When life throws back-to-back challenges either you give up or stand up stronger than before, but Sindhutai Sapkal is one who not only emerged as strongest women but an inspiration and as a Mother India for this country.

Born on 14^th November 1948 to Abhimanji Sathe a cowherd at Pimpri Meghe village in Wardha district Maharashtra. No, it’s not a happy story as she was one of the unwanted children to her parents and so they named her “Chindhi’ (a torn piece of cloth).

She completed her education till 4th grade, was against her mother’s wish and in the tiny age of 12 years, she got married to Shrihari Sapkal whose age more than double a cowherd from Navargaon village in Wardha District.

When she realized that the cow dung used as fuel in India, she raised her concern that why to sell it in collusion with the forest department without getting paid to the villagers. District Collector found her agitation right and passed the orders which the male dominant society of her village didn’t like.

During this time she was 4th-time full-term pregnant and had 3 sons. Strongmen of the village did not like the insult by poor women and convince her husband to abandon her and he did the same after giving torture and kicking on her full-term belly and threw her in a cowshed.

She delivered a baby girl by cutting her own umbilical cord with the stone, but this was not the end of her painful life. After she got back to her senses, she went to her maternal village suffering from pain and hunger with her newborn baby girl whom she named Mamta, but her mother closed the doors for her.

She needs to get shelter and took it in the crematory and to kill her hunger when she saw a dead body was burning and the last rites were over and the relatives of the departed had left. As of last rituals, they left some flour she took that flour, kneaded it and prepared a bhakari (roti) on the fire which was still consuming the dead body.

She realized that this way she can’t help her daughter to grow started singing in trains and temples, begging for money and the journey of Sindhutai started. She left her daughter to Shrimant Dagaduseth Halwai Trust so she could look after properly.

While singing in trains and other places, she came across many orphans who are living a tough life. She took all of them under her wings and started looking after them. And with time passes with multiple support she runs now an orphanage which takes care of kids till the time they get jobs, get married and settle down.

Till now she has over 1000+ kids who call her with love Aai and even over 200+ Son in law and 30+ daughter-in-law. She is blessed with more love from every child in her home. Her biological sons and daughter now take care of these orphanages and other kids who have well-settled help Sindhutai managing mentally and financially.

If you want to help check here

I write this post under 26 inspiring stories series for AtoZ challenge hosted by Blogchatter!!

Copyright © Ruchi Verma

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner strictly prohibited.

Excerpts and links used provided that full and clear credit given to Ruchie Verma (WigglingPen) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.