A prolific writer, orator, educationist, thinker, and above all, spiritual preceptor to millions, Dada Vaswani, the head of the Pune-based Sadhu Vaswani Mission, turns 90 this month.We pay tribute to a life lived in service to God, guru and the world. More>>
"When you give roses to others, the perfume is bound to linger on your hands!", said Baba Amte in 2004 to Neesha Mirchandani
The man, who has given roses of kindness and compassion throughout his life, passed away on Feb 9, 2008, due to leukemia, diagnosed a year ago.
Baba Amte was born on December 26, 1914 at Hinganghat, Wardha district in Maharashtra. As the eldest son of a wealthy Brahmin landowner, he spent an idyllic childhood, in the lap of luxury and he became a fairly successful lawyer, too. The pain of others, always moved him beyond measure and the influences of Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Sane Guruji, shaped his future path.
His ashram was home to destitutes and patients. Many of them had lost their fingers and feet due to leprosy. Baba Amte not only trained himself to treat them, he also helped each of them acquire skills despite their handicap. These people later transformed a barren piece of land into a model farm.
What was achieved in Anandvan lives on today. It was but a laboratory for his vision of a life imbued with respect and self reliance, a model he wanted for the whole nation.
In 1946, Baba got married to Sadhana Guleshastri, who shared his vision and goal, who referred to by community members as Sadhanatai or simply Tai ("elder sister" in Marathi). His sons, Vikas and Prakash are both doctors, who have dedicated their lives for social work and causes similar to that of their parents. Elder son Vikas Amte runs the Maharogi Sewa Samiti ("'Leprosy Service Society") while his wife Dr. Bharati Amte, runs a hospital at Anandwan. His younger son, Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte run a school and a hospital at Hemalkasa village in the underprivileged district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.
Disease in the form of spondylitis had struck him quite a while ago, affecting his physical mobility. However, it never blurred his vision nor impacted his determination to serve humanity till the very end.
