The Ashram
"Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations"
This is the axiom that we at Muni Seva Ashram strongly believe in. Our journey is full of such difficult roads that have today moulded us into an institution dedicated to serving humanity and enriching lives with the best possible means.
Our Story
It was the year 1978, when our founder, Anuben Thakkar, ventured into a virtually uncharted territory with nothing but divine inspiration from her Guru, Muni Maharaj. She set up a small hut at Goraj, with the noble vision to serve the local tribal communities with proper health, and education facilities. She began by inviting children of tribal communities to come and play at the shelter. With persistent endeavors, she won the trust of the locals, who then began thronging the small shelter to avail basic facilities of treatment and education.
Anuben's divine foresight was swiftly taking shape and the small set-up the middle of undeveloped Goraj, was reborn as Muni Seva Ashram, a place where human lives found care and comfort, regardless of their origin.
The Ashram had just begun its journey when Anuben was introduced to young Dr. Vikram Patel. As a fledgling medical student, Dr. Vikram eagerly accepted to work with Anuben for the noble cause and offered to conduct weekly check-ups of children at the Ashram every Sunday. Dr. Vikram's selfless endeavors did not go unnoticed and just a year after his graduation Anuben asked him to become permanently associated with the Ashram. His once-a-week patient check-ups were now done daily at in an indoor facility equipped with patient beds. Additionally, a Pathology department was also introduced to the Ashram's newly developed medical facility.
While we continued to augment our medical center, a generous donation of sewing machine was made to the Ashram that led to the initiation of an employment program for 10th pass tribal women. Subsequently, a school to provide basic education to girls till the 10th grade was also set-up. At every step, we were expanding, not only as a center for medical excellence but as a holistic organization that aimed to better the lives of the people it touched. Dr. Vikram's role came as a strong reckoning force to take our mother Anuben's vision of 'greater good through noble deeds' to a whole new level.
Today, we are a community that is built by selfless people like Dr. Vikram. We are a self-sufficient entity, producing 90% of our requirement on campus and rely solely on the caliber and conviction of our team to drive us. From a world-class medical center to a caring foster home, assisted living and home for mentally disabled women, we have grown leaps and bound in all facets to work towards bettering lives.
After the passing of our mother Anuben, Dr. Vikram has taken it upon himself to further her dream and continues to introduce everything that will make a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate. Gandhiji's belief was 'be the change you wish to see in the world' and building on this belief, we continue to grow and share our joy, learning and fortune received from generous donors with those who need it.
Click here to read Smallest Big Story of Goraj
Our Mentors
Anuben Thakkar
They say a mother is the epitome of care and our founder, Anuben, is no less than a mother to all those who have searched for sanctuary or hope at the Ashram. As a young woman, Anuben was a prolific person. She was well learned than educated and spent the better part of her life under the pious roof of her guru Muni Maharaj's Ashram. It was here that Muni Majarajji revealed her true purpose and sent her off on a mission to find the place of her calling. For a long time, Anuben searched for such a place, until she arrived at Goraj. She immediately took it upon herself to serve the tribal communities of the area despite the potential hardships that this remote and virtually untouched area posed. Her charismatic personality, caring attitude and selfless service, provided hope to all those who visited the Ashram and helped us grow as a community.
When she took to her heavenly abode, we truly lost a mother. But before her sad demise, she gave us another mentor, Dr. Vikram, under whose able guidance, we continue to build on Anuben's legacy of giving joy to the world of the less fortunate.
Dr. Vikram Patel
Dr. Vikram is the most selfless person one can ever meet. In his younger years, as a medical student, he used to help out at the Ashram every week. Within a year of clearing his medical school, he joined the Ashram permanently and worked day and night to help patients with their illnesses. His dedication reflects in the fact over the years, he has remained unequivocally associated with Ashram, despite having all opportunities to become a successful doctor. He owns only two pairs of clothes and eats simple meals.
He has worked tirelessly to bring the Ashram at the level at which it is today, including our world-class medical facilities.
"Don't let your son leave Goraj. This is where he belongs." - These were the words of Muni Maharaj to Dr. Vikram's mother. Their profound meaning shines in our exceptional track record that has been built in his able shoulders. Dr. Vikram is the torchbearer of Anuben's legacy, and a beacon of hope for those who need it.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy is all-inclusive and aims to serve, strengthen and sustain the wellbeing of the less fortunate and build organizational resilience through agriculture, health, education, welfare programs and alternative energy solutions. We strive to uphold our philosophy by constantly introducing new technologies on our campus and transparently utilizing our funds to ensure the betterment of the society as a whole.
We believe in supporting the community by:
Serving
We serve without discrimination based on caste, creed, religion, sex, and financial or political status.
Aiding
Extending support without bias, ensuring every individual is treated with care and dignity.
Healing
Providing compassionate healthcare without profit, placing people before all else.
Welfare
Creating opportunities for care and belonging without limitations, embracing every life with compassion.
Our Green Campus
Anuben was a strong propagator of being in sync with nature. She fostered the idea of living in harmony with the habitat to ensure that future generations are able to reap the benefits of what Mother Nature has to offer. Today, sustainable way of living is a way of life here at the Ashram that stands as a sprawling testament to our mother's vision. We not only love nature and live amid it, but have also incorporated methods like organic farming, agro forestry, horticulture, animal husbandry, solar energy, and biogas generation as a means to fuel our strides in being self-sufficient in a sustainable manner. This also allows us to generate 90% of our needs in-house, including power and food. We have often been told that probably the only thing that we buy from the world outside our campus is salt! We also utilize excess foods especially perishable items to help the communities around us by providing them with such items at nominal rates.
Some of our efforts towards promoting the use of renewable energy are:
We are the pioneers of India's first-of-its-kind solar powered air-conditioning system of its kind in India.
We use Drip Irrigation technique to conserve water.
We have installed solar powered water heaters that supply hot water to our campus facilities.
We built a 13KW solar power plant to meet the lighting, and ventilation demands of the schools and hostels.
Most of the streetlights at the Ashram are automatic, self-contained solar photovoltaic systems (with panels mounted on the light poles).
Inter-cropping and crop rotation to revitalize the soil.
No chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used on the farm.
Water harvesting to maintain water table at its natural level.
All biomass generated at the farm is used for producing vermi-compost, a very rich natural manure.
The gas plant also converts waste from several kitchens into rich manure.
Inter-cropping and crop rotation is practiced revitalizing the soil is done.
Male calves are given to poor farmers in the vicinity at a nominal cost.
We also conduct camps in surrounding villages for vaccination, treatment of gynecological disorders, and deworming of cattle, and organize conferences to extend scientific knowledge of animal husbandry to farmers.
Cow urine, a rich source of nitrogen, is used in farming, and cow dung is used in renewable energy powerhouses.
These biogas plants, in turn, fuel the ashram's kitchens and vehicles.