Extraordinary Indians - Papa Vidyakar

December 1, 2009

" Helping Hands are better than Praying Lips "

Sai Baba of Shirdi

The man with the helping hands

The scene is a small, unpretentious office room. The telephone rings and a young man is seen answering the call. He listens patiently to the agitated caller. He asks a few questions: " Where? " " Will you please wait for twenty minutes? It will take me that long to get there. " He puts the telephone down, rushes to call his helpers, and is off in his familiar vehicle. Soon he reaches his destination. He finds a good Samaritan holding a wailing baby. He takes a few photographs of the baby and the place where it was found. Then he gathers the baby in his arms - and his face softens. He takes the baby with him to the place where all abandoned babies in Chennai find a happy home - " Udavum Karangal " .

" Udavum Karangal " or " Helping Hands " is a place that has grown out of one man's dreams to be able to serve all those in any kind of need. Vidyakar or 'Pappa' as he is known to all those who look to him as their saviour, is a man with a mission. He was orphaned when young in Mysore, and was adopted and brought to Madras when he was thirteen. This change in his life gave the young boy the kind of teenage years that he may otherwise not have had. In his gratitude, Vidyakar remembers the words of his mentor. " Help others as I helped you. " Vidyakar has carried this message with him, and lived up to it. " Udavum Karangal " today is a busy place. The telephone never stops ringing. Calls of distress are many. But there are also calls that bring good news. People call to offer their services to be volunteers and become part of the group. Hotels and marriage halls call to deliver excess food. Charitable organizations call to find out how they can help. More than a thousand people are housed in several centres in Northern Chennai & suburbs, for their families have abandoned them. Vidyakar and his band of cheerful volunteers care for infants and children with all kinds of disabilities, mentally challenged men and women, people who are dying of Aids or other diseases, women who are in distress and almost anyone who needs a helping hand to go through life. " Shishu Bhavan " is the section that houses little babies. The place is spotlessly clean, and the babies are well cared for. Visitors find that time flies once they begin playing with the children! Once a group of ladies walked into this nursery with some toys, clothes and food for the children. They said they were in a hurry, and could not spare more than ten minutes. But baby Kanya smiled from one cot, and little Divya was crying from the other end of the room. Soon, the ladies were involved in playing with the children, and completely forgot to look at their watches. Before they knew it, they had spent an hour! And they were still reluctant to leave! There are many other specialised units within Udavum Karangal like " Shantivanam " that rescues and shelters the mentally ill. All of them are given medical attention, and many are rehabilitated. There are also units that take care of the terminally ill; those afflicted with Aids, temporarily displaced persons and women in distress. Other divisions being - " Thyagam " , " Karunalayam " , " Sumai Thangi " , " Balamitra " , " Adaikalam " , etc. The amazing feature of this huge organization is the man at the top. Vidyakar's personal involvement in each person's problems, and his ability to show concern and care, are unique. He seems to be everywhere at once. The staff members are as fond of him, as those who come to him for help. He can be seen in the kitchen helping at mealtimes; he comforts a crying child; he deals with homework of the school-going children. This enthuses all those who work with him to give of their best too. The huge campus at Thiruverkkadu runs on oiled wheels. There is ample space for outdoor activity. The different wings are self-sufficient. Each wing is managed on a day-to-day basis by a band of extremely dedicated volunteers. The volunteers work hard to keep the wards clean and everyone seems happy. The wing that caters to the aged and the ailing has a medical facility attached to it. Medical help is always at hand. The kitchen is a buzz of activity. Catering to hundreds of people with different needs is no mean task! But, like everything else at Udavum Karangal, a group of cheerful volunteers runs the kitchen with great efficiency. Huge meals are turned out several times a day for the inmates and staff. The organization has become well known the world over, and both Vidyakar and his brainchild have received innumerable awards and accolades. The Reader's Digest called them " Hands of Love " . Vidyakar has been called " A Messiah for the discarded " . Awards have come from near and far - like the international award for best voluntary service in India from Matsustuta, Japan, For the Sake of Honour award from the Rotary Club of Madras, the Indian Health Mission Award, and many others. All these accolades and awards have had a positive effect on Vidyakar and Udavum Karangal. Vidyakar continues to look for more ways and means to serve the community around him. Udavum Karangal continues to grow from strength to strength. Soon they hope to have many more facilities to make the society a better place. The message sent out by Udavum Karangal is " Help us to help others " . People who care have heard this message, and have come forward with generous donations in cash and kind. All this keeps the organisation strong. But the words of Vidyakar should make us all think. He says, " It is not the way I intended to live my life. It's a dangerous, tough, thankless job, but someone's got to do it. It would be nice if society didn't need people like me. But while it does...I'll be there. " Contact address:Udavum Karangal,No. 460, NSK Nagar,Anna Nagar Arch, Chennai- 600106Phone: 6216321, 6216421, 6216521, 6200414 Site: www.udavumkarangal.org

-- " O Shirdi Sai Nath, Give me the guidance to know when to hold on and when to let go and the Grace to make right decision with dignity " " The Future Belongs To Those Who Believe In The Beauty Of Their Dreams "

Om Sai Ram~ anil - chandrot ~