sundar jasmini vakkom blog to the Pongaala in Vakkom village in which Jasmini and Simran participated A living example of self-reliance – Pongaala in Vakkom Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Swadeshi, centered on self-reliance, local resources, and community strength, feels more relevant today. Its modern reflection, atmanirbhar bharat, calls for exactly this spirit of independence and sustainability. The ripple effects of the middle-east energy crisis have quietly reached our homes and communities in India. From rising fuel costs to shortages in commercial LPG, the impact is felt around us. It is wedding season and also a time when festivals and cultural celebrations are seen, across the country but, this time, they have been either scaled down or postponed. In the middle of all this uncertainty, I saw and was part of something quietly powerful, which reminded that sometimes, the answers we seek for the future have always existed in our traditions. The answer came from a small village in Kerala. My wife and daughter recently participated in a traditional Pongaala, a ritual that is part of many Devi temple festivals across Kerala. This was in my wife’s village Vakkom, around 40Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. At first glance, it is a simple offering, women and girls gather in large open spaces, temple grounds, streets, courtyards, to prepare pongal as an offering to the Goddess. But when observed closely it becomes something much deeper. The power of BYOT (Bring Your Own Things) in its purest, most meaningful form. Sustainability, practiced most naturally and organically. There are no buzzwords, no frameworks, no policies. What struck me most was the simplicity, and completeness of the end-to-end process. Every participant brings everything they need rice, jaggery, ghee, and ingredients, cooking vessels (earthen pots, traditional bell-metal (vengalam), or even simple aluminium), and most importantly, their own energy source, dried coconut leaves, straws, and natural fuel. No centralized supply, no dependency, no stress on external systems. Thousands gather, cook, and offer with devotion, without putting pressure on commercial fuel supply chains or infrastructure. And it works, seamlessly!! one that is, rooted in local wisdom, built on individual responsibility and strengthened by community participation. It is not just a ritual, it is a living model of resilience. This was more than a cultural moment, it was a lesson, a reminder that self-reliance is not always about large-scale transformation, sometimes, it is about small, collective acts done thoughtfully. As we navigate uncertain times, perhaps the way forward lies not just in innovation, but also in rediscovering and reinterpreting the wisdom we already have