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Photo:R. Ragu

Singing to the plants: Macao (left) and Esperide at the demonstration.

The Damanhur community is an example of how to live in harmony with Nature, Karthikeyan said. He described his visit to Damanhur, and how he was fascinated by the underground temples he saw there, which were described by the Daily Mail of London as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The Damanhur people live in a Green Utopia, where smoking is prohibited even outdoors.

The people of the community treat animals and plants with love. They do research on renewable sources of energy. Karthikeyan recalled how he was served a ten course lunch consisting of uncooked herbs! In response to a question from the audience about whether people in the community were all vegetarians, Esperide said they weren’t. How did non-vegetarianism fit in with the concept of kindness to animals, asked the questioner persistently. Esperide explained that they were not a religious movement, and therefore would not and could not prescribe diets. Anyway, it wasn’t as if vegetarians aren’t hurting a form of life, she said. How could plucking a fruit or vegetable not cause pain to plants, she asked. Plants have feelings too. And she and Macao went on to demonstrate just that.

They had with them an instrument that has been designed in Damanhur, that shows that plants can even produce music.

Electrical impulses from plants are passed on to an instrument, which converts them to sound waves. There are two sensors, one of which is fixed to the root of the plant and the other to a leaf. Macao sings, and the plant responds with music of its own. Sudha Raghunathan, a surprise invitee to the programme, then tries some Carnatic music on the plant. She sings a Kapi alapana, and then sings ‘Enna Thavam,’ and hey presto the plant produces notes of Kapi! She sings Neelambari and the plant comes out with strains of Neelambari too.

TVG, who is in the audience, is then invited on to the stage. He compliments the plants, and thinks they are very intelligent for having reproduced Sudha’s music. It’s not just Sudha’s music they reproduce. They imitate TVG too. TVG admits to talking to his plants, but didn’t know they could produce music.

Time to change the plant. The plant used so far is one that has been used in Delhi too for a demonstration. So Esperide now puts on the table a plant bought by Sri Krishna Sweets’ Managing Director, Murali.

Esperide cautions that the new plant may not sing at once. After all one needs practice! So we are told not to be disappointed should there be silence on the part of the newcomer.

Macao sings for the new plant. The plant responds with a screechy sound. It’s trying to find its frequency! says Macao. And it does find its frequency soon! And even after Macao stops singing, the plant can’t stop, now that it’s discovered its talent for music. After sometime, Sudha sings Mohanam for the new plant, and is rewarded with a few notes!

The instrument the Damanhurians use to convert the plant’s signals to music has been designed by them. Sudha described the experience as unique. But a scientific explanation should have been given. The ears listen in wonder, but the questioning mind demands the rigour of scientific proof. It was magic, all right. But what’s the science behind the magic?

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