A Visit to Social Works Head Quarters in Gujarat State, India

There are many nice places that can be extremely useful for the senior persons to stay after their retirement in India. Such places provide very well respected stay to all such aged people who do not have anybody to take their care at that age. The Muni Ashram at Goraj near the town of Vaghodia in the Vadodara district in the Gujarat State is one such beautiful place, where the senior people can stay with respect by paying nominal amount to Ashram. This ashram is located at the shore of River Narmada in the village of Goraj, only around 20 miles away from the city of Vadodara. If you are living alone or with your spouse in India and are above the age of 55 years, you both can come here to this famous ashram and stay here as long as you wish just in mere Rs.2000 per person per month. These charges include a nice cozy double room with three daily meals and cleaning and laundry service.

This ashram was established by one simple Gujarati lady, named Anuben, before around 45 years. There was a thick and dense forest here at that time when this determined Gujarati lady came forward and started to build the ashram by collecting the donations from all over the Gujarat State. The ashram was started in the year 1985, initially with a sole purpose of treating the poor people by providing the necessary medical aids to them. Slowly many other fields were covered and today, the ashram is handling countless social activities under one roof and the management. I am a regular donor and a visitor to this ashram since the year 2001.The ashram is situated in the total area of around 25 square kilometers. It has 5 buildings for senior people to stay. There is a very big hospital that treats all the people by providing free medical treatment to one and all. There are many renowned doctors giving free service to this ashram.

There is also a hostel for the mentally retarded girls to stay. Many of such kids are kept here by their parents who found slightly difficult to take care of their mentally retarded kids. There is a full fledged canteen here that serves the nutritious vegetarian food to one and all staying at ashram. Around 1600 people are fed here daily. The fonder of the ashram Anuben died of cancer before around 6 years. This inspired the ashram management to start the full fledged cancer hospital that can provide the costly free treatment to all the needy people. Around 600 patients are taking the cancer treatment here every year. The five senior homes are also available here. The seniors are provided clean and cozy double rooms. They are provided all daily meals at the ashram. There is a big common room having all the indoor games like carom, chess, draft, cards, and table tennis for all the seniors. The rooms are cleaned daily and the laundry services are also provided here. If you want to stay here at ashram in the senior's homes, it may be required to book your room well in advance. Sometimes, the rooms may not be available for as long as one year. The telephone and the electricity charges are to be paid extra by all the residents. This ashram becomes the home for the senior people who stay here. There is a meditation center also provided here at the ashram. There is also one temple of Lord Shiva at the ashram. There is also a very large mango plantation belonging to this ashram. The ashram also owns six medical vans that keep on visiting near by villages with the doctor, nurse, and most of the medicines and treat the patients in nearby area free of cost.

There are regular visitors coming to see the ashram activities on daily basis. All these visitors are shown all the activities of the ashram and are offered a lavish and nutritious lunch at the ashram dining hall. The voluntary donations are welcome here at the ashram. Looking to the amount of social works going on here at the ashram, it is probably one of the best places for making donations. If you are residing at the USA and want to donate some amount towards the noble social causes, this ashram can be the ideal place. One can easily reach this ashram from Vadodara by the hired car or taxi within around 45 minutes.

There are thousands of beautiful places to see in India and many tourists visit those places to have fun. I would strongly recommend to all my AC friends to visit such ashram at least once so as to see and feel the huge amount of social works handled here at the ashram. I am sure after seeing all such activities at ashram, you will be very delighted and would surely extend your helping hand for donation to this ashram. But apart from it, this unique ashram is worth visiting even as a tourist place.