Sindhutai Sapkal Lived In Crematory, Cooking On A Dead Man’s Flame, But Never Gave Up; Inspiring Story Of A Mother Of Thousands

The modern generation breaks from all the difficulties and gives up when things go wrong in their lives. The concept of sacrifice and adjustment is quite difficult for us to understand. But what if I told you to imagine a woman who had to steal food from the crematory and cook it on the burning flames of a dead body to survive? She not only survived the harsh reality of time but also became the foster mother of many orphans.

Let us take you on a tour of the life story of the late Sindhutai Sapkal, a mother of a thousand roadside helpless orphans.

Sindhutai Sapkal family and early life

Hailing from the Wardha district of Maharashtra, Sindhutai Sapkal was a fierce lady born into a poor cattle-grazer family. The Sindhutai Sapkal family labeled her as an unwanted child, as raising a daughter in extreme poverty was something that made her unwanted and she was named “chindi” (worthless). Her father was a bit different from the others, as he was the only one keen on educating her against the wishes of her mother and other family members.

He sent Sindhutai to school under the pretext of cattle grazing. The situation was so bad that she had to use the leaves of the Bharadi tree as a slate because she could not afford a real one. However, this could not last for long as the Sindhutai Sapkal family forced the 12-year-old girl to marry a man double her age, and quit her education in the 4th grade only.

Awards won by Indian Social worker Sindhutai Sapkal

Sindhutai Sapkal story of fighting for justice to getting injustice in return!

Till now, you must have got an idea that Sindhutai Sapkal story was not an easy one. There’s a lot more to her pain and discomfort as she gave birth to three sons by the age of 20. Sindhutai Sapkal story of the real struggle started when she was pregnant with her fourth child.

One fine day she noticed that the fuel made from the dried cow dung made by the local villagers involved a lot of labor but they were not paid anything in return and the strongmen were earning thousands by collaborating with the forest department for the same. Sindhutai Sapkal fought for them and eventually won too with the help and guidance of the district collector, who took matters into his own hands and supported the villagers.

The village leader found it objectionable that a woman was standing up for something, and in retaliation, he exerted control over her husband by insinuating that the child Sindhutai was carrying did not belong to him. Consequently, she was subjected to physical harm, kicked in the abdomen, and confined to a cowshed despite being nine months pregnant.

The great Indian social worker lived on the streets for years!

In the cowshed, Sindhutai independently delivered a baby girl and, resourcefully, severed the umbilical cord using a nearby stone. Upon regaining consciousness, she bravely abandoned the cowshed, opting to lead a self-determined life with her daughter. Struggling with hunger and helplessness for days, she eventually found herself in a crematorium.

Her situation was so pitiful that she had to survive on the resources found in the crematorium. Seizing an opportunity, after the mourners had departed, she utilized the leftover flour from funeral rituals to cook a chapatti over the flames of a burning pyre.

This continued for years but she never wanted her daughter to live this life and be like her mother so she entrusted her daughter Mamata to Shrimant Dagaduseth Halwai trust in Maharashtra for proper care & a good life and continued her beggar life.

How she become the mother of orphans?

While living her roadside begging life, Sindhutai adopted all the helpless kids and did whatever she could do for them. She used to feed them before herself. Her helpful nature gifted her a small piece of land as she helped a tribal group. For the first time in years, Sindhutai Sapkal got a shed over her head which was converted into an orphanage by her. That’s when she started her journey of becoming the mother of orphans who have nobody in life, just like her.

Later in life, she expanded her orphanage into a proper organization named Sindhutai Sapkal Ashram. Many cried at Sindhutai Sapkal death as she died on 4th January 2022 due to a heart attack. Heart failure is a reason for Sindhutai Sapkal death but her cause lives on!

How Sindhutai Sapkal Ashram is different from others?

Adopting thousands of orphan children all over India gained her the title – “Aai” meaning mother in Marathi. When she started Sindhutai Sapkal Ashram, she only had one thought in mind and that was being a real mother to all the adopted orphans. As a result, her ashram has a different concept from all the others which is sheltering kids till they want and not just by the age of 18 years. Her ashram has all the facilities from good computer labs to well-developed scientific halls having solar systems as well.

Many of her children refused to leave her even after getting a well-settled job, some even left her after starting a new family. So, Sindhutai Sapkal Ashram has no age limit for anyone. Ever since she was a child, she was fond of petting a cow as both her parental and marital homes had a cow shed. So, continuing her love for cows, she opened a cow shed as well.

Forgave her husband after 50 years of sheer struggle

At the age of 70, her husband came back asking forgiveness and she accepted his apology considering him as her biggest child. Sindhutai stated that she is just the “Aai” now and cannot manage any other relationship. Her mantra of holding no negativity for anybody comes from the extreme struggles she faced in life.

Mad4India appreciates all the super heroes who are doing something elderly for the orphans. Now a heavenly star, Sindhutai Sapkal life story was featured in a Marathi film ‘Mee Sindhutai Sapkal’ released in 2010 because it can be an inspiration for many!

Sindhutai Sapkal’s life story has the power to evoke both smiles and tears, making even the most stoic hearts feel a sense of wonder and inspiration. Her narrative is undeniably a profound blessing to discover. There are undoubtedly many individuals with similarly remarkable stories, and if you have a personal favorite, do share it in the comments section below.

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If you loved reading this emotional story of Sindhutai Sapkal – The “Aai” or orphans, then do give a read to a similar touchy of how Watching Her Mother Depend Financially On Others, This Girl Empowered 700+ Women Go independent Through Sirohi.

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