Dr. Sanjeev Kulkarni

Dr Sanjeev Kulkarni is a medical professional, educator, and long-time practitioner of natural living based in Dharwad. Trained as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, he has served the community for decades through his medical practice at Tavargeri Nursing Home.

Beyond medicine, his life’s work spans education, ecology, spirituality, and literature. He is the Founder and President of Baala Balaga School, an alternative learning initiative rooted in the values of curiosity, simplicity, and social responsibility. He also serves as President of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Dharwad, and Swayamdeep Zen Centre, Dharwad, and as Vice President of Karnataka Vidyavardhak Sangh, Dharwad.

Since 1997, Dr Kulkarni has been engaged in natural farming at Suman Sangam Forest Farm, seeing the land as both a teacher and a shared responsibility. His work here reflects a long-term commitment to biodiversity, ecological balance, and learning through practice rather than extraction.

A writer and translator, his published works include poetry, reflections on swadeshi and ecology, writings on meditation, and translations of Zen texts, Rumi’s poetry, and Marathi literature into Kannada. His interests include farming, education, spirituality, ecology, literature, yoga, and meditation.

Dr Kulkarni’s life is also marked by quiet acts of service, including 124 voluntary blood donations to date and arrangements for body donation to KMC Hubballi, reflecting his belief in giving back beyond one’s lifetime.

At Suman Sangam, he sees himself not as an owner, but as a caretaker and co-learner, shaped as much by the land as he has helped shape it.