Bhaubeej Nidhi Ceremony 2024

Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha’s (MKSSS) Bhaubeej Nidhi Ceremony Concludes

 

 

 

“I may not have studied at Karve's institution, but like Ekalavya, I proudly consider myself a disciple of Karve, and I take great pride in it,” said renowned author and media expert Smt. Shefali Vaidya. She was speaking as the chief speaker at the Bhaubeej Nidhi Samarpan Ceremony of the institution. She emphasized that Karve’s Bhaubeej tradition is a sacred custom that must be preserved and passed on to future generations.

 

The Bhaubeej Fund, initiated 105 years ago under the vision of Samstha’s life worker, late G. M. Chipalkulkar, continues to support thousands of poor and needy female students. This ceremony to hand over the Bhaubeej fund to Samstha, is held every year on December 20th, in memory of late G. M. Chipalkulkar. This year also, the ceremony was organized by the institution. Smt. Smita Kulkarni, the vice-president of MKSSS, presided over the event, and Structural Engineering expert Mr. Jayant Inamdar was the chief guest. Other dignitaries included Chairman Mr. Ravindra Dev, Vice-Chairperson Smt. Vidya Kulkarni, Secretary Dr. P.V.S. Shastri, senior Bhaubeej volunteer Smt. Manisha Koparkar, and Smt. Sushila Apte.

 

In the opening address, Mr. Ravindra Dev reflected on the work of Mahrshi Karve and provided an overview of the Bhaubeej Fund's 100-year journey, expressing gratitude to its founder, late G. M. Chipalkulkar, and all the Bhaubeej Fund volunteers. Based on data, Smt. Vidya Kulkarni presented the Bhaubeej annual report, including the number of students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and other volunteers, as well as the amount of funds raised.

 

During the ceremony, the awards for the highest fundraisers were presented. Senior volunteer Smt. Manishatai Koparkar, who raised the most funds, received the first prize, while Smt. Sushilatai Apte, who raised funds from the institution's old age home, received the second prize. Smt. Padmaja Pathare received the second prize as well. A special recognition was also given to Mumbai volunteer Smt. Shailaja Joshi.

 

Smt. Manishatai Koparkar expressed pride in being an alumna of MKSSS. She also noted the usefulness of the newly launched 'Kanyartha' portal. She expressed the hope that new materials for Bhaubeej would continue to be provided by the institution, and mentioned that her grandson, Ayush is now continuing the Bhaubeej fund raising work. Senior volunteer Smt. Shubhada Karve also shared her experiences.

 

In the following session, some students who contributed to the Bhaubeej fund shared their experiences. These included students from the institution like Komal Pawar and Ishani Swami, and Vedanti Chitrav and Swara Paranjpe from Abhinav English School. They all shared the appreciation received from society for the institution's work.

A video clip was shown about the use of the new 'Kanyartha' digital donation receipt portal, along with snapshots of Diwali greetings shared by the institution's Mumbai volunteers.

 

The main event involved the formal handover of the Bhaubeej Fund donation bag from the chief guest, Mr. Jayant Inamdar, to Smt. Smita Kulkarni.

 

In his inspiring address, Mr. Jayant Inamdar shared motivational information about the planned efforts in collecting the Bhaubeej funds and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with the institution's management. He also urged everyone to actively participate in the Bhaubeej work.

 

In her address, Smt. Shefali Vaidya spoke about the debt her family owes to Maharshi Karve's work over the last three generations. She remarked, “The hardships faced by Maharshi Karve and his wife, Baya in opposing the unjust traditions of their time are unimaginable today. Their work of lifting women from the narrow circle of traditional norms is a great contribution to society.” She further added, “In our tradition, earning money the right way is considered virtuous. King Harshavardhana of the sixth century used to distribute surplus funds from his treasury to the poor every five years. This kind of generosity is part of our culture. Bhaubeej is the brother’s duty and the sister’s right. The efforts of Parvatibai Athawale and Shantabai Paranjpe in collecting Bhaubeej funds are truly inspiring. After seeing their examples, we should stop complaining and focus on giving back to society without any grievance. We should learn from the lives of these great individuals and make positive changes in our lives.” She concluded her speech with the heartfelt poem “Dekhani Ti Paudhe” by the Marathi poet Ba. Bh. Borkar.

 

In her presidential address, Smt. Smita Kulkarni urged everyone to preserve and continue the legacy of Bhaubeej.

Several Bhaubeej volunteers from Mumbai also attended the event. The ceremony was compared by Smt. Jyoti Pokale from Shishuvihar Primary School (Erandwane), and the event concluded with a rendition of "Vande Mataram" by the teachers of Shishuvihar Primary School, Karvenagar.