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| Saraswathy, Sai Niketan, Kochi |
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The nightmarish past do not trouble Vasudevan and Vishnu now. For children like them, living in Sathya Sai Orphanages Trust run Sai Niketan at Kochi, life is now full of sunshine and promise. Of the 15 children aged between 4 and 16 living there, some like the above 2 have reached the place after going through affection-less childhoods. But they all experience an abundance of maternal love from their guardian Saraswathy.
Saraswathy, who was an employee at the Women’s Commission, had chosen this path after the death of her husband. Her elder son is now studying at Kollam while the younger daughter is living with her at Sai Niketan, and is an elder sister to the inmates there.
Saraswathy, who was earlier at the Sai Niketan, Thiruvananthapuram, was brought to Kochi by the former Chairman of the Trust, late Justice T.Chandrasekhara Menon. From the inception of the Sai Niketan at Kochi, Saraswathy is the mother to the children there.
The day at the centre begin at 5 in the morning. All inmates get up, have bath, spend some time in bhajans and then assist the mother in the kitchen according to their assigned duties.
It cannot be said that all the inmates are without parents. In the case of some at least, the mothers visit their children once a year or so. But the children love their Sai Niketan mother more than their real mothers. Last year, during a visit to the centre, when the Director remarked that he was taking Saraswathy back to the Thiruvananthapuram centre, the children unanimously protested against the move. That was a moment of pride and joy for her.
Sathya Sai Orphanages Trust, which was started in 1997, has centres at Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Kannur. In all, about 160 children grow up there.
Courtesy: Jijy Paul (text), Benny Paul (photo), Malayala Manorama, February 10, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
