Interview with Balmaadi Biodynamic Estate's Unnamalai Thiagarajan

Craig spent four days at the estate with Unnamalai and the farm’s workers. He took part in planting, fertilising and helped prepare some of the farm’s BD (biodynamic) preparations.

Interview with Balmaadi Biodynamic Estate's Unnamalai Thiagarajan from Mercanta The Coffee Hunters on Vimeo.

While at Balmaadi Craig also participated in the daily Hindu ritual of Agni Hotra, a prayer and offering made every day at sunrise and sunset. As you can see in Craig’s video below, a fire is made in a copper pot out of dried cowdung, then two pinchfuls of uncooked rice grains smeared with a few drops of cow's pure ghee (clarified butter) are sprinkled over the fire as an offering. At the same time, a Sanskrit mantra is uttered (for words see below). This video is of the evening ritual.

Morning Agnihotra mantra:

Suryaya swaaha, Suryaya idam na mama!
Prajapate Swaaha, Prajapataye idam na mama!

(Oblation unto the Sun, this belongs to the Sun not to me!
Oblation unto Prajapati, Lord of all Created beings, this belongs to Prajapati, not me!)

Evening Agnihotra mantra:

Agnaye Swaaha, Agnaye idam na mama!
Prajapataye Swaaha, Prajapataye idam na mama!

(Oblation unto Agni [God of Fire], this belongs to Agni not to me!
Oblation unto Prajapati, Lord of all Created beings, this belongs to Prajapati, not me!)

Agni Hotra Ritual from Mercanta The Coffee Hunters on Vimeo.

About Balmaadi Estate

We currently have both Balmaadi Biodynamic/Organic Fully Washed and Natural in stock in our UK warehouse.

Balmaadi Estate is situated in the Nilgiris district of India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is part of a group of plantations developed over 150 years ago by Scotsman John Ouchterloney, and sits nestled in the verdant O’Valley, criss-crossed by numerous mountain streams. With plantations at an elevation ranging from 4000 - 6000 ft, Balmaadi produces some of India’s highest altitude coffee.

The Estate is committed to sustainable, unobtrusive methods of agriculture, and maintaining the exceptional biodiversity of the area. The estate is certified organic and practices a mix of ancient Vedic methods, and bio-dynamic techniques advocated by Rudolf Steiner. It produces its own compost, liquid manure and cow horn manure, and ‘Pachagavyam’, which is concoction of 5 products from the cow - milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine fermented and sprayed as a fertiliser.

Balmaadi merges into the forest and its coffee bushes are grown under the natural shade of Sholas, trees native to the Nilgiris Biosphere. This provides an ideal habitat for local animal and bird life; at sunset, groups of sambhar, bison and barking deer are a frequent sight and by night elephants and panther roam freely. Monkeys keep the estate’s workers company throughout the day and Balmaadi is currently creating a special monkey playground to keep the animals busy and away from the coffee berries!

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