Vidya Bhawan (VB) was founded by Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehta in 1931. Today it is a group of 13 educational institutions having over 3,500 students and 550 staff based in Udaipur, dedicated to quality education with emphasis on character building, moulding students and teachers as responsible citizens and leaders who value justice, equality and inclusion. The VB institutions include School education, Higher education, Technical education and skill development, Teachers training, Farmer’s support, Agriculture research, Resource centre for research in education and an Aanganwadi for empowering women at grass roots level. The latest addition to the Vidya Bhawan family is the Prakriti Sadhana Kendra (PSK), the centre with a focus on nature.

Late Shri Jagat S. Mehta, former Foreign Secretary, Government of India, and President, Vidya Bhawan Society, had his education at Vidya Bhawan School, Udaipur. He acquired from his father late Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehta a profound interest in the preservation of environment and concern for climate change. After retirement Jagat Sahib dedicated himself for the improvement of Vidya Bhawan and Seva Mandir.

His dream of establishing a Centre for the cause of preserving nature and environment education turned into reality with the opening of the Prakriti Sadhana Kendra (PSK) on 19th August 2009 at Bhilon Ka Bedla on a hill of 125 Hectares (600 Bigha) virgin forest land belonging to Vidya Bhawan.

PSK provides an opportunity to all its visitors to enjoy and study various aspects of nature. It regularly organises programmes to make people aware of the importance of clean and sustainable environment.

The infrastructure at the Centre comprises two large classrooms (open room) and six dormitories (‘eco-huts’) to house the numerous groups of students visiting the Centre to embark upon environmental education programmes and nature camps throughout the year. Visitors can also stay overnight at PSK.

Different types of birds inhabit the PSK forest in their natural habitat. Birds live in diverse habitats such as deserts, mountains, forests, near the bodies of water etc. Many birds are migratory, nesting and raising their young in temperate or higher latitudes during warm months. Bird’s voices are often the key to their identification. The songs of birds vary from species to species and skilled bird watchers can identify the species in a particular area by sound alone.

One can do bird watching or birding with the naked eye or with help of binoculars. Most birdwatchers undertake this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike animal life scientists who engage in the study of birds using formal scientific methods.

Many linguists who examine the structure of human language are currently exploring the possibility of bird songs as constituting the foundation of human language.

Vidya Bhawan Prakriti Sadhna Kendra

(Run & Managed by Vidya Bhawan Society)