Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 5 Jul: Under the ‘Maa Annapurna Bhandara Card Scheme’—launched by Bhagwan Shankar Ashram, which operates under the aegis of the Aryam International Foundation in Uttarakhand—free monthly household rations for July were distributed to 22 extremely poor and underprivileged families. This scheme has been running since 2020 under the guidance of Jagadguru Professor Pushpendra Kumar Aryam. Gurudev Aryam has always firmly believed that social service is the true form of spiritual practice. Inspired by him, Bhagwan Shankar Ashram continuously works towards the uplift of the neglected and helpless sections of society. Aryam Gurudev believes that ensuring no poor person sleeps hungry is the greatest service to humanity. To realise this resolve, the ‘Maa Annapurna Bhandara Card Scheme’ was launched; it has become a consistent medium for delivering food to vulnerable, helpless, and underprivileged families, thereby instilling a new sense of hope in the region.
For several years, the Aryam International Foundation has been running various projects related to education, health, and social welfare in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and other regions. The Foundation’s objective is not merely spiritual awakening but also extending aid to the person standing at the very last rung of society. In line with this spirit, the Bhandara scheme run by Bhagwan Shankar Ashram is continuously expanding, enabling more needy families to benefit and fostering values of compassion and service within society.
Great care is taken regarding the quality of the supplies provided to the *Bhandara* cardholders. The items distributed include 15 kg of wheat flour, 10 kg of rice, two kg of black gram (kala chana), two litres of mustard oil, and more. For families that are extremely destitute, ill, or unable to travel, the rations are delivered directly to their homes. The Ashram operates this ‘Bhandara Card’ scheme for elderly individuals abandoned by their children, destitute widows, and the helpless—including the physically challenged, the sick, and the extremely impoverished; plans are underway to soon expand this initiative to numerous other locations.
The programme was supported by Harish Tyagi, Somlata Dalal, Ajay Tyagi, Rajendra Kumar, Anshit Verma, Pritesh Aryam, Santosh, Satish, Arvind Sharma, Anjali Sonkar, Ruchi, Reena Chauhan, Kavita Malik, Renu Sachdeva, Indiraben Mishra, and others.
