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BIOSKETCH OF
Mr. K. R. RAMAN
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CHEMBUR GHATKOPAR PLUS (a supplement to Times of India,
Mumbai and a publication of the Times of India group) covered Janakalyan Sevashram in
their issue dated October 21, 2000. Here are the highlights.
"In an old building deep inside Mumbai's Chedda Nagar live the
Raman couple with their two adopted children. The drawing room in their
one bedroom flat is scarcely furnished and their kitchen cum puja room
is adorned with all kinds of photographs of gods and goddesses. "My
husband is intensely religious and god fearing," says Gomati, K. R.
Raman's benign life partner and soul mate. Even during his travels,
Raman carries a 'shivalingam' with him. Also a great devotee of the
Shankaracharya of Kanchi, Raman has gone all around India acting as the
travel secretary of the Acharya and tourist guide to pilgrims. Around a
lakh of pilgrims have enjoyed his trips so far and Raman is still raring
to go."
"At 62 he is as energetic as a teenager. "My devotion to god
gives me strength to carry on my mission, "says Raman with
humility."
"It all started years ago when Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati
expressed a desire to go on a 'padayatra' to Pandharpur. Raman
volunteered to act as the Seer's guide, 'I arranged for seventy
reception committees for the Acharya during his travel," says Raman
with pride. No wonder Jayendra Saraswati swamigal was pleased and asked
Raman to be his travel secretary whenever he planned his tours from
Mumbai. In 1983, Raman formed a tour group to visit the Shankaracharya
in his 'mutt'. After his retirement in 1993, he intensified his travels
and from then on he had been arranging pilgrimages for the
elderly."
"Today, he conducts monthly pilgrimages for groups of hundred,
seventy percent of which comprise of women. "He takes care of our
needs and attends to our problems," says an elderly lady who has
accompanied Raman on his travels more than once. From travel to
accommodation and food, Raman arranges for everything at a reasonable
cost. No wonder, pilgrims rush to enroll as members of his affordable
travel group. " I operate on a no loss, no profit basis and try to
do my best to the tourists," says Raman smilingly."
"Raman is a seasoned tour manager. However, that is not his only
qualification. He is better known as a great humanitarian. The 'Janakalyan
Sevashram' at Panvel is his brainchild and many destitute women, orphans
and infirm individuals have benefited from his benevolence. After
voluntarily retiring from his service in a private organisation, Raman
pooled in his resources to hire a rented flat at Koparkhairane, Navi
Mumbai to house a few elderly women who had turned to him for support.
As word spread round more aged people came to him for help and Raman
rented a few more flats to accommodate all of them. However, his dream
of providing a cosy rest house for the aged and children kept haunting
him. "There are many old age homes in India but hardly any of them
provide medical assistance to the inmates. I wished to fill this lacuna
through my ashram, " says Raman."
"In 1997, Raman turned his one-man institution into a charitable
company called 'Janakalyan Sevashram' and housed 17 women, 15 men and 14
children in 8 rented flats covering an area of 5000 sq.ft. at Panvel.
The ashram provides not only the basic necessities of food, shelter and
clothing but also gives medical assistance to the inmates. The children
are given educational material and sent to school. To boost the morale
of the ashramites, satsangs, counseling sessions, religious functions
and cultural programmes are held from time to time."
"To run the Ashram of his dream project, he needs funds from
individuals and institutions. In their appeal, the company asks the
public to help them in four ways namely, "Manasa, Vacha, Karmana
and Artha" . Artha meaning finance, Karmana meaning action, Vacha
meaning words and Manasa meaning mind. "Raman is sure that the
public will respond to their appeal and with the blessings of the
almighty and the Acharya he will succeed in executing his ambitious
project."
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