Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC) – the NGO having the distinction of being the highest fundraiser at the Mumbai Marathon for 11 years – has broken its own record! It succeeded in collected Rs15 crore through the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024 platform for philanthropic works. A huge part of the funds will be used to construct an animal hospital in Dharampur, Gujarat, which will be one of the largest such facilities in Asia. The construction of the Shrimad Rajchandra Animal Hospital, which began last year, is likely to be completed by the end of 2024
The NGO, Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care
A constituent of the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur, SRLC has a large number of followers in Mumbai. The Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, founded by Gurudevshri Rakeshji, is named after Shrimad Rajchandraji, a poet and philosopher who was Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual guru.
This year, SRLC broke its own record of collecting Rs8.5 crore for the Mumbai Marathon 2023.
The proposed animal hospital in Dharampur, Gujarat |
For the marathon's 2024 edition, fundraising began in September-October 2023. The organisation garnered support from seven 'Change Legends' – individuals who raised over Rs1 crore each. The fundraisers are Dr Meera Mehta, Dr Bijal Mehta, Vipul Shah, Shyam Jasani, Sunit Kothari, Uttpal Mehta and Raj Jain. Also joining the noble cause were fundraisers from other categories, including a 'Change Icon' who gave over Rs50 lakh, 11 'Young Leaders' and 35 corporate teams, among others.
SRLC, which runs a 250-bed multi-specialty hospital in rural Gujarat, aims to extend equally accessible healthcare to animals, including cattle and those in the wild. Pilot centres attached to the Dharampur facility will be set up in Mumbai, Surat and Valsad. The seeds of the facility were laid 124 years ago when Shrimad Rajchandra, called Param Krupalu Dev by his followers, dissuaded people in Dharampur from a mass sacrifice of buffaloes for Dussehra, said Miloni Gandhi of the organisation.
Facilities in the proposed animal hospital
The animal hospital will have facilities like CT scan, 2D Echo, laparoscopy, endoscopy, cancer surgery and physiotherapy for animals; large and small. Spanning across 40 acres, the campus will cater to over 5,000 creatures and will also comprise an 'Ahimsa' experience centre, animal shelters and a veterinary college.
Other initiatives undertaken by the organisation this year are the six mega medical camps planned in rural places across India. The events bring the expertise of veteran doctors from across the world and modern equipment to economically disadvantaged regions. The medical treatment provided ranges from consulting to surgery and postoperative care.
SRLC Trustee Dr Bijal Mehta said, “Following Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji’s benevolent vision to heal not only communities but also animals, this year SRLC has taken yet another step to take world class healthcare to the doorsteps of rural India. Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care has become a benchmark for NGOs in India by getting into the 'diamond category' at the marathon 2024.”
