Author: Sudha Ramaswamy
Publication: The Times of India
Date: December 31, 2000
Shakuntala grins, raises one hand
and says Namaste. She apologises for not greeting you properly or getting
up and explains the lapse by pointing out to the empty spaces where her
legs and left hand should have been.
The 62-year-old was trying to eke
out a living on the streets when Swami Viratwasi Abanand Maharaj brought
her to the Param Shantidham Vridhashram in Taloja near Navi Mumbai. Started
12 years ago, the Ashram is a haven for all the homeless elders who roam
the streets of Mumbai scouring the dustbins for something edible to fill
their stomachs with. The verdant greenery and quiet and dignity offered
by the vridhashram comes as a blessing and relief for these elders.
The vridhashram was started in 1988
by Swami Abanand, a qualified doctor in electro homoeopathy. Inspired by
his guru, Sant Gagangiri Maharaj, Abanand decided to build a home for those
who had been left to fend for themselves in their old age. When he received
a donation of land in Taloja to build a temple, Abanand convinced the donor
that he wanted to build a manavta ka mandir for the aged who have no shelter.
Soon the shelter was under way, with four inmates who lived in mud huts,
happy to have a roof over their heads and a life of dignity. Today, the
ashram has grown in size and accommodates 65 inmates and boasts 14 spacious
rooms, a kitchen and a prayer hall.
"There is no bar on religion, caste
or creed, with the only criteria for entry being old age, poverty and homelessness,"
Abanand explains. "A person who has an income of some sort will be looked
after by anyone. This abode is for those who are forced to live on the
streets and parks," he adds. Many of the elders living here have been brought
in by Abanand and the ashram trustees. "Some have even come here of their
own volition while the police also keep sending homeless senior citizens
to us," he says.
The home is sustained on donations,
contributions and the money earned by the swami through his religious discourses.
The inmates are provided with everything from soaps and towels to beds
and clothing. The ashram's roster of activities includes bhajans twice
a day for the religiously inclined. A visiting medial practitioner takes
care of routine check-ups. "Sometimes, we also perform the last rites of
the residents in the event of nobody claiming their body," says Abanand.
The inmates are unanimous in their
praise of the swami and the ashram. "It is a tension free life. We have
the freedom to roam around, get three meals a day and have a roof over
our heads. What more does an old man need?" asks an inmate of the ashram.
