In Andhra Pradesh, All Roads Lead to Kurnool

Andhra Pradesh is the penultimate stop on the #JourneyForSoil. We’ve traveled through its neighbouring state, Telangana, to get here. It’s day 88. Was it yesterday we started out? Or was it a lifetime ago?

The kind of reception that Sadhguru has been receiving in India has to be seen to be believed. His security has been jacked up for the India leg of the journey. He’s recognized everywhere in India – in the smallest of villages and towns, in the remotest of corners. At all times of the day or night, people throng the streets, physically throwing themselves at him. They want to touch him, touch his feet. Here, he is above all their Beloved Guru.

It’s a task for the team to ensure that there are no mishaps from people thronging him. Everyone is on their toes whenever Sadhguru stops – even at a traffic light – to ensure the crowds don’t go out of control. We constantly hear “Love you, Sadhguru” and every tiny gesture from him evokes a frenzied response. Sadhguru always slows down when he sees people lined up to welcome him, acknowledging them with a wave or a playful gest. When he slows down, they go wild, when he waves, they go wilder…we’ve now gotten used to the dazzling shower of flowers and flower carpets that trail behind him wherever he goes.

The kids are fascinated with Swami Medinaja’s drone camera. They seem curious to know what this extraterrestrial-looking machine is when they see it rising further and further up in the air, leaving a cool breeze in its wake like a mini helicopter.” Swami indulges them. “Do you see it? Do you see it?” he keeps asking with his eye of the controller and the kids are super excited that they’re helping Swami keep track of the UFO in midair. “It’s over there,” they squeal jumping up and down, their little index fingers pointing to the sky.

At the event in Kurnool, it’s business as usual: thousands-strong boisterous crowd, roaring, cheering, whistling, laughing, chanting; the effortless banter with the audience; a public conversation with a popular actor; the exchanging of MoUs – all in a day’s work for Sadhguru.

It’s playing on in everyone’s mind that tomorrow will be the final stop of the Save Soil journey—almost like the end of an unfathomable dream. It’s going to be a long day with two public events in Karnataka – one in the morning in Bengaluru, the state capital, and one in the evening in Mysuru, Sadhguru’s hometown.

Cauvery is Calling.