Mother Teresa Temple In Bareilly For Abandoned Children

26 May, Bareilly

An NGO and some others including transgenders have come together to build a temple for Mother Teresa, perhaps the first ever such shrine in memory of the Kolkata nun, in the country, who spent her life working for the poor and the downtrodden.

Following the Mother’s principles, the temple, spread over an area of 1800 sq ft, would also serve as a shelter for newly-borns, especially girls, who are found abandoned on the roadside.

The shrine, which would house a 4ft-high statue of the nun built by artisans from Jaipur at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, is expected to be inaugurated on August 26, Mother Teresa’s birthday.

Kanya Suraksha Vikas Samiti, the NGO which was constructing the temple in the city,claimed that they will start off by adopting abandoned children.
The NGO headed by Saroj Kinnar, a transgender and her husband Raju Shamin claimed here Tuesday that this initiative is also a way of “establishing a connect” of the marginalised community with the mainstream. “Society has always kept transgenders at a distance, but we consider ourselves very much part of the system. We believe that we have a role to play for its betterment. So, this project is our way of serving humanity. Even though we are not expecting much help, those who want to join our cause are welcome,” said Shamin.

Saroj added, “A girl child is abandoned just because parents want a son. Even today, this is the harsh reality of our society. Eradicating female foeticide by creating awareness is on the top of our agenda. We know this is not going to be an easy mission but we have made a beginning.”