I had written a draft of this post about my sister and brother-in-law’s service to the cause of deprived disabled youngsters, nearly two decades ago. I had wanted to publish it at least on my blog ever since I started blogging in 2010. But I did not get the permission for it because my sister was wary of publicity of any kind, believing that it would be a distraction to their work. Recently though, I managed to coax the permission out of her to publish it. Better late than never, as they say. I have made a valiant effort to record the incredible contribution of my dear sister and brother-in-law’s service, since writing about their monumental work of two decades in its entirety is well beyond the scope of a blog post.
The story of Arogya Ashrayam
My elder sister, the second eldest among my siblings, has always been a compassionate person, who readily volunteered to help anyone in need, not just the family, but also friends, and even casual acquaintances. It was this helping nature that made her take to the field of Alternative Medicine in her 40s. She is a great people’s person and excellent at networking. So, in their mid-50s, when she and my brother-in-law relocated to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, to start an NGO rehabilitating physically disabled youngsters — it was a logical progression.
If there was one couple who was eminently suitable to start and run such an NGO, it was this one. My sister was a highly qualified specialist in most branches of Alternative Medicine and drugless therapies. * She practised them for several years, before deciding that her medical knowledge and networking capabilities could be put to better use serving the deprived and deserving section of society. The seed was actually planted by a fellow bibliophile at the British Library in Pune after seeing the genre of books she was borrowing and finding out about her interests.
As for my brother-in-law, he had years of administrative experience, having worked under senior bureaucrats and corporate heads. In addition, being technically and mechanically inclined, he was adept at turning his hand at anything — from fixing plumbing to making calipers for students with disabilities, to teaching them computer software like Tally.
In the year 1994, the Arogya Ashrayam — a refuge of health of the body and mind — was registered as a Trust. The location was pristine, with hills in the distance, open fields around, and a small rivulet nearby. There was no pollution of any kind, vehicular, or otherwise – a perfect setting for a rehabilitation centre for disabled children. It had a resort-like feel and look, once the coconut palms, the teak trees along the fence and banana trees came up on the grounds.
The seed money for the buildings and other infrastructure came from their savings and donations from the immediate family and close friends. We siblings felt grateful to them for giving us an opportunity to serve society, albeit vicariously. All of us siblings, including our children, have enjoyed short stays with our sister, sometimes recuperating from illnesses in their tiny one-room personal accommodation at the complex, and at other times going to assist in the activities of the organisation.
After setting up Arogya Ashrayam, my sister applied for, and got a three-year Fellowship from CRY (Child Relief and You) in Disability Management — integrating Naturopathy and Alternative Medicine — of both physically and mentally impaired children. This association lasted nearly a decade. Working in the rural and tribal areas of Tamil Nadu as a CRY Fellow, she interacted with, and trained caregivers and family members of the affected children. This also drew her into research into the efficacy and use of traditional practices and customs connected to health. Later, as a CRY Partner, she provided training to the staff in NGOs of other CRY Partners working in the field. She trained women in natural childbirth and painless delivery through yoga, pranayama and proper diet according to individual family customs and local traditions. Once CRY changed into Child Rights and You, she did their documentation work, writing articles and replying to queries from parents of disabled children, for the next four years.
Coming back to Arogya Ashrayam, right from the outset, the founders were clear on certain principles:
- There were to be no grants or funding from the Government or other Bodies.
- The focus would be on quality, not quantity.
- They would not seek or permit publicity.
- They would not take any compensation/honorarium for working in the NGO.
Indeed, all through the 20 years they ran the NGO, they did not deviate from a single point.
These principles ensured that they ran the organization the way they deemed fit, regulating their activities, adapting and changing them to suit their capabilities and availability of voluntary, and paid staff. They also ensured complete transparency, as every rupee that they got as donation was accounted for meticulously. Leave alone taking money from the organisation, they even kept account of their personal expenses, making sure to pay it back. For instance, if during her travels on official work, my sister happened to buy groceries for personal use on her way back, he would promptly credit the transport charges to the account of AA, treating it as a personal expense!
Arogya Ashrayam started off as a full-fledged rehabilitation centre as mentioned earlier, complete with rehabilitation aids like parallel bars, a large tank for water therapy, massage and physiotherapy sessions, and more. But the paucity of trained staff willing to stay and work on site at a remote location, and other practical problems, made them change it from a rehabilitation centre to a purely coaching/study centre for disabled students. They included Board-level, graduate, and postgraduate-level students. She identified such children who could be rehabilitated and educated at the Centre during her trips into the interiors of the state. A hostel complex housed these boys, provided with wholesome meals cooked by a motherly woman who came from the nearby village. The routine was holistic, with the boys doing their own chores and helping around the complex, doing small chores.
Ever since its inception, Arogya Ashrayam on principle employed only disabled persons – both visual and physical, as teachers and facilitators to the extent possible, and paid salaries on par with similar outfits. Remember my previous post where I had mentioned that two visually impaired young men had come to meet and escort me at the railway station? Well, one of them had started off as a teacher at the centre, going on to complete his B.Ed. through IGNOU, and working as a teacher in government schools.
My third sister Shanta being a wiz at tailoring and allied skills, set up a tailoring unit for the inmates as well as economically weak and physically disabled girls and boys who came from nearby villages. In addition to regular tailoring classes, she taught them to make bags and travel accessories, stuffed dolls, and other items with commercial potential. These skills enabled more than one student to later set up their own tailoring units in their villages. She was also the most active amongst us siblings, going over from time to time to help when residential activities were organised at the complex. Both she and my brother-in-law were also Trustees of AA.
Visually impaired students needed audio books, which were expensive to buy. So, my sister and brother-n-law spent hours voice-recording their lessons on cassettes – in history and Tamil Literature, among others — and dubbing them for the benefit of more students, on the most rudimentary devices at their disposal. My sister did not just record the lessons, but also explained them with notes, and prepared exercises for practice. There was great demand for these cassettes, even among the sighted classmates of the students!
There was a great demand for Braille books too. Friends and family stepped in to fund a Braille typewriter and embosser, and the expensive special paper for printing. My bro-in-law learned Braille typing and embossing, converting dozens of textbooks into Braille. Talk of commitment, even at his age! The students of the Centre got the books free of cost, while visually impaired outside students could get them at cost price.
Many of the visually impaired students did their degree courses in music – both instrumental and vocal. When they came during the holidays, my sister coached them, helping them to form a music group consisting of four to five vocalists, a violinist, a flautist and a percussionist (mridangam). The percussionist was also – hold your breath — hearing impaired! So how did he keep the beat? One of the vocalists sat close to him and kept the beat by clapping loudly for him to hear and follow! Several of them are music teachers today.
Some students went on to do their doctoral degrees in Tamil Literature, and my sister helped them too! Her repertoire as far as educating went, was astonishing. To be able to get a doctorate being visually impaired, in a sighted world can be daunting and frustrating. But one of the students not only did it and is a lecturer in a college today. He has also published several books since. Incidentally, as I had written my earlier post, he was the other young man who had come to escort me, though he had only been an undergraduate at that time.
They have rehabilitated hundreds of disabled students, not only helping them complete their education but also finding them employment. Among the students are Accountants, Music Teachers, School Teachers, Lecturers, self-employed persons, and even a Graphic Animator. For all these young men and women, the organisation was home, and its founders were like their surrogate parents whom they loved and respected. Many of them still visit them with their spouses and children, to express their love and gratitude for helping them to find their rightful place in society. The best thing is, they have inspired their students to help deserving and disabled youngsters in whatever way they are able to, giving back to society in their own ways. True empowerment of the physically challenged, to become productive members of the society!
A silent, yet powerful social movement has been set in motion by this special, unassuming, socially committed and quiet couple.
Over the 20 years that AA functioned, (Arogya Ashrayam was formally closed in 2014) my sister and brother-in-law — Rajeshwari and Ambashankar, adapted the scope and extent of their service, as age, health, and other circumstances changed. Having discontinued the residential programme, they did not need the large residential complex, and relocated first to Chennai, and later to Tiruppullani near Rameshwaram, and finally to Tiruvannamalai, where my sister spent a year training the staff at an NGO for children with disabilities, before finally retiring from active social work. They still continue meeting their old students who visit them in their retirement home in Coimbatore.
Lives well spent, with the fulfilment and satisfaction of having given back to society everything they could. Those associated with them — not just their students — are truly blessed, including I!
*Dr.Rajeshwari started her medical career in her 40s. Being over-age, she was not eligible for the regular MBBS course. So, she opted for a four-year degree in Naturopathy, to get the basic medical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, minor surgeries, etc., required for studying Alternative Medicine.
- B.N.M.S. (Bachelor’s in Naturopathy Medicine Science, Maharashtra).
- M.D. in Acupuncture (Dr. L.N.Kothari Institute For Polio and MR Children and Adults, Nagpur).
- Diploma in Homoeopathy (Mavelil Homeo Mission, Kerala.
- Diploma in Electro Homeopathy Combined Bach Flower Remedy (Delhi).
- Diploma in Magnetotherapy (Magneto Therapy Institute, Delhi)
- Ph.D. Medicina Alternativa (WHO, Alma-Ata)
- Young Scientist Award for her paper on Integrated Treatment With Laser Therapy And Hmoeo-Punture presented at The All India Naturopathy and Alternative Medicines Conference 1998, Bangalore.
- Books Published: (i)Nature Cure At Home (ii) Shed Your Weight Without Tears (Pustak Mahal)
- She has written extensively on health-related holistic topics in several newspapers and magazines, including specialised articles in medical journals.
- You can check out her exclusive articles on holistic health written under the pseudonym of Amritavarshini, on Cybernag.
The Cybernag 
So to say, I know Rajmami and Mama (as I call them) from the time their were our neighbours. Rather I should say they know me from the time I was a child of 2 years.
The turning point for me was my visit and stay at AA in Nanguneri in 1996 for my Asthma.
For a child who had been sick all through her childhood and part of adulthood, this stay not just changed me health-wise but also greatly in the confidence level I had.
Mama was also Rajmami’s patient:)
He had suffered from Asthma for a long time and I remember seeing him using oxygen cylinder at their home.
After Rajmami had learnt naturopathy, homoeopathy, acupuncture, etc techniques, she worked on Mama’s health (I was told). I got the news that Mama could now walk for 3-4 kms carrying heavy load of bags too.
For me, who had been experimented on with several kinds of medications from my age of 3, this was a message of Great Hope!
If Mama’s Asthma can be brought down, why not me? – was the thought.
This is what took me to AA in 1996 and I never regret it.
Mama’s contribution worked in the background while Rajmami worked on field – both totally dedicated and passionate in their work without a thought for fame and recognition. True Karma Yoga, I feel.
(Note: Even I didn’t know all of Rajmami’s educational qualifications ☺️. Probably never bothered. I just believed in her)
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I know about your visiting AA and getting treated by Raj all those years ago, and also how you have been an active contributor to their cause, morally and financially. I didn’t mention anyone who had benefited by her medical knowledge by name, as there are too many! It is thanks to her that my eyesight is still there, just as they both are more self-reliant than most their age, despite them both suffering from the effects of skeletal deformities caused by sundry accident.
The organisation ran only because they both put their heart, soul and everything they had into it. The most admirable thing was that they never sought limelight or accolades for their work, right till the end. Their wards have all made it in life, with dignity and fortitude, both inspired by mama and Raj. The best thing is that they are still in touch with them.
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Wonderful, to come to know of such selfless, dedicated, tireless, meaningful work…your sister and brother-in law are an inspiration.
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Thank you Mani. Yes, they are inspiring the entire extended family and the society at large, but most importantly, inspiring the very boys they helped stand on their feet, to help others.
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My dear sister Thangamani is so meticulous that she does not leave any stone unturned while writing on any subject. Needless to say, a very well written article on the contributions of my elder sister, who was like a mother to me and from whom I have learnt so many things including cooking! I had the good fortune of living with her and her better half for nearly 8 years and they considered me their son and also seriously thinking of adopting me. Even after my marriage, my sister has been a great support to me and for any problems in my life, I used to turn to her.
Whatever they have done is really monumental and not easy at all. Of all my siblings she was the most liked by everyone and she never let us down. But to show the same kind of love and care for all, particularly the handicapped who were shunned by their families is something that needs great courage and self belief to ensure those unfortunate children stand on their feet and prosper.
I remember the day she was going back to Arogya Ashrayam from my place in Pune to see my parents and us. I went to drop her at Akurdi station to catch a local and then go to Pune to catch her train. At the station near the ticket counter, one passenger suddenly fainted and there was no one with him. My sister lost no time and immediately revived him using acupressure. I still remember that day though it is now over 30 years since that incident.
God has sent her to give succor to not only her near & dear ones but to humanity, I would say without any hesitation.
Thangam, my youngest sister, has written a very beautiful article about AA and the contributions of my sister and her better half.
God bless you my dear Thangam.
Anant
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This was the most beautiful comment of all, Anant. So heartfelt and bringing out their generous and compassionate nature by chronicling not only your personal experiences but also Raj’s service to others, even strangers. We have all had the privilege of not only visiting them but being part of their service, like the squirrel in Ramaayana. Thank you for your blessings. It means a lot to me.
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Such an inspiring post to read! Thanks Zephyr for writing it. I was aware of a few things from our conversations, but this was still so good to read and know the history and so many details about their selfless work. It is so moving to know that such genuine selflessness and goodness still exists in this fame-hungry world.
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Yes Beloo, their contribution to society has been significant, but silently done. I have been wanting to write about them, though I have told people verbally about their work. Somehow I felt that if I didn’t record it all, I would be untrue to myself, as they have both shunned any kind of publicity, though my blog is hardly a great platform! Their reward is in the seed they have planted in many a heart to do their bit for society too.
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Inspiring blog written about a wonderful and dedicated couple. Their lives have been dedicated to serving the disabled and under privileged section of the society, silently carrying out the work without any kind of pomp and show. I am proud to say that I am her cousin sister.(My mothers sister’s daughter) As a homeopathic practitioner myself I used to discuss with her about the treatment given to my mother and whether it is on the right track. We also used to have long chats regarding her work and students. I marvel at her patience and dedication towards her patients and students. She is oblivious of her own physical pain or problems while serving others. I have observed this trait in all the three sisters Rajeshwari, Shantha and Thangamani.
Much love to all three of my inspiring cousins!
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Thank you Rajalakshmi for your lovely comment. She has singlehandedly prevented many people from becoming lifelong patients with her preventive health solutions. Her homeo medicines work so effectively. surprising even doctors! You’d know about it. She has a healing touch, accompanied by a soothing demeanor and even speaking to her can alleviate distress. She has been my anchor, healthwise and otherwise. Thank you for including me in your list of inspiring cousins, but the other two are way, way ahead of me in every field!
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I am one of those lucky people to get the blessings of Raj didi on every Thursday without fail. But after reading the background of Raj didi and Bhai sahab I am feeling very proud that I know them but was not aware of the great service they have given to society without any expectations. A big salute to her. It’s not just one area of medical help but providing basic education and in the field of music etc etc they have contributed throughout their life. A big salute to her and my best wishes and best regards.
Raj didi acquired so many degrees and diplomas for passing on the service to the globe. 🙏🌹
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Yes indeed! She has adopted you, along with some of my other friends 🙂 All through, I used to tell people of their work verbally, since she wouldn’t allow me to write. But what we read makes things clearer. That is why I had wanted to write about it for so many years. I am glad that finally didi allowed me to write! Many even in the immediate family were not aware of her numerous medical qualifications.
Your comment had landed in the spam as many of the others had also. WordPress has gone crazy and is doing all kinds of stupid things. Good that you told me and so I could retrieve it from the spam folder.
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Rajeshwari didi’s knowledge is awe-inspiring. She gave me hope and solace when I was on the verge of breaking into pieces. She got me off my allopathic thyroid medication and helped V manage her blood-sugar levels. But more than anything, she refused compensation for the help she provided.
I know how deep her compassion is and how tirelessly she and her husband work to help those in need. They truly are saints.
I feel blessed for her to have touched my life is such a profound way.
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So sweet of you Dagny! Yes, she has touched so many lives in a positive way and given them hope and spiritual solace, while treating them for their medical problems. I have seen her with kids while on her travels, when she examined them for their problems. The touch, the words, the look, all were so tender and compassionate. I remember my mother saying, that whatever ailment she had would go away the moment she talked her! She has ‘adopted’ many of my friends this way. You are one of them 🙂 Only the other day she was asking about you and V.
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Thank you, Zephyr, for an inspiring blog post. I have known Dr Rajeshwari and Mr Amba Shankar for more than 25 years and I have a profound admiration for the work they did to transform the lives of so many differently-abled children and adults. They were active well into their senior years until age and some unfortunate accidents made it impossible for them to continue their work.
R. Rajagopalan
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Thank you Dr.Rajagopal for a heartfelt comment about my sister and brother-in-law’s work. They indeed were active till a couple of years ago when, as you have mentioned, the effects of the several accidents took a toll on their health. Even now, my sister does excellent counselling with her inspiring and bracing messages to those who seek her guidance, including me!
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Hats off to the wonderful couple for doing such amazing work! I was watching the movie Srikanth yesterday about a visually challenged person who becomes an entrepreneur and was thinking how we as a country lack the sensitivity and awareness for physically challenged people and also the lack of facilities. But so glad to know there are people like your sister and brother in law who have been doing such a great job and empowered so many physically challenged people. Very inspiring read. Thanks for sharing
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Thanks dear Deepta for you lovely comment. you are right in your observation about the general lack of sensitivity in us Indians. But then, there are countless people who are doing silent work like these two, not worrying about publicity and grandeur. As for the physically challenged making it in life, there are countless of them too and my sister and brother-in-law have played a big role in making many of them! Their life is indeed an inspiration, especially for our extended family, just as much as it is for the world at large!
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What an inspiration and what a gratitude.It involves dedicating oneself to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. What a great attitude. It requires compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those with physical limitations. Hats off to their servic, providing support, assistance, and advocacy to ensure equal opportunities and access to resources. It shows they have committed their lives to this service which is sure to make a profound impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities and contribute to a more equitable and compassionate world. There cannot be better noblest way of giving back to society in their own way, they love to. They are none less than God. Blessed are those children who got such inspiring Godly mentors. I bow them for this great attitude of gratitude.
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Finally found your comment in the spam folder, Raji. Thank you for you lovely comment. Indeed, they are two of a kind, who selflessly dedicated their all for these children and stood by them till they were able to stand on their own feet, helping them every step of the way. What is best is that they did it all without a second though of repayment, but their attitude and service has brought up a generation of their beneficiaries who, in turn are helping others who are now in circumstances that they themselves were in at one time.
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Amazing couple and excellent post. What a talented lady in our midst with a supportive husband, kind and compassionate by disposition, who has done fo long years yeoman service of high order in diverse areas for the poor, lonely and lost especially for the handicapped .
I am fascinated by the long string of qualifications acquired including a doctorate and am wonderstruck at her tenacity, hunger for knowledge, not for show off or for earning more income, but to be solely utilised in the course of her humanitarian work and for dissemination to the willing ears.
In many cases, such enthusiasm for service tapers off after the initial burst but not so in your sister’s case even after decades.
Luckily she has been blessed with two sisters in Thangamani and Shanta to help the couple in their own little ways being far away.
Such genuine acts of selfless kindness sadly bring no flash lights or publicity
It is time someone important and well known from the area sponsors her name to the powers that be, she is eminently a
fit and deserving case for a Padma award, especially in the current liberal dispensation that takes pride in honouring unknown and unsung gems of compassion and social service.
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Thank you for your kind comment KP. She is indeed blessed with extraordinary knowledge in diverse fields and has been able to use it for the welfare of not only the family but also society at large. I have gone with her to villages on her tours, where she would hold training sessions for family members of both physically and mentally challenged children. Also, she had an eye for selecting slightly older children who could be rehabilitated and educated at the complex. One of the boys used to sit and drag his legs, which were so thin, with the bone practically being just cartilage. He was called paambu back home by the villagers, because the legs would slither behind him. He came to AA at the age of 11.
With regular massage, exercises and therapy, the bones became strong enough to hold calipers, which had to be custom made to fit him. My BIL had done that job and after getting fitted with them, the boy began crying because as he said, ‘I can see that tree there! I can see so far!’ The poor kid had not been able to see anything higher than ground level till then. That boy went on to do his B.Com and got a job as accountant in a private company in Kerala, thanks to my sister’s contacts. He was with them all through.
As for recommending her for Padma awards and all, that is the kind of recognition that she has shunned all her life, KP. According to her, it is her duty to help anyone who needs it and there should be no hoo-ha about it at all. You’d be surprised to know that many in our extended family don’t know that she has so many medical qualifications though they have benefited from her expertise.
And only Shanta deserves praise, as I lived too far away in Delhi to be of any sustained help as she had been able to provide our sister. She is another silent warrior. I am just the chronicler!
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Hi Zephyr!
What a heartwarming account of the decades-long work done by a dedicated couple!
How fortunate too, that they had the active support of family and friends.
it is particularly cheering to read about this type of selfless service when the pages of our daily newspapers are filled with stories of political corruption, scandals and violent crime.
There is yet hope for society if there are still people like your sister and brother-in-law working for the betterment of the disabled and underprivileged.
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Thank you Manju. There are thousands of such people who are silently working on the ground, uplifting and empowering the weak and deprived sections of society. But my sister had deliberately shunned publicity for the reason she has given. Even now, it has been 10 years since the NGO was closed and only now did she relent. It is sad, because had I written it a decade or more back it would have been seen by thousands more. With blogging having lost its sheen, the numbers would be far less. Still, I feel I have done my part in their work!
BTW, your comment had landed in the spam folder. KP had given me the heads up about his comment having vanished and while retrieving his, I saw yours too and unspammed it. WP yesterday had closed comments on this post, all by itself and when my sister alerted me, I went and opened it. Strange are the ways WP operates some time.
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Glad to read the blog. Our sister’s service is so great, it should be known to many, especially those interested in social service which will be as an inspiration. We should be proud to have a sister like her.
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Yes indeed! And don’t forget or downplay your own contribution to AA. Another silent worker! I am glad I have brought out a little bit of that too in the post. Actually this is too small a post to compress everything. Had you not held the fort for her at AA, she would not have felt free to go on her tours. You take a bow too, Shanth!
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I I had Asthma from childhood and was taking medicines for asthmatic attacks.
In 1989 Rajeshwari gave me Acupuncture with 20 needles for one week.For the last 35 years I never had any attack of Asthma. Thanks to Rajeshwari.
In 2008/09 I was advised to take blood thinner tablets. I again took medicines as prescribed by her and never took any thinners so far.
Many more remedies for high BP, Fungal infection , etc she took care of our health issues perfectly though it sometime sounded odd.
I am grateful to her for her selfless service to me and my family.
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Yes. It is only thanks to her that we have escaped chronic and serious illnesses till date. Her treatment was so good that many people who were advised bypass surgeries also were able to avoid them and are leading healthy lives. The list of her successful treatment is too long to enumerate.
Some of the boys who came to AA with serious deformities were also helped to stand and walk with home-designed calipers. They got back their dignity and felt confident after their AA stay and completion of their education.
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Beautifully captured the life of service made by two of the noblest people we can find in this world. When the world has gone the way of “me, myself and I”, this beautiful couple have shown what true service is. Their reward is the joy it brings them from helping the underprivileged and their recognition is from God. I’m proud to have seen them in person and inspired by their work.
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Yes, like I have mentioned at the end of it. The post had to be rewritten all over since it was written even before I had started blogging in 2010! I am glad that chithi finally gave me permission to write. She has so many good memories about those whom they have helped. Even in personal life, among relatives, she has done more than all of us put together! That they ran it for so many years without fanfare, with no publicity and govt funding is a feat in itself. Thanks for sharing it on FB!
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Yes, Gayatri. They are one of a kind in this publicity-seeking world of ours. While chithi gave me permission to do the post, I was told by her other half that I should not mention his name at all! As if it was possible to write anything about AA without bringing his name into it! But I went ahead and wrote it anyway.
Your FB share is bringing in a lot of people to read this post. Thank you!
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