Happy New Year !

As 2016 rolled out yesterday, we decided to start the new year by visiting the nearby district of Kanchipuram and meet with a potential partner. While the city of Kanchipuram is famous for the silk saree looms, the temple and the Kanchi Sankara Mutt, a place called Kaatankulathur which is just about 40 kms from Chennai houses the famous Sivananda ashram.

This ashram was started in the year 1945, a couple of years before India’s independence and it has been doing a great service to mankind. Read about the Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram from their website – Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram

Shri. S. V. Iyer and Dr. V. Mangalam, an elderly couple, started Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram in 1945 with just 3 kids and with the blessings of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh. More popularly known as “Sivananda Ashram/Orphanage/Gurukulam”, the organization has grown to be a very well known and well recognized social institution in the country today. 

We are a “National Awardee” institution recognized by the Government of India in 1983.

Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram is a non-profit organization with the primary objective of protecting orphans, destitute women, the physically handicapped, AIDS-affected children, and the elderly. 

With the experience of more than 60 years of recorded services to thousands of poor orphans, Sivananda Orphanage effectively helps transform/grow these orphans to productive citizens. We not only provide food, education and shelter, but also instill character and morals to help them grow, learn and eventually become independent. 

Many, including former Prime Minister of India, Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru have visited our ashram and witnessed our committed work. We currently look after 300 children and 80 elderly, all of whom are accepted and cared for with love and affection.”

Not just Pandit Nehru but even our beloved President (late) Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam have visited this ashram and blessed the work being done here.

Yesterday we met Bala at the ashram and he showed us around the place. While the students supported by the ashram study till the 10th std in the school inside the premises, and then go out to other schools to complete high school, we suggested that if the ashram can share the details of some of the bright students who aspire to study further but are financially constrained, ShikshaDaan can help them go further. We also will try and meet with the founder’s son Dr. Rajaram while we are still in Chennai.

Some photographs from this amazing ashram –

sivananda 2

sivananda 3