Vinoba Niketan

‘A rare atmosphere of meditation, a place congenial for retreats’ soliloquized an eminent Carmelite Father on the eve of an All India Inter religious camp at Vinobaniketan. Amidst nature’s panoply of ever green hills, forests, springs and streamlets, Vinobaniketan stands distinct from the scattered tribal hutments and village-houses around. The beautiful hill adjacent to the Ashram bears an elephant head worshipped by the people, especially the tribals, as Chittythampuran with raised trunk almost trumpeting in sacred obeisance. At some distance can be seen the mountain peak of the sage Agastiya haloing impressive Ponmudi Ranges.

Activities of the Institution

1, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S INSTITUTION

2. LITERACY PROGRAMME

3. GRAMA SEVIKA TRAINING CENTRE

4. MEDICAL SERVICES

5. TRIBAL GIRLS HOSTEL

6. YOGA CLASS

7. KHADI PROGRAMME

8. GRAMASWARAJ

9. MODEL EXPERIMENTS IN AGRICULTURE AND DAIRYING

10.PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL AND PROTECTION OF COWS

11. Vinobaniketan U.P.School

12 Gandhi Vinoba Museum & Library

13. Ayurvedic Medicinal Plantation

BACKGROUND

Saint Vinoba identified himself with services to the Harijans even from the time he joined Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati. For the sake of this service, Vinoba and his Saint brothers threw off the Brabminic sacred thread and tuft of the hair at the back of the head to the Sabarmati waters and brought about the first non-violent revolution of “removing untouchability” which was a very dear programme to Gandhiji. Following Vinoba, His closest followers founded Vinobaniketan to fulfill his ideal of “humanity is one”.

ASHRAM

Though all the Gandhian constructive programmes were vigorously carried on, the main attention was focused on education and the upliftment of Tribes, Harijans and other backward communities in the area. 50 years ago when there were no promises for welfare activi