People come to Kanha of course for its stunning wildlife and unique natural habitat, but also for its beautiful culture and lifestyle…

I have always been fascinated, by the lifestyle and culture of the indigenous people of this area and so are our Guests. A walk through the village is always a highlight of their stay with us! Life in the Village seems to be more
content and peaceful even thou it is surely a very though life, full of heard work and deprivations. But there seems
to be more space -to be -, to unwind and reach. There seems to be something which we have lost somewhere on the way…I would like to share a story with you: Just when Monsoon is coming to an end, we prepare the Lodge for re-opening, which means a lot of maintenance work is going on. We try to reach out to our carpenters, which is
really difficult, as most of them do not have a phone and are some where in the fields, where no one really knows,
how to find them.“Motha Mama” is one of my favorite persons in this area and a gifted carpenter. It is difficult to guess his age but it must be somewhere between 40-50 years. His face
tells me stories of harsh winters, burning hot summers and a life of hard work in the fields. He reaches the Lodge with his old cycle and then, without making any sound, he walks into the camp. What a fascinating deep presence he
has. He is listening to our problems, quietly observing the work which has to be done and then he starts his work.
There is a certain kind of peace which Motha Mama is always surrounded by. He is never in a hurry and he
speaks only when it is needed and if he speaks, it is always very well mannered and to the point.
His pace is set in the same Rhythm no matter if he is walking, working, smoking a cigarette or drinking a cup of Chai: peaceful, steady and probably unshakable. His cloths are basic and when he is taking his shirt off , due to the heat or the rain, you could make an anatomy study on muscles! His body is lean and full of strong muscles. Surely there is no Gym out here, but only his ever demanding farmland.His eyes are focused on everything and nothing at the same time. Everything seems to be important but then there is an instant detachment, from the object right there
and then. A pure Yogi from his body right up to his mind and hence his beautiful way of life. There is peace with
him. Motha Mama has found his place in this Universe. But how did he do that? What is his secret? Of course I asked him, if he does Meditation, Yoga or any other form of spiritual practice. He laughed and shook his head. “No, no! Nothing like this! I just work every day” that’s all he said. I kept observing him in all these years and then there it was, his secret unraveled: Motha Mama is not doing any thing special, he is doing every thing proper.If he is walking, he is walking.If he is working, he is working.If he is smoking a cigarette , he is smoking a cigarette , and if he is drinking a cup of coffee, then he is drinking a cup of coffee. That’s it. Right there in the very Moment. If I walk, a chat.If I have a cup of coffee, I also check my mails. If I work, well then I work but then I do so many things at the same time…you know how it is. And that’s why people love Kanha.

You can reach, let go and for once: Just have a cup of coffee. The pace of Kanha is always the same and that is
why it allows you to finally reach. Best wishes and ….enjoy your coffee 🙂 Your Flame of the Forest Family