It was the year 1983. On the visit to panchgani and its market, we come across a large compound where mahatma Fhule School was located and we enter it. The school was closed for the day.
“Sir can I help you?” asked the young person who politely approaches us.
“Yes. We are here from abroad and wish to do something for the needy children of this region. “was our reply.
Our names and address were noted down promptly.
That very evening, whilst we see a saintly – looking person approaching our house with a group of people following him.
We welcome him and the group into our house in panchgani – not knowing at the moment that this saintly person was going to change our lives.
He was the well-known and highly respected Hari Bhakt Parayan sant Dattatray Kalambe Maharaj and there group consisted of respected teachers and workers of the school
Poojya Maharaj was direct and come straight to the point
“We have been told that you wish to do something for our poor and needy children’s education. You can start with opening school in the neighboring villages in the javli Taluka – one for every 10 villages. Presently, the small children have to walk up miles to come to the only school in panchgani….. It does not matter whether it is raining or bitterly cold. When they finally return home in the late evenings, they are too tired even to eat the frugal meals lovingly prepared by their mothers.
Once the girls reached puberty, There education stopped, as there parent were too scared to send their daughters so far away over long and lonely distance
If they had schools right near their own village, the parents would be more than happy to send their daughters to school and the girls would willingly attend.
Nothing more needed to be said. A decision was taken and the work on the first school to be built by us was started at Dapaudi in javali taluka. Poojya maharaj persuaded the village people to donate the land. We provided the funds, the contractors gave the building materials free and the local people participated in free “Shram daan” (Labour Donation). The school was built in record time and aptly named “Dattatray Kalambe Maharaj Primary School”. The management of the school was in the hands of “Koyana Education Society”.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST CONTACT WITH “KOYANA EDUCATION SOCIETY TALDEO”
Thus started our long and fulfill association with the society culminating in the building of the “ILABEN MEHETA HIGH SCHOOL AND JUNIOR COLLEGE” together with the associated buildings of the “Minalben Meheta Girls Hostel”, “Jaymati Hall”, Madhukar L Parikh Hostel and Administrative buildings and sanitary blocks”, Krishnadas Premaji Mistri Dining Hall”, “ Nita Wheeler Dining Hall”, “Kalpana Kothari Library and Laboratory” and classroom Donated By Several generous benefactors in the past 4 to 5 years.
We wish to express our most sincere gratitude to PARAM KRIPALU PARAMESHWAR for having inspired and helped so many people to participate in the very important task of running the affairs of the Koyana Education Society Taldeo over the past 50 years.
These include the Pioneering Founders, the president Secretary, Directors and the members of the managing Committee, the DONORS, the Principals the teaching and non-teaching staff, the Supervisors of the Vastigrahas, The Local, district and state authorities, and the course the parents of the thousands of children who have and continue to study in the schools and college of the society.
When we are asked to bless the thousands of students who had gathered to witness the opening of the new school building a couple of years ago, all that we could say was: “How can we bless them when we ourselves feel blessed by these young and innocent children. The live that we receive from them will sustain us forever and gives us the strength to do more. In fact, we are sincerely grateful to them for this opportunity to serve”!
HOW CAN WE EVER FORGET THAT IT ALL STARTED WITH THE BLESSINGS, LOVE AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF SANT SHRI DATTATRAY KALAMBE MAHARAJ WHO’S GREATEST PASSION WAS “THE EDUCATION OF THOUSANDS OF HIS CHILDREN”!
With our sincere good wishes and prayers,
Aaji and Aajoba,
ILABEN AND RAJNIKANT MEHTA