्षरांत लिहिलं होतं:

नांव: बर्वे रोडचा खड्डा

जन्म वेळ: १२ जुलै (राहूच्या महादशेत)

सध्याचे निदान: प्रशासकीय अनास्थेचा तीव्र योग

बुजण्याचा संभाव्य मुहूर्त: १४ नोव्हेंबर २०२८ (ज्या दिवशी गुरु ग्रह चौथ्या स्थानात प्रवेश करेल आणि मनपाच्या अभियंत्याचा आत्मा जागा होईल!)

टीप: कृपया २०२८ पर्यंत गाड्या हळू चालवाव्यात. ग्रहांची शांती करण्याचे प्रयत्न सुरू आहेत.

बस! लोकांचे दुचाकींवरून फोटो काढणे सुरू झाले. व्हॉट्सॲप ग्रुप्सवर 'खड्डा कुंडली' तुफान व्हायरल झाली. दोन दिवसांत स्थानिक न्यूज चॅनेल्सवर बातम्या आल्या!

तिसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी महापालिकेची डांबराची गाडी खडबडून जागी होऊन खड्डा बुजवायला आली.

काका आपल्या बाल्कनीत उभं राहून निवांत चहाचे घोट घेत होते. त्यांनी हातातल्या घड्याळाकडे पाहिलं, मान हलवली आणि वरूनच कंत्राटदाराला हाक मारली:

"अहो कंत्राटदार महाशय! आज कुठल्या मुहूर्तावर खड्डा बुजवताय? शनी अजून वक्री आहे! आज डांबर ओतलं, तर शुक्रवारी नळस्टॉपजवळ राहू दोन नवीन खड्डे तयार करेल!"

कंत्राटदाराने काकांकडे भीतीयुक्त आदराने पाहिलं, पाच मिनिटांत डांबर दाबून खड्डा बुजवला आणि गाडी काढून पळ काढला!

आहे की नाही पुणेरी दणका!

खात्री आहे, लवकरच पुणे खडडे बुजवणे (PKB) पार्टी उदयास येईल आणि होराभूषण काकांना पाचारण करेल.  

🍯Howard Gardening Story #50 Satej: The CEO who preserves culture

 

Once I travelled with Satej, Co-Founder and CEO of his startup, carrying gift hampers of jam bottles and cream cheese for his employees and friends. Visiting every house was a sweet experience—literally. 

Everyone appreciated the care behind those gifts: the hours of stirring, bottling, designing labels, and packing.

Satej lives in Dallas, Texas, where he makes jams from local berries—strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. He then brings them to Bangalore.

He hasn’t yet tried the more exotic ones like Deerberry or Lingonberry, but knowing him, it’s only a matter of time.

I remember us sitting late at night, writing handwritten notes and tying colourful ribbons around each hamper. It felt like a school project—a joyful regression into innocence. 

The next morning, as we planned our route to visit each home, I asked him, “Why do you take all this trouble? You could just order corporate hampers online.”

“Whatever we do,” he said, “we align it to our Prime Directives—our company’s culture principles.”

He explained, “Our first principle is to be exceptional at our craft. I study recipes like case studies until the flavour feels right. The second is to improve every day. Each batch gets a bit better.”

One may feel his explanation sounds a bit preachy. But I think for most CEOs, their Vision, Mission, and Values are their Bhagwadgeeta—principles so deeply ingrained that they guide every thought and action.

As we began our visits, I realised he wasn’t just making jam. He was bottling his philosophy—one of craftsmanship, care, and continuous learning.

Some CEOs build culture through strategy decks.

Satej does it through spoonfuls of sweetness.

Friends,

What simple act of creation helps you express your craft, connect with others, and leave a trace of yourself behind?

What’s your jam — your way of bottling meaning and spreading joy?

🌳 Howard Gardening Story #49 Vineet Nayar and ‘Bodhi Shopping’

 

🪷 Time for a corporate fairy tale

This story comes from a personalised book I created to honour Vineet Nayar, then CEO of HCL Technologies.

In this story, HCL employees didn’t just admire the Bodhi Tree. They grew a part of it.

Here it goes - 

In 2007, as the Japanese Prime Minister prepared to visit India, leaders at a tech company debated what gift would befit the occasion.

Ideas flew — Nachiarkoil brass lamp, Pashmina silk shawl, Swamimalai bronze statue …..

And then, one voice — a business head and environmentalist — asked:

“What if we give him something alive? A piece of India’s spirit?”

🌱 His idea was a Bodhi tree sapling — a symbol of enlightenment, peace, and rooted wisdom.

At first, people laughed it off. But he persisted.

The team collaborated with scientists. They cloned the tree through tissue culture.

Vineet, the CEO, backed it fully.

🇯🇵 The Japanese PM bowed to the sapling. Not out of politeness — but reverence.

That single act sowed a forest of impact.

🌍 Over one million Bodhi saplings were distributed across Buddhist nations.

👩‍🌾 Employees and families joined organic farming and tree planting.

🌾 Rural self-help groups blossomed around the idea.

🪴 What began as “just a gift” became Project Bodhi — an ecosystem of culture, commerce, and consciousness.

This wasn’t just CSR.

It was an innovation in gifting that grew roots.

🌳 It turned gifting into storytelling.

🌏 Diplomacy into ecology.

💡 And an overlooked idea into a legacy that still grows today.

🌟 What gifts are your people planting — that might grow into movements?

                                                            ***

The synopsis above is only a sliver of the magic — the rest is in the book I created for Vineet. 

If you're curious, you know who to ask. 😉

📚 Howard Gardening Story #48 – Achyut: When curiosity becomes an engine to service

 

What happens when a leader NEVER stops being a learner?

What happens when a leader is busy 24x7 to democratise knowledge? 

You get Achyut Godbole — a living library for society.

Some people live one life. Achyut seems to have lived a hundred.

Here’s his profile - 

- Topper at the state-level matriculation and University

- Chemical Engineer from IIT Bombay

- CEO of leading IT companies for nearly 25 years (Patni, Syntel, L&T Infotech, etc.)

- Prolific author — with nearly 90 books spanning subjects as vast as Operating Systems, Music, Psychology, Economics, Management, Literature, Law, Technology even AI ... to name a few.

- Over 1,000 articles across newspapers and magazines, hundreds of public speeches and TV interviews, TEDx talks

- Ranked 35th among the “Top 100 Great IITians” who stayed in India and achieved greatness

- Human rights activist in his college days — including imprisonment during a Satyagraha for Adivasi rights

- One researcher has completed PhD on Achyut’s body of work. Two more researchers are currently doing PhD on his work

But here’s what truly makes him extraordinary:

Most of his books are written in Marathi, aimed at educating and inspiring the vernacular population of the state of Maharashtra — especially those without access to world-class knowledge.

I’d call him a Wisdom Bridge — someone who distills the world’s knowledge and makes it accessible to everyday people.

Achyut is a shining example of how authors can serve society — not just by creating knowledge, but by democratising it. 🌍

He once shared a profound story with me about the impact of his autobiography, Musafir. He told me that he received letters from 18 people who, in a moment of despair, had been planning to end their lives. After reading his book, they found renewed hope — and chose to live. 💫

Salute to him for his relentless endeavour.

                                                             ***

Dear Leaders,

Imagine if the employee communities in your organisation could also channel their passions to serve society; you would create an ocean of opportunity - 

- Democratise technology - Create open-source projects for people across the globe or turning AI into an everyday assistant for farmers

- Democratise learning - Example - Explaining APIs through regional languages

- Democratise opportunity - Example - Providing platform to small-town coders

- Democratise empathy - Design products that include the elderly, differently-abled …

That’s the promise of Howard Gardening. 🌱

📹Howard Gardening Story #47 Mrudul: The voice of the wild

 

Mrudul spoke passionately about ‘A Call in the Rainforest’, a documentary on Lion-tailed macaques — the rightful owners of the forest, now portrayed as thieves in their own home.

Mrudul was part of the production team that brought this masterpiece to life — a film that went on to travel the world: Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York; Haida Gwaii Film Festival, Canada; Wildlife Vaasa Festival, Finland… and many more.

We invited her to speak about her documentary at our all-staff meeting. Mrudul, the shy one, hesitated — but when she began, the room stilled. Her words, her conviction, her eyes reflecting the forest’s call for help… she spoke like someone who belonged to that world.

Mrudul was a wildlife photographer, an animal activist, and a storyteller of the voiceless. 

She worked on projects like Jewels of Thane Creek 🦩, Wild Gujarat: Discovering Rann 🏜️, and Leopards: The Last Stand 🐆.

But that wasn’t how her journey began.

Mrudul once dreamt of flying — she trained to be a commercial pilot. But corrupt practices kept her grounded. Heartbroken yet resilient, she turned to computers, studied Computer Science, and joined us as a Business Analyst.

We became very close. She was like my daughter. Whenever she found time, she would tell me about her wildlife projects — her voice carrying that unmistakable blend of pain and passion.

After I retired and moved to Pune, I missed her terribly. And then one day, the news came — a young, bright life snatched away too soon.

Dear Mrudul, I still have your last WhatsApp message — 15 August 2022 — where you wrote to me about your latest film Corona Warriors, and another about Leopards: The Last Stand, that you left unfinished.

The forests remember you, Mrudul.

Every rustle in the leaves, every cry in the canopy — it’s you, still calling in the rainforest. 🌳

                                                                 ***

It’s so painful to write about those who leave us — taking a piece of our hearts, yet leaving behind such beautiful memories.

🌏Howard Gardening Story #46 Tejas: From PayPal to the Planet

 

A few weeks ago, I joined a webinar by Tejas on Biochar. It was meant for students seeking internships — but it felt like a masterclass in purpose.

Bright young minds filled the chat with questions, and what truly lit them up was Tejas’ offer:

“Complete your internship — and either join us or start your own biochar venture. We’ll buy back what you produce.”

An internship… with a buyback guarantee and a higher purpose: healing the soil and enriching Mother Earth. 🌿

Before we dive deeper into Tejas’ story, let’s pause for a reality check.

India’s New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates internships for undergraduates — a well-meant step. Yet, many students face unpaid or token work, thinly disguised exploitation, and no real learning. The terms “wage theft,” “gofer work,” and “resume filler” echo too often.

Tejas’ program was refreshingly different — an internship with dignity, discovery, and direction.

I salute Tejas, and also visionaries like Sarvesh Agrawal and Ankur Khator, founders of Internshala, for showing that internships can be bridges — not burdens.

The Making of Tejas 🌾

An IIT graduate, Tejas once worked at PayPal in the US — a company known for its social commitment (over $20B raised for nonprofits, 130K volunteer hours in sustainability).

And yet, something deeper called him.

He left it all to return to India — to serve her. 🇮🇳

He experimented relentlessly — with Black Soldier Flies as pet food, aquaponic systems (I still remember his delicious home-grown Tilapia 🐠), bamboo cycles, carbon sequestration, and teaching farmers millet farming.

Now, his focus is on Biochar — a carbon-rich soil enhancer that improves fertility, retains water, and boosts crop productivity.

Tejas isn’t just manufacturing Biochar.

He’s manufacturing possibilities — for students, farmers, and the planet alike.

May his vision ignite a million young Biochar Entrepreneurs 🌍✨

And perhaps, one day, companies like PayPal will find ways to harness—not lose—such hunger for purpose.