Sevalaya

Sevalaya is a registered charitable organisation in Tamilnadu, India. Sevalaya means Temple of Service. It runs an orphanage, school, old age home and hospital all free of cost for the underprivileged people in the village of Kasuva near Thiruninravur about 40 km west of Chennai, Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is also engaged in activities for the welfare of the poor and the deprived.

Sevalaya

Formation	1988
Type	Not for profit
Location	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Website	http://www.sevalaya.org

Sevalaya runs a free school which is recognised by the State Government of Tamil Nadu for the children at the orphanage and the surrounding villages as well as a free medical centre, a free library, a goshala for cows, and an old age home for destitute senior men and women. All the services are rendered to those in need with the help of philanthropic donations, without any discrimination on the basis of caste, colour, religion, language, or gender. The organisation does not receive any grants from the government.

In 36 years, Sevalaya has served and implemented projects in 400+ villages. Kasuva and its surrounding villages have gone from 100% child labour to 100% literacy, through quality education given free to 2000+ rural children every year. In addition, Sevalaya’s activities cover, 14 tuition centres supplementing educational needs of 500 children every year, supporting higher education for 2,000 students, housing and shaping the lives of 200+ orphans every year, giving shelter and dignity to 150+ destitute elders every year, taking care of 100+ dry cows every year, imparting skills and facilitating employment through 12 Community Colleges to 1200+ rural youth every year, providing healthcare services to 4,50,000 poor and needy rural folks, delivering relief, essential items and food to over 3,00,000+ people affected by natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of donors.

History

Inspired by the ideals and life of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahakavi Bharathiyar and Swami Vivekananda, V. Muralidharan, along with a group of colleagues formed the charitable trust Sevalaya. Sevalaya's service started on 29 May 1988 to provide home for the poor, orphan and destitute. The aim is to offer better opportunities to the poor, orphan and destitute children by fulfilling their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter and also providing value based education and medical care. From a humble beginning, with 5 children, in a thatched shed at Kasuva village in the year 1988, now Sevalaya's service center functions from its own campus in nearly 14 acres (57,000 m²) of land at Kasuva Village near Thiruninravur (40 km west of Chennai), sheltering over 200 destitute boys and girls, also running a free higher secondary school which provides quality education for over 2500 destitute, poor and rural children. Sevalaya now has successfully eradicated child labour in over 40 nearby villages.

Activities

The activities of Sevalaya include Swami Vivekananda Boys Home and Mother Teresa Girls Home- providing shelter to 200 orphan and destitute boys and girls from broken homes, Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School (recognised by Government of Tamil Nadu but unaided) providing free education in vernacular medium to 2500 rural children including the residents of the Homes, Mahatma Gandhiji Medical Centre providing free medical care, Swami Vivekananda Free Library, Kasthurba Craft Centre providing free training in tailoring to rural women, Vinobhaji Goshala sheltering cows, and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Old Age Home sheltering 150 destitute senior citizens.

Swami Vivekananda Boys & Mother Teresa Girls home

The Home provides the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter to the orphan children. The children are also provided with free education and medical facilities. At present there are 200 children in the home.

Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School

The school provides free education (no fees, free textbooks, free notebooks and 2 sets of free uniforms) to around 2500 children. The 3000 families in the area are made up of mostly landless agricultural labourers and brick kiln workers, and most of the children are first generation school goers. The free school has allowed many of these families to send their children for an education instead of taking them with them to work.

Mahatma Gandhiji Medical Centre

Mahatma Gandhiji Medical Centre run by Sevalaya provides free medical care to residents as well as villagers. This has allowed greater access to healthcare in the remote village as the nearest hospital is 6 km away. Minor ailments are treated by the nurse at the centre. Medical camps are arranged almost once a month when teams of specialists from the city visit the institution and conduct check ups for the residents as well as the villagers. With a view to create an awareness about the alternative medical system and nature cure methods, siddha medical camps and nature cure camps are also held.

Swami Vivekananda Library & Reading Room

The library has a collection of over 10,000 books including the complete works of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahakavi Bharathi and Swami Vivekananda as well as many newspaper and magazine subscriptions. The library is open to all Sevalaya residents as well as the villagers for free. A mobile library is also sent to the villages nearby every Saturday to make the books available for reading to all the villagers.

Kasthurba Craft Centre

Craft education is a part of the school curriculum and the students are trained in various crafts like wire bag making, book binding, etc., The centre also conducts a free six months certificate course in tailoring for rural women.

Vinobaji Gaushala

The gaushala (cow protection centre) shelters around 25 cows (both milk yielding and dry cows). The milk is consumed by the residents of the Orphan Home and the Old Age Home and any excess milk is sold in nearby villages, with the marginal generated income being utilised for meeting the expenses of the institution. A Gobar gas Plant has been constructed which meets 90% of the fuel needs of the Old Age Home. Organic manure is produced by vermin compost method. The manure is used in the kitchen garden maintained at Sevalaya and also marketed.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Old Age Home

The Old Age Home provides shelter to poor and destitute old men and women. The residents are encouraged to involve themselves in simple activities like helping in the kitchen by cutting vegetables, watering the garden, etc.

Locations

Chennai district

1. Head office - Sevalaya NGO.. No-12, F-2, First floor, Pushkarani apartments, Ananda Rd, Alwarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu- 600018

2. Karate training, Tuition centre, Community college -Tailoring, Computer software, Gayathri Memorial Vocational Training Centre Block 10, Srinivasapuram, Pattinampakkam, Chennai - 600028.

Ph-9600050532

3. Community college- Computer software courses, Tally. Sevalaya's Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College No 9, Ground floor, Cholapuram Main Road, Vivek Nagar, Ambattur Main Road, Chennai - 600053.

Ph-9677201566

Chengalpet district

1. Community college- Sevalaya's Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College Zamin Endathur village & post, Madhuranthagam Taluk, Chengalpet District-603311.

Ph-9786536584

2. Tuition centre- Sevalaya's Thirumurthi Memorial Free Tuition Centre Plot No: 32, Door No 569, Selvaraj Nagar Extension - II, Periyar Salai, Urapakkam West, Vandalur Taluk, Chengalpet District - 603211.

Ph-9840152935

Dharmapuri district

1. Old age home- 4/116B, Errapatti village, A Jettihalli, Nallamballi Taluk, Dharmapuri - 636807.

ph-6300312092

Kancheepuram district

1. Community college- Sevalaya's Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College No 387, 1st floor, Rajarajeshwari complex, Sunguvarchatram, Kanchipuram District - 602106.

ph-9790848354

2. Community college- Sevalaya's Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College 19/22, Vannara street (Opp to GH), Uthiramerur, Kanchipuram District - 603406.

ph-9500775860

Nilgiris district

1. Hospital- Sevalaya Samaritan Gramodharan Samithy Puthurvayal road, M T Nagar, Gudalur, Nilgiris district Tamil Nadu - 643211

2. Tuition centre- Sevalaya's Dr Agarwal Education Resource Centre, Kuvamoola, Panthalur Taluk, The Nilgiris District - 643233

3. Community college- Sevalaya Samaritan Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College, Door no: 12/834, 1st Floor, (Opp to Gudalur bus stand), Sungam, Gudalur - 643212.

Tenkasi district

1. Community college- Sevalaya's Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College No 1/176, South Street, Ravanasamudram, Tenkasi District - 627424.

ph-9994717925

Tenjavur district

1. Old Age Home- Sevalaya's Gandhi Ashram Krishnan Memorial Free Old Age Home, 1 & 2, DS Nagar, Thalavaipalayam, Thanjavur district - 613501.

ph-7639895099

Thiruvallur district

School- 9840152935

Orphanage, Old age home & Goushala- 9884568426

Hospital- 9360869771

Sevalaya, Kasuva village, Pakkam post, Near Thiruninravur, Thiruvallur District - 602024

External links

• Sevalaya
• Profile in The Hindu^[usurped]