The man who converted 5 acres of government land into a forest and lives in it

“There is no law for doing good. There is only law for doing bad”

This statement quoted by Mr Devito Nagaraj from the remote village of Heddur, Shivamogga district, Karnataka, sums it all up. If somebody wants to do good, the law shouldn’t stop them from doing so. Law is only for those who do bad and not for the ones who do good.

A veteran all-India traveller on foot, Mr Devito Nagaraj, lives in a mud house that he has built with his own hands in the middle of a 5-acre government land, which he has converted into a forest.

On my all-India cycle tour, I got to hear about Mr Nagaraj and immediately decided to go and meet him. Meeting him is the best thing to have happened to me in my journey until now.

Nagaraj sir quenched my thirst to learn about him by giving me satisfactory answers about his unexplainably unique life.

So, how is the life of an artist who travelled India on foot, came back and built a forest to live in?

Table of Contents

The first innings: attaining education and major realizations

Devito Nagaraj was born into a huge family with 6 other siblings. His father was a landlord practising farming for a living. Mr Nagaraj was one of the first members of their family to cross the pre-university education mark. In fact, he completed his bachelor’s in physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

Realizing that science was not his cup of tea, he took up a drawing course for a year time following which he enrolled for a four-year diploma course in fine arts at Vijaya Mahante Mandira, Hubballi. Here, he completed the degree in 3 years and vacated the place without collecting the degree certificate. On asking Nagaraj sir why he didn’t want to wait another year and collect the certificate, he said he had already learnt all that he had to from the place and he didn’t require a piece of paper to validate his skills.

Unable to bear the backlash from his family and them looking down on him for quitting his education, in 1981, he decided to embark on an all-India tour on foot.

He started off bare feet without a penny in hand. On asking sir what gave him the confidence to start the journey in such a drastic fashion, he said “Where there is no Dharma, I must die”. This was his belief.

Second innings: The journey on foot and its consequences

Nagaraj sir smartly said that the meaning of his name Nagesh is Nadigagi geyuva sharira (body designed to walk/work for the nation). He also has written a slogan of his own that he has put up outside his house.

Nagaraj sir had innumerable stories to share from his journey. He said he wanted to circle the entire nation clockwise (pradakshine). He carried only clothes with him and a stone which he said he wanted to immerse in all major rivers of the country to keep with him as a souvenir on his return.

Born to a Gowda family who eats non-vegetarian food, he turned into a vegan along the way in the journey. On his journey from Hrishikesh to Dehradhun, he saw a buffalo that was stuck in a gutter that nobody could help. He witnessed it suffering without the capacity to help. At that moment, he decided that when he does not have the capability to help a suffering being, he has no right to drink its milk.

Interestingly, Nagaraj sir ate one time a day begging for food 700 times during the journey. Every place where he ate, he collected dust from the house as a mark of the dust of the foot from the people who gave him the food. He has it stored inside a small bottle even to date.

Nagaraj sir said that in a male-dominant society, we all have surnames carrying our father’s name. With that realization, he changes his name to Devito Nagaraj. Devito has both his mother’s and father’s name. Devamma and Topiah Gowda.

Third innings: life is not complete without achievements

On returning from his journey, Nagaraj sir, married a woman and settled at his house as a sculptor. Using his knowledge of fine arts, he went on to sculpt a huge number of sculptures that he still keeps in his house to date.

Soon, he realized that in order to achieve something in life, he would either need the support of his wife or he had to walk the miles alone, by himself. Speaking with his wife about his idea of achieving something big, both of them departed ways. She later married another man and continues to live in Bangalore with her daughter. Nagaraj sir said that, be it Rama or Satya Harishchandra, they had all realized that women stand in the way of achievements (Read this article on what an achiever had to say about his wife).

Nagaraj sir took up mathematics from his bachelor’s education and started working on the magic of numbers (ganita tantra). Made sculptures from wood and built stone structures. He also learnt linguistics with which he wrote poems, devices games and even new words. Considering his strength in linguistics, he has been requested by 150+ people to name their kids. One of the Kannada words he invented himself is ‘adindala’ (aa to la – meaning start to end). He enjoys circus, so he has also made a circus room inside his house. As he is a naturalist at heart, he has also built a forest on a piece of 5-acre government land.

Fourth innings: the karma of achievements

Nagaraj sir has managed to publish many books on literature, language, mathematics, and spirituality. He converted the government land into a forest cum museum. His achievements turned out to stand so tall that he made friends with many renowned figures across the state and country. Many Swamiji, professors, linguists, and artists, have come to his place and acknowledged him for his work. Anantha Murthy, Banangje Govindacharya, and NS Lakshminaraya Bhat are only a few amongst the many to have visited his place and continue to do so.

On asking him how he feels about all his achievements now, Nagaraj sir said that there is no limit to it. It is a never-ending journey and he is still walking the journey. At the age of 68, he still dreams to build a yoga gopura (A huge place for practising yoga). He is trying to raise funds for the same. It may turn out to be a project that may cost crores and he is unsure if he can raise funds and have it achieved in his lifetime.

He said that most people are stuck in their life of work (vrithi). To come out of it, one needs to end Samsara (family). However, that comes with its own downfall. You end up being lonely! He says he lives a dreadfully lonely life.

He always wanted to live his life in a forest (vanavasa). He has even managed to build a mud house inside the forest where he resides. The life that he has constructed around him is the life that he has to deal with. That is exactly what karma is, says Mr Nagaraj.

Follow on: current lifestyle

Nagaraj sir lives on this 5-acre land all by himself. He cooks, eats, feeds the dogs, and the cows. He washes his clothes and makes new art when he finds time.

Speaking with him, I found out that never has he ever once visited a hospital. He showed to me a will that he has written for when he dies. It says that in a apace of 6*3 foot grave that he has already kept dug up beside his house, he has to be buried. He feels that burning wood is absolutely unnecessary. His body has to go back to nature.

He finds it extremely hard to maintain the space as age is no more on his side. Unfortunately, people come over in the night and cut trees from the forest, and even steal stones that he has laid out for his art.

There is stone art all over the place and he doesn’t know how long it is going to last! The museum as per him is breathing its last. Still, he continues to keep his place open to all visitors. There are no locks to either his land or his house. He hopes that at least what is stolen is put to good use.

He feels extremely sad that art isn’t recognized in this country much. People always ask does art earn food (Anna). He says nobody asks if art earns aata (play), Ananda (happiness), and adyatma (spirituality). According to him, everyone must learn at the least 10 different subjects if not master them. That’s the quality of a dashavatar (10 heads). For this reason, he continues to hold workshops (Shibira) for kids from different schools close by. He enjoys spending time with them and teaching them the magic of maths. 68 years age, he looks more energetic than any kid that I have come across.

Since the place is built on government land, he says someday it will all be taken down. Living there is an illegal activity. But there has to be a law only for doing bad and not good.

What do you have to say about this? Kindly comment below and let me know.

Since the place is heartily open to all, I strongly recommend that you visit this place if you find the time. A couple of day’s break from your busy life schedule is all you need. The name of the forest is Vanachetana and is located at a place called Heddur, in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. The place has 5 washrooms and can easily host 10 or more people. Women included won’t find it hard to stay there. You can also personally get in touch with Nagaraj sir over phone: 78921 86156.

Make sure to say ‘Hari Om’ instead of ‘hello’. I’m sure he will be pleased to see you there.

P.S. He isn’t a great cook. He will enjoy it if you can carry some tasty food with you. There is nothing under the sun that pleases him more than good food. Make sure to take over the kitchen and cook some food. Enjoy playing carrom and all other board games he has carved out on the large number of rocks surrounding his place.

I am attaching some of the pics I took of his artwork here.

Asutosh

I am a 31 year young PhD graduate who has decided to travel the length and breadth of India on my cycle, to document the journey of meeting a vast array of people. In my journey, I intend to understand the characteristic features of the people of this nation and categorize them based on their demographics, age, profession, gender, traditions, and cultural differences.