Art of living devotees of Kerala are celebrating our Beloved Guruji’s 52nd Birthday in a unique manner. We are undertaking 'PROJECT GREEN KERALA 13th MAY 2008'. We have taken a sankalpa to plant vegetables/ medicinal plants / fruit bearing trees on 13th morning in 10 lakh houses all over the state. At present we are depending on people of our neighboring states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka etc for vegetables, fruits and other food products, even for flowers. Kerala is blessed with rich fertile soil, good climate, plenty of water and healthy resourceful people. The only thing we lack is enthusiasm to work in the soil. So we can get a start to develop self sufficiency in vegetables by planting at least one vegetable sapling or seed on the most auspicious day -13th May, our Beloved Guruji’s Birthday. Our intention is that each one of us should get at least one vegetable from our own home for preparing our Onam Sadya. This project will also help to develop an enthusiasm in our younger generation in starting vegetable cultivation in their homes.

Seeds/ saplings and registration forms will be distributed by the Art of living centres through out Kerala. All the AOL devotees are requested to visit the various houses in their neighborhood during the next week and request them to prepare the ground/ required earthen pots for planting the seeds/ vegetable saplings on the morning of 13th May. They have to get the registration forms filled. Seeds are to be distributed two days before the event. On 13th May volunteers have to visit the houses to check whether they have planted the seeds. If not help them to do the same.

This event will be inaugurated on the morning of Tuesday, 13th May 2008, by Sri. R. L. Bhatya, Honorable Governor of Kerala by planting vegetable saplings in Raj Bhavan in the presence of Sri. Raja Mohan, President, Kerala Apex Body of Art of Living. At the same time the people of Kerala under the leadership of the volunteers of the Art of Living Foundation would be involved in planting vegetables/ medicinal plants / fruit bearing trees in 10 lakh houses. The event will be conducted at lakhs of houses all over the state of Kerala in the presence of eminent personalities like Government Officials / Ministers of the state of Kerala / President/ Secretary of Residents’ Associations/ leading citizens and social leaders. The event at each of the venue will be recorded using audio / video means and the details from each venue will be attested by independent officials from the Kerala State Government/ President/ Secretary of Residents’ Associations.

All prominent TV Channels in India - Asianet, Surya TV, Kairali, Indiavision, Amrita, NDTV, Headlines Today, Manorama vision etc. should be invited to give vide coverage to the event.

Representatives of major newspapers like: Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Kerala Kaumudi, The Hindu, The New Indian Express, Mangalam, Deepika, Times of India etc. should be invited to witness the event at different locations and we must request them to give detailed report along with relevant photographs .

We are trying to get the event entered in the Guinness Book of Records. So the volunteers of Art of Living are requested to involve maximum people in our Project Green 2008. They are also requested to involve important personalities in their local areas in the event. Volunteers are also requested to ensure that maximum publicity is given to Project Green 2008.

After the event, remember to get the required certificates from the important personalities in the locality to indicate that the vegetable planting has taken place in – number of houses ( your target number) in your locality. These certificates/ video tapes/ photographs/ newspaper clippings etc are to be forwarded for Guinness Record Certification. Also remember to collect the filled Registration Forms and hand them over to your local AOL Centre.

Co-operation of the devotees are requested to make Project Green 2008 a grand success.

Please pass this message to maximum number of people to ensure maximum participation.

'Project Green Kerala 2008'a programme launched by the state unit of The Art Of Living Foundation, to promote homestead-level farming, took off here on 13th May 2008 with a formal inaugration by forest minister Benoy Viswom on the premises of the Vyakti Vikas Kendra.

The project seeks to distribute 10 lakh sapling and seed of fruit-bearing trees, vegetables and medicinal plants to household across the state.

President of the the Kerala apex body of Art of living G Rajamohan and other leaders of the organisation were present on the occasion.

The project is designed to reduce Kerala's dependence on neighboring state for vegetables, fruits and other food projects.

Mr Rajmohan said the aim of the project would be to try to ensure that each family gets at least one vegetable from its own premises to prepare this year's 'Onasadya'.

Seeds and saplings will be distributed by the Art Of Living centers through Kerala.

The Art of Living volunteers will visit houses in their neighborhood and help in planting the saplings.