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No warm clothes no sleep for many in these chilly winter nights:
25/12/23
Many kids are left out. One such place is Rohanda Madhyamgram Brick kiln. The labourers and their families are far away from the glitter and joys of the cities. With no education, medication or proper food, the kids are malnourished. Wearing only tattered torn dresses these kids have never felt the warmth of a blanket too on a cold winter night. Soil and mud being their only play things, celebrating Christmas is only a dream for them.
Members of the Petals family have been working on making this dream come true. On Christmas Petals reached out to these kids to spread the warmth of love and happiness. All members, including many little members joined hands to decorate a hill of chocolates and an ocean of toys. Cakes and fresh fruits added to the fresh feel to celebrations. A magic show and a Chota Bheem brought more magic. Happy kids helped themselves to fistfuls of chocolates. Petals was successful in spreading love and laughter in the lives of the kids who were often neglected. We wish these kids play with toys and balls and not with bricks. We do not know whether Petals could become Santa even for a day. We understand that we get abundant love and grace only when we give the same to the needy ones.
Let’s come together and awake the real Santa hidden in each one of us.
May you all have a happy and fun-filled new year. Happy new year 2024!!!
Stay blessed.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
October 2023
Though the festivities have not ended, the blowing of conchs and the ringing of bells has diminished with the return of Maa Durga. The mandaps lay vacant, all having a break after the puja.
Many a dreams and responsibilities to keep others happy rest on us Baranagar Petals during these days of celebration for which all members are eagerly excited to extend their helping hands. Some appreciate our efforts and some overlook. Still our endeavors continue unceasingly. One reaches out to the blind families with bundle of rations after office work, one homemaker goes out of town to help out some ailing elders, some senior members reach a hospital to help cancer afflicted kids. Our young members willingly choose their respective responsibilities to spread love. This year there was overflowing of love, compassion and humanity with many organisations coming together to work hand in hand to bring smiles for the less privileged families. Around 400 families could be each provided with ration about 51 kgs weight. Many kids fighting cancer could be helped with nutritious protein food. Many people could be provided with new clothes of their choice. Many elderly and kids neglected by their families could be provided with some days of good food and fun&laughter. All this could be possible only because of the selfless compassion and contribution of some noble souls who are always ready with their continuous support. We too are ready to carry out the plans of God.
We are grateful for being bestowed with this responsibility.
SHUBHO BIJAYA
Stay happy and blessed.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
05/9/2023
“Worshipping Gopal on Janmastami, while the real Gopals live in pain??”
People queue in front of temples to feed sweets and delicacies to Krishna idols when real Krishnas remain hungry and in pain on hospital beds taking their dose of chemotherapy. The Yashodama concealing her helplessness behind teary eyes. Petals reached out to 75 such Krishnas at Kolkata Medical Hospital with gifts and nutritious food.
30/4/2023
Religion is not a barrier to our sincere efforts of humanitarian aid. Some days ago we got a request, far away from the snowclad mountain region of Kashmir, for financial help from an old father, for his elder daughter’s marriage. Living in a small hamlet on the outskirts of Srinagar, Nasifa’s (name has been changed) marriage could not be solemnized due to a shortage of resources and funds. We received a request to provide aid for her marriage with minimal arrangements through a special friend of the PETALS family, Ms. Jyotima Mazumder.
It was not possible to get any details or check on the authenticity of the request from Kolkata. Thanks to our friend Mr. Kiran Chatterjee (Ex-Army man of the Indian Army), a member of ASTHA ngo who provided us the contact number of Mr. Ashish Chakraborty, a special task force personnel with the Indian Army. Mr. Ashish along with his colleagues in the Army helped us in getting all the required details of the needy family. On 30.4.2023 Petals sent our small token of love for Nasifa in the form of money amount through our brothers posted along the borders of our country (The names and identities of the family and others are not being shared due to security reasons).
We are all elated along with Nasifa’s family. Our blessings and best wishes for her married life ahead. We are indebted and grateful to all because of whom we could reach out to this young girl miles away from here. Our big salutation to the Indian Army personnel who protect us round the clock. Your kind gesture and your promise to keep in touch and work together have touched our hearts. Our sole effort is to hold each other’s hands and be with people and bring smiles to the faces of many more.
Stay happy, stay safe.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
BARANAGAR PETALS
9674811628
23/4/2023
Eyesight is a gift that allows us to see the beautiful creation of God. Eyes – one of the most essential and sensitive _Panchendriyas_ (sense organs) have to be taken care of by all. When there is any issue with vision due to age-related or any other factor, immediate attention and treatment are required. This might be quite affordable for most of us but it’s a distant dream for the ones who do not even have two meals daily. Persons toiling hard for their families in the burning heat of a brick kiln do not have the means or resources to check their vision. Most of them have issues like watery eyes, some outgrowth near the eyes, or allergies. A survey conducted by Baranagar Petals found a young mother (23yrs) losing her eyesight to a retina infection during pregnancy. A mother of 3 small kids would not have lost her vision if there was timely intervention and treatment.
Mohin Bhai, owner of the brick kiln in Rohanda, Madhyamgram had requested Petals for education and health requirements apart from the need for food. PETALS has already arranged for education and health for children here. On 23/04/23, a free eye check-up camp was organized by PETALS with the help of GKB Opticals who took the responsibility for free check-ups and spectacles for 125 brothers and sisters working in the kiln. Constant support from Sanghita Di and Sahadev Da, of the FOKE Foundation is greatly appreciated without whom this camp was not possible. And there was the excellent effort of Mohin Bhai, the owner of the brick kiln. Mohin Bhai was always with these labor families during the camp. We salute Dr. Neelava Das and
Dr. Monisha Saha for the compassion and care with which they examined each and every one present. We are grateful to GKB Opticals for their kind support towards the free checkup and gifting of spectacles. Petals took the responsibility for the procurement of all medicines required which was successfully delivered to brick kiln workers. Mohin Bhai’s gifting of ripe mangoes, plantains, and other fresh vegetables from his farm added glitter and joy to the day of light and sight.
May the Beauty of Creation be seen by the eyes and felt by the heart by all of us.
Take care. Stay happy and healthy.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
Baranagar PETALS
9674811628
12/2/23
Valentine’s Day…. a day of Love.
True love is still wanting amidst the exchange of red roses, chocolates, and costly gifts. An excellent natural feeling has lost most of its luster in the social exhibition of love. Still there exist pure beings whose love spreads hope and happiness around. This happened on 12.02.2023. Baranagar Petals accompanied Fifty-two differently-sighted brothers and sisters with their families total of 120 people on a pilgrimage to Maa Hangseshwari Temple, Hooghly. The day of songs, dance, food, and Divine darshan started at Dumdum station. We are indebted to the Divine Mother for being able to make all arrangements for the puja, mandir decoration, prasad, and archana. Our only intent was an exchange of heartfelt love between the children in front of the Divine Mother. The temple Sevayats too participated wholeheartedly. Dr. Sumon Poddar and his team successfully accomplished their task of offering Gangaajal abhishek of the Shivaling by holding the hands of our blind brothers and sisters. We could have a glimpse of the bonding of science and spirituality, like two branches of a tree.
Bansberia Municipality Chairman, Sri Aditya Neogi, and Sri Shankar Chakravarti helped us in availing the guesthouse facility. Grateful to Bappada, for the hand-licking delicious food arrangements. Gifts exchanged a special bag for our brothers&sisters, school bags for the kids, and a bag containing sattu, Govindbhog rice, and ghee. In exchange, we Petals received precious pearls of love and blessings.
After evening snacks with coffee and veg balls, we proceed to Chandannagar Church. The Father gifted holy water and Mother Mary blessing cards. Blind brother Govind Bhai’s melodious song created a heavenly atmosphere. Peace, peace, and Divine Peace were felt.
Now time to return home. Can we forget to relish Suryamodak Jalbhora Sandesh? We all had our fill on our way back.
Reached the end of a great day celebrated with lots of Love. There were roarings of Jayjaykar of Maa Hangseshwari and well wishes for Petals.
Sri subhash nath (Manabik Ranaghat), Sahadev da (FOKE foundation), Nasim Rehman bhai (Ankur foundation), Pathikrit saha(HELPP), Titir Narayan Nath, Sameer Adhikary we are greatly obliged to you all for your constant support. And much appreciation to all the members of the PETALS family. Three cheers to PETALS. HIP HIP HURRAY.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
PETALS
9674811628
14/1/2023
The sweetness of celebrating together…
Makar Sankranti is celebrated with much vigor, joy, and scrumptious meals and by flying beautiful kites from the terraces. It fills the air with the essence and aroma of new gur (jaggery) and pithe-puli from most homes. Is this the same for all households???? No. Many have to fill their minds and stomach only with these smells radiating from nearby houses, never getting a chance to savor any of these delicacies.
BARANAGAR PETALS think that we can rejoice in a festival together and celebrations ought to be with all and for all. On January 14th, we reached out to about 150 kids and families living in the RBC brick kiln, Rohanda to spread some sweetness with til laddus, aromatic rice payas, and other sweets. The sweetness in the smiles these sweets brought out was worth watching.
Mrs. Srabani Mukherjee, in honor of her late mother and in collaboration with FOKE Foundation added warmth to this by providing woolen blankets to all the kids and their family members. All these arrangements were possible because of the full support of Mohin Bhai from the RBC brick kiln. We salute you all. May you be blessed with a new life, prosperity, and resources. May the sweetness of gur and the warmth of til bring you plenty of happiness.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy
BARANAGAR PETALS
9163522452
08/1/2023
Along with Shova Maa, we all sang Atul Prasadji’s famous song “Hao dhoro mete dhir hao koro mete bir……………..”
It has been ages since all 40 elderly mothers at Vivekananda Bhaban shared happier moments together. Away from the hustle and busy of the city, in a small well-kept ashram in Habra, these mothers spend the remaining years of their simple lives, free of charge and free from the burdens of life; have food twice a day, can sleep peacefully. They too have little wishes, but fulfilling them seems a luxury for these ladies discouraged by their families. Petals think otherwise; all their little wishes can be fulfilled and these mothers are given due respect. So we arranged a warm get-together with sumptuous Gobindbhog-sonamoong khichdi, begun bhaja, fish fry, chutney, and sweets. All marketing is done by Astha Ngo and cooking by the ashram cooks. On 8th January Petals reached out with a bundle of gifts, a Royal welcome with Roses and greeting cards, with the roses finding their places in the hairs of our elderly ladies with their eyes teeming, not with tears but with smiles. The day of 8th January 2023 was their day of enjoyment and merry-making. The gifts-imitation gold chains- were all that they had wished for. We are indeed grateful for being able to fulfill their little wishes and of course, the wonderful return gifts we got in the form of fresh farm vegetables. We consider these to be “Mahaprasadam”.
All of this could be possible due to the generosity of our beloved member Mrs. Aditi Chakravarti from Hyderabad, who conducts baking classes for needy unemployed youth. Aditidevi gave all her salary to Petals. The purpose is “wish fulfillment” of the elderly parents in the true sense. Madam, gems like you add sparkle to our humble endeavors. Stay happy and blessed.
Dr. Sudha Mallareddy