Southern States - Karnataka   

A magician with a mission

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE JUNE 26. At the first glance, his looks and attire can be deceptive as many people take him to be a monk or a priest.

But Jadugar Jagannath performs magic shows to keep afloat a fledgling orphanage that he runs at Melkote. A diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering, Mr. Jagannath, who is in his late twenties, has performed more than 7,500 shows. A majority of the shows over the past four years has been organised to meet the requirements of the orphanage.

Samrakshana Orphanage in the temple town of Melukote, which has taken 31children into its fold, depends solely on Mr. Jagannath's income. A staunch believer in the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, Mr. Jagannath keeps his audience spellbound with his magic, which is also loaded with the message of Swami Vivekananda.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Jagannath says he was inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, and that he started the orphanage to contribute to the "development of the country". The themes of his magic shows revolve around national integration.

Managing the orphanage has not been an easy task for this magician. He says he had to struggle on several occasions to make both ends meet. However, he claims that he has never starved the children, as assistance came from several quarters, which he terms divine intervention.

Operating from a rented accommodation, Mr. Jagannath says the people in the vicinity have always supported his endeavour. The profile of the children housed in the orphanage is also interesting. Of the 31 children between one and 18 years of age, 10 are from Ladakh.

The children, brought to Melkote by a social worker, were orphaned during the Kargil conflict. Under the guidance of Jayanthi, Mr. Jagannath's sister, these children have outperformed the local children in Kannada, with Rigzen Anchok securing 84 per cent in the seventh standard Kannada paper.

Today, these children categorically state that they do not want to return to Ladakh at any cost.

A schedule has been chalked out for the children, which includes swimming, jogging, meditation, and yoga, besides studies. The latest addition to the extended family of Mr. Jagannath is a one-year old girl.

Expressing his displeasure over the manner in which government grants are disbursed among charity institutions, he says corruption is so rampant that he has to bribe the officials to get the grant.

Disgusted with the attitude of the officials, Mr. Jagannath says he will not approach the Government for grants. "One need not beg the officials for grants. I am against bribing."

While he is against approaching the Government for grants for his institution, he says he is open to financial assistance from philanthropists. Many people have helped the orphanage at different times, he adds.

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