Where Age is just a Number: Ananddham

Age may have caught up with the group of senior citizens housed at the Ananddham Senior Citizen Center in the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, but the laughter, vivaciousness and optimism of this group makes them feel younger. “Years are just numbers, what matters is the heart “an adage that immediately springs in the mind when one meets them.  Yet, beneath their smiles lies the fact that they have been away from their families and loved ones since many years.  At Ananddham, run by the Seva Bharti Madhya Bharat, elderly people from diverse backgrounds live like one big happy family. Anaddham was initially established owing to the foresight of the then officials taking into consideration the need of the time under the guidance and leadership of Seva Bharati. It is a home to stalwarts like Shri Rajendra Prasad Gupta who is residing in the campus for the last 15 years, courtesy of some family problems and issues. He retired as deputy director from Barkatullah University. He knows Tulsi Ramaayan by heart and he now wins the hearts of everyone with his special poems sung in different cultural programmes.

The secretary of the committee, Mr. Ravindra Surange, says that the center was established on 18 December 2008. Presently there are fifteen women and thirteen men staying in the facility of the centre. Today, the institute also runs Yoga class, physiotherapy and neuro- therapy centre and coaching classes for competitive examinations as well as a free legal counselling centre in the campus. More than one hundred and fifty poor and needy children in the surrounding localities are benefiting from the coaching classes going on in the campus during the morning, afternoon and evening shifts.

The homeopathy doctors who come here every day treat senior people in the campus as well as other people in the surrounding areas. In the OPD at the Centre, more than 500 people come every month to receive treatment. The complex has a separate building for residence of women and men, along with a medical room, contemplation room, cultural room, temple, garden and canteen as well as a library. An ambulance is available 24 hours for emergency situations.

For the inhabitants of Ananddham, cultural programs are organized daily from 4 to 6 pm, besides a well planned daily routine starting from the morning Yoga to evening prayers and worship. The daily ‘Aarti’ is special for Nandkishore Sharmaji, who distributes prasad and offers tilak to everyone. The satisfaction and bliss by doing so can always be seen on his smiley face.  After closing down his suitcase shop, he preferred to stay in this centre instead of staying with his daughter and son in law. He always treated the centre as his home. 

Whether it is retired teacher Gayatriji or Prema Mehrotra or Prabha Shah (Bengali Amma), or the wife of class one Officer Late Shri Mehrotraji, all have their own contribution for this centre. Gayatriji carried out her social responsibilities properly throughout her life but she never got married. After donating her house in Itarasi she dedicated herself completely for Seva Bharati. All these people have become so attached here that when a new building was planned in the premises for couples to reside in, PremaJi gave one lakh rupees from her pension. She says that the centre provides us all good facilities free of cost and takes care of us round the clock. Such care cannot be taken even by the family. 

Gorelalji, who is associated with Seva Bharati from the beginning and is former Kshetra Sewa Pramukh , says that only people above 60 are allowed at the centre. At the time of filling the form and giving admission we check the family background of the member and take all the information in details. We discuss everything with the family members and our initial efforts are always to convince the family members to take the seniors back home. Those in the centre can meet their family members at a preapproved  time. Kailash KushwahaJi, a full-time member of Seva Bharati, says that as a result of the efforts of the management committee, many people have taken their family members back home after staying here for a long time.

With a very heavy heart, Kailashji remembers the late Mukta Sehgal Amma, saying that she had no one and when she was unable to walk due to an   injury resulting from a fall, Seva Bharati treated her and took care of her until her death. Well before death took her away, Muktaji donated her house in Arora Colony to Seva Bharati for running a girls hostel for needy poor girls. Like Muktaji, the last rites of every elder here are done in the same manner as they are done for a member within the family. Everyone staying here treats the Seva Bharati centre as his or her own house and lives here with the feeling of a family member.

The  Seva Bharati Sangthan Mantri  Shri  Ramendraji proudly says that the centre is successfully functioning on the generosity and help of society,  without any support from the Government.      

Anand Dham truly lives up to its name- an abode of happiness!