HPI
CHENNAI, INDIA, August 29, 2006: The dedication ceremony of 245 newly constructed houses built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha with the support of BAPS Care International at Pattipulam Kuppam and Mahabalipuram Kuppam was held on Friday, August 25. The total cost of this tsunami rehabilitation project is estimated to be over US$1 million. Sadhu Brahmaviharidas in his welcoming address summarized the BAPS tsunami relief work by saying, “In the initial hours and days following the devastating tsunami in December 2004, BAPS with its force of 2,000 volunteers and active support of BAPS Care International, provided immediate emergency aid to the victims. BAPS reached 51 villages along the coastline stretching from Chennai to Kanniyakumari covering over 800 km in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The BAPS relief kitchens served over 5000 hot meals a day for 37 days, totaling 174,000 hot meals. As part of the Sustainable Livelihood Projects 250 milk cows were donated to families in Kanyakumari, and 100 coir rope making equipment and raw materials were provided. And now 245 houses, 145 in Pattipulam Kuppam and 100 in Mahabalipuram Kuppam, are being dedicated.”
BAPS deployed 130 volunteers in the tsunami damaged areas along India’s southern coast and 20 volunteers on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Over 2000 volunteers in India and abroad collected relief materials. 51 villages in the Kancheepuram, Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Nagappattinam, Thanjavur, Kanniyakumari Districts and Pondicherry were aided by the volunteers. In his blessings to the audience, Pramukh Swami Maharaj said, “Our Bharatiya tradition teaches us to serve others. In fact, our human life should be spent in helping others and for attaining moksha. After the tsunami, many dharmic and social organizations rushed to help. By the grace of God good work has been done. The way to face natural disaster is through prayer and service.”
Since 1979 BAPS has served in 32 disaster relief operations throughout the world. To aid in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake relief BAPS volunteers and sadhus manned 11 relief centers, reconstructed 15 villages, rebuilt 51 schools, served 1.8 million hot meals and treated 45,000 patients. During the 2006 Surat flood relief BAPS organized a volunteer force of 2,100 and 50 sadhus, prepared, packaged and distributed 324,155 food packets, fed 14,650 people, distributed 276,000 water pouches, 17,000 milk pouches, 5 tons of milk powder and 6,000 family packs (cooking oil, flour, grains, spices) totaling 300 tons.