Place · West Bengal
Shantiniketan
The town linked with Rabindranath Tagore, whose motto comes from a Sanskrit verse about the whole world finding a home in one nest, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Mann Ki Baat · 24 September 2023
Episode 105
Episode 105 featured Shantiniketan and the Hoysala temples joining the World Heritage list, a horseback library in Nainital, a schoolgirl running seven libraries, snake rescuers in Pushkar, a pigeon-loving auto driver, villages reviving the Sot river and a sal-leaf craftswoman.
3 people · 3 groups · 2 places highlighted. Read the official English transcript.
Place · Karnataka
Hoysala temples
Karnataka's 13th-century Hoysala temples, known for their remarkable architecture, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2023, bringing India's total to 42.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Group · Nainital district, Uttarakhand
Ghoda Library
Young people in Nainital district who take books on horseback to children in remote villages, free of charge. Twelve villages are covered so far, and local people have joined in to help.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Person · Hyderabad, Telangana
Akarshana Satish
An 11-year-old who, after children in a cancer hospital asked her for colouring books, began collecting books from neighbours and relatives. She has opened seven libraries for needy children, the first in that hospital, with about 6,000 books.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Group · Pushkar, Rajasthan
Sukhdev Bhatt and Team Cobra
A volunteer team that answers calls to rescue snakes and other wild animals and cares for sick animals. It has saved more than 30,000 venomous snakes, making the area safer for people as well.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Person · Chennai, Tamil Nadu
M. Rajendra Prasad
An auto-rickshaw driver who for 25 to 30 years has cared for pigeons, keeping more than 200 at home and paying for their food, water and health care himself.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Group · Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh
Sot river revival
People from more than 70 gram panchayats came together to revive the Sot river, which had dried up and been encroached upon. In six months they restored more than 100 km of it, and it filled with water in the monsoon. They also planted 10,000 bamboo saplings along its banks.
As described in Mann Ki Baat
Person · Shatanala, Jangal Mahal, West Bengal
Shakuntala Sardar
A woman from a family of daily-wage labourers who began stitching designs onto sal leaves with a sewing machine. Her craft is in demand, has given work to sal-leaf collectors, and she now trains other women.
As described in Mann Ki Baat