More than two decades back in the early 1980’s, under the able guidance of Swami Anantananda few sanyasin sisters started a small school on the Vridhachalam-Trichy Road in a house. Later on, they shifted their social activities to Ulundurpet, which is 200 km south of Chennai in Tamilnadu. One of the reasons for the sanyasins to choose Ulundurpet was that it was the most backward taluk of Villupuram district in Tamilnadu. The main occupation of the people in this area are cattle rearing and dry land farming. It is even today a drought-stricken area. The economic condition, education, cultural and health aspects of the people are very poor in this area. This is where about two decades ago, Swami Anantananda with the dedicated support of sanyasin sisters started Sri Ramakrishna Asharm inspired by the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. The Sri Ramakrishana Vidhyalaya (SRKV) Gurukulam was started in a very small way with a couple of buildings on a barren land (with no green leaf to be seen around) in late 1980s on the Ulundurpet - Trichy Trunk Road. Today this Vidhyalaya Gurukulam is grown into a sprawling big campus with greenery everywhere around its campus. One would not believe that a couple of decades back this was an infertile deserted land. 

Today, it has another campus adjacent to it, which is Sri Sarada Ashram run under the stewardship of Rev. Yatiswari Ramakrishna Priya Amba. Sri Sarada Ashram is established for the cause of spiritual development and for uplifting the poor village community. The Sarada Ashram is run by forty well educated Graduates and Post-Graduates including engineers who have become sanyasins renouncing everything for the revival and upliftment of dharmic principles in our society. This author was overwhelmed by the dedication of the sanyasins who have renounced all the worldly and materialistic happiness. Many of them held high positions in government departments, colleges, banks etc. 

Both Sri Ramakrishna Ashram and Sri Sarada Ashram work towards educational, cultural, medical, and socio-economic development of the villages around in the taluk. Their activities are designed for the benefit of women, children, youth, and village farmers irrespective of caste and creed. The Asharm believes in comprehensive and sustained development of the society rather than mere benevolent offerings. They work on the principle “enable a poor to earn his food rather than just providing the food”. The amount of thinking that go behind designing each and everyone of their service activity is amazing which is what makes the author to admire them. 

They run the residential school with provides food and boarding both for the affordable and the poor. The milk, vegetables, and rice that are needed to feed the children come from their farm and their agricultural lands. They produce biogas and organic manure from their own farms. They spread awareness on the effectiveness of organic farming and rainwater harvesting. 

The Ashram has become a touch-point even for the district administration. It not only takes care of the local people’s health but also their minds with good thoughts and fine feelings. It imparts discipline, self-control, and good thoughts to young kids groomed under their care. 

Major areas of service rendered by the Ashram include education, health & hygiene, Culture, Agricultural Development, Social Development, Economic Welfare, Human Resources Development, Relief Works post-calamities, Natural Resources Development, and Spiritual. Here is the brief sketch of some of their activities:

Education 

Poor village girls living condition is very pathetic. They have to spend their time collecting cow dung and firewood, rearing cattle and look after their younger siblings in their villages. Minimum education is not made available to them. “Sri Sarada Sevalayam” established a free home for such poor girls where free food, clothing and shelter are provided for 115 poor rural girls. Prayer, yoga, bhajans, and meditation help to shape their minds. Vigorous training and effective coaching helps them to excel in their studies. Ashram has amply proven a fact that if proper atmosphere is provided even the children of poor families could prove their excellence. If the rural girls cannot be brought onto formal schooling, they are provided informal education for a year or two and gradually introduced into the main stream.

“Vidhyarthi Raksha Yojana” is a scheme for the poorest boys studying in government schools to come out eminently with high percentage of marks. The parents of these boys are mostly street vendors, maids and daily-waged labourers. These uncared poor children are provided with a wholesome nutritious supper along with good coaching to excel in studies and value-oriented moral instructions in free night classes.

Sri Sarada Ashram started a “Free Residential Computer Training Centre” for rural girls who belong to under-privileged families and have managed to pass class XII. This centre offers holistic training to enhance their job opportunities. This centre offers a six-month residential package course for poor girls totally at free of cost. In this training, computer education with Office Management and Basic Accounts are taught, of course along with life-oriented value education. The employment opportunities for these girls come in the form of a receptionist or accountant or office assistant or computer operator in any kind of firm or company or enterprise. This service is considered a boon by the villagers who are let down by the continuous failure in agriculture and are bogged down by their huge loans. They consider the money spent on girl child’s education as a waste and for those families the extra income earned by the girl enabled by her training in Computer education is a major relief. 

In short Ashram’s educational service activities are designed for physical, health, mental, and intellectual growth. 

(to be continued)