Banyan tree, younger brother at Entrance, aged 82.
It is not a tall claim to make that what was Sabharmati to Gujarat was Tiruchengodu Gandhi Ashram to Tamilnadu. Gandhiji christened his experiment at Sabharmati as Satyagraha Ashram. Rajaji christened his in Salem District (now Namakkal District) at Gandhi Ashram. Both the Ashrams played a key role in the political destinies of the country as a whole and in the lives of their inmates as individuals, 26 of them took part in freedom struggle also.
Gandhiji pitched his Ashram near the biggest industrial centre in Gujarat, viz Ahmedabad. Rajaji started his Ashram in a far off village in Salem district ( now Namakkal district) which remains still a village even after several decades.
The Tiruchengodu Gandhi Ashram was started at Pudupalayam, hamlet of Nallipalayam village, Tiruchengodu Taluk, by Shri. Rajaji as the Tamilnadu Branch of the Gandhi Seva Sangh, pledged to serve the country on the lines indicated by Gandhiji. This was formally inaugurated on 6th Feb, 1925 in the presence of many distinguished men notable among whom included E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker, M.G.Vasudevayya, K.Santhanam, N.V.Krishna Chettiar, K.V.Subba Rao and Narayana Rao. The late Rathna Sabhapathy Gounder, Mittadhar of Pudupalayam a devotee of Rajaji must have been very proud of his association with Rajaji in those early days when the Country had not even a clear vision of its own social, political and economical future.
Aims and Objects of the Ashram:
To serve the people in accordance with the principles of Sarvodaya by working for a social order free fro all forms of exploirtation bsed on truth and non violence, as laid down in the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
To develop a spirit of Community life among the people by promoting co-operation and mutual sharing, leading ultimately to voluntary Community Ownership of the basic means of production, such as land and fulfillment by the village community of the responsibility for the welfare of all its members.
To make the village self sufficient in the primary needs of life such as food, clothing and shelter and to promote total development of each village along with neighboring villages of the region.
To develop self reliance in the individual and initiative in the community to enable the people to manage all their affairs themselves for the realisation of Gram Swaraj.
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