Nearly 150 school and college students learnt on Tuesday how to transplant paddy seedlings in a field submerged in water, thanks to a programme organised for them by Tarumitra Ashram in Patna.

The students lined up barefoot in a 1-acre field on the campus for the paddy transplantation activity in knee-deep muddy water. Hesitant and confused at the start of the job, most of the participants soon found their groove and enjoyed their date with nature.

School student Akanksha was among the 150 participants who asked surprised: "The field is submerged in water. How would I transplant paddy seedlings?" Soon, she found out how, as the students learnt about the activity while listening to Raag Malhar and Khet Ropni songs of singer Ranjana Jha.

Tarumitra officials, including Margaret Molomoo and Devopriya Dutta, explained the process to them. Tarumitra founder Father Robert Athickal could not resist himself from joining the students later in the day, transplanting paddy saplings along with them.

Bauna mansuri, kunjunju and kakshan were among the rare varieties of paddy that were transplanted on the Tarumitra field on Tuesday.

"Paddy transplantation is considered one of the toughest part of the cultivation process," said co-ordinator Devopriya. "You have to have plant the seedlings while maintaining the necessary gap between them. For schoolchildren it's not a very easy thing to do but the best part was many school students took part in the activity.

"For the first time in their lives, the students made small holes in a muddy field with their fingers and planted the seedlings. Once they got the hang of it, they went about the work effortlessly."

Ashish, a student of St Xavier's College who was among the participants, said: "I didn't know exactly how I was going to do it but it turned out to be a great experience. I realised how much effort a farmer puts in at the fields to give us food."

Devopriya said the school and college students would also join Tarumitra in harvesting and threshing later. "The rice paddy would be ready for harvesting by October-end or the beginning of November," she said.