The story goes that Kamaraj found two children abandoned in the Congress grounds. He picked up the children and handed the delicate infants to his associate Smt. Manjubhashini and encouraged her to take care of such children which eventually turned out to be a ‘mandir’, temple for them. She laid the foundation for the principles of Bala Mandir and steered its functioning with a lot of dedication for over five decades. Bala Mandir started functioning as an institution in the year 1949 and was relocated to its current location in T. Nagar, Chennai in the year 1951.
I walked through the neatly maintained grounds of the institution to meet the present secretary and she explained in detail about the various activities of Bala Mandir. She said “The institution grew along with the needs of our children. Kindergarden was first started and then the primary section followed by the high school. Then Manju amma felt the need to impart vocational training skills to those who were not interested in studies. Carpentry, laundry and tailoring units were set up. Young girls were not sent by the mothers to school because they had to take care of their younger siblings and so we started day care for infants to facilitate the older children to study. We give orphaned children in adoption so that they get to lead better lives in the care of loving families”.
Today, Bala Mandir has extended its services beyond the needs of its children and is providing support for education of children from nearby slums as well. Children after completing 12th standard can pursue higher studies if they are interested. Bala Mandir is bearing the responsibility of youngsters beyond the ‘bala’ stage by taking care of adolescents playing grandparental roles in their lives and performing marriages of their girls and there are a lot of good families coming and seeking Bala Mandir girls as brides. The wedding is performed in the campus and Bala Mandir continues to provide support, as due from parental homes.
When children come to Bala Mandir from destitute families and at a later stage the families are able to provide emotional and psychological support to their children they are rehabilitated back with their families and continue to provide them with monetary support and education, if needed, through a home sponsorship program. The quantum shift that they are making is to help these children adjust with their families and it acts as an instrument in shaping their lives and ensuring that they don’t get ‘institutionalised’.
Manju amma had laid some very strong principles as the foundation of Bala Mandir including no advertising campaigns and no shows for fund raising. People can walk in to see for themselves the services and then choose to be donors for various projects. A very interesting principle set by her was that the food served was the same for children, staff and even guests who came in order to ensure good quality. Bala Mandir has a unique system to hand over a key as memento to all its invitees, which indicates that they are free to enter the campus at any time. This tradition started in yesteryears had the key handed over to the great leaders of our country and followed till date. Manju amma lived till a grand old age of 90, passing away in 1996 leaving behind her a legacy of ethical and compassionate tradition.
The secretary of Bala Mandir explained “We are able to continuously expand our number of projects because of the generosity of our donors and services rendered by volunteers. Our staff contributes by often working for a lesser pay than what they would get in the outside world. Residential staff takes on various extra responsibilities. We have ensured that the children in the care of Bala Mandir grow up to be responsible citizens and integrate well into the mainstream society faring well for themselves in their chosen professions and whenever possible also becoming responsible adults taking care of the families they were born into”.
Bala Mandir is like a banyan tree spreading its roots over several years, growing stronger and bigger providing shelter to the needy and always looked up to as a symbol of strength and confidence.
Contact details
New No. 8, (Old No 126) G. N. Chetty Road, T Nagar, Chennai – 600 017, India,
Phone 91 44 2834 1921, Fax 91 44 2834 5441, Email balamandir@vsnl.net
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