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Abode for the abandoned
B.S.VENKATALAKSHMI
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Abalashrama is an institution that nurtures and rehabilitates women who have taken a beating in life.
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THE HANDSOME young man, educated and doing very well in Mumbai has come to Basavanagudi to make his pilgrimage. He has a tight schedule, but there's always time for his beloved Abalashrama. He spends some time at the institution, reminiscing, looking at the prayer hall and roaming around the spacious lounge. He silently salutes what was once his home.
Such thanksgiving visits are not uncommon. His mother was young and pregnant when she lost her husband. Abandoned by relatives, the hapless girl had no one to turn to. She managed for a while, and when her baby was a year old, turned up at the Abalashrama seeking refuge. The institution took her in, something it has been doing for nearly a century now.
Abalashrama, located at one of the busiest places in Bangalore, D.V.G. Road, was started by the late Chakravarthy Venkata Varada Iyengar. Available records speak of him as being better known for his high principles and noble ideals than as a Congress worker and Arya Samajist.
He believed in setting examples than rhetoric and, in a move considered radical at the time, married a child widow, Krishnamma, for which he faced social opprobrium. That his bride was of a similar mindset is evinced in the fact that she also worked with him in the care of orphans and destitutes. At first, the couple set up an ashram on their residential premises. The couple's generosity drew countless destitute girls and finally, the couple was forced to look around for more space. In 1907, the municipal authorities made available the land where the Abalashrama stands now and the Iyengars, with donations from like-minded people, constructed the building in 1911.
It is unfortunate that due to lack of documentation and non-availability of records, not much is known about the Iyengar couple or their family in later years. But what has endured is their legacy and a committed group is carrying on their noble work. Today, the Abalashrama, a registered institution, is run by an elected body and follows the ideals set by its founder, i.e., rehabilitation of young girls and women in the age group of 15 to 25 years, who are orphans and destitutes.
In a society where gender inequality has been refined into an art form, one finds an increasing number of orphans and women disowned by kith and kin. Thankfully, there are still some altruistic people who view the problem from a humanitarian angle. They feel that these victims of fate should be given proper refuge and made to join the mainstream. Unless such proactive measures are taken, the development of any society would be lopsided.
With this focus, the Abalashrama has an elaborate rehabilitation programme it implements through interaction with various organisations. Though individuals can approach it for help on their own, most here are sent by various institutions engaged in similar tasks. An institution like Balakiyara Bala Mandira, a government organisation that provides shelter and education to abandoned girls, prefers to send them to places like Abalashrama as rules bar it from keeping girls over 16.
Today the ashrama, which has a maximum intake of 50, is a home away from home to 36 young girls. "Those who have a long future and those who can be rehabilitated" are given admission, says B.V. Sesha, Secretary. Orphan girls who work in various plantations and estates in Karnataka and who are sent away by their employers once they reach puberty are also taken in. The girls at the Abalashrama are either students or apprentices in companies and factories. They are encouraged to be economically independent. Today there are graduates in biotechnology, law, and commerce. School dropouts and those not keen on formal education are given vocational training like tailoring, screen printing, book binding, typeset composing, nursing, and computer operations, depending on their aptitude. The ashrama has a marketing outlet that sells products made by the inmates. Mr. Sesha says the institution works at making the girls' stay happy and fruitful, trying to instill confidence in them and making them see themselves as dignified members of society. "We provide them with clothes four times a year, and nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner comparable with that provided by any middle-class family. But once the girls start earning as apprentices, they are expected to pay for their transport. We also teach them to be frugal and to save for the future."
The ashrama places great value on sports, yoga, and personality development and the girls are motivated to concentrate on healthy living and high goals. In cases where a girl has suffered trauma, counselling and medicare are arranged. The ashrama has on its panel leading gynaecologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, social workers and so on. Once a girl gets a permanent job, she is helped either to get married or move out into a women's hostel. The choice is hers. Should she opt for marriage, the ashrama goes about the procedures as any parent would do. However, it is the groom that comes here in search of a bride, says Mr. Sesha, beaming. Thanks to modern, progressive outlook, many young men are eager to set an example by marrying an orphan. When an eligible youth turns up, the authorities first verify his antecedents and only after they are convinced do they give the green signal. The wedding takes place at the "bride's residence". Invitations are printed and distributed by the ashrama while the groom is expected to bring the mangalya and a good saree. He is permitted to invite 25 guests for lunch, which the ashrama provides. One of the office-bearers, along with his wife, performs the kanyadan as per Arya Samaj rites. The ashram sends off its "daughter" after presenting her with a mixie, pressure cooker, stove, utensils, bedding and essential groceries. The Orphan Relief Fund set up by voluntary donations comes in handy for such occasion. No wonder many of the girls return to their foster home for delivery and post-natal care!
The authorities wish to replace the age-old building with a modern structure, better furnished, with infrastructure for job-oriented training, including computer education. Those who would like to know more can contact the Abalashrama at 125, Dr. D.V.G. Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore 560 004, e-mail: abalashram@yahoo.com
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