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| Mega Camp at Palitana |
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The Shatrunjaya Hill in Palitana is adorned with the highest concentration of beautifully carved Jain temples to be found anywhere in the world.There are a total of 863 temples in Palitana which is not only an important pilgrimage for the followers of Jainism but equally important are the architecture of the temples and the elaborate carvings on them.
The Jain temples of Palitana were constructed in the north Indian style of temple architecture and Vastushastra. As the Jains often walk barefoot to their temples and cover their mouths with a cloth to stop the inhalation of insects, their temples were built in groups, to make the pilgrimage easier. This also gave each temple an identity of its own despite being part of a cluster. Like the Jains who prefer the purity of white, their temples too are usually white, a combination of plaster and marble. And because they record the devotion of the Jains towards their 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual leaders), the temples end up being elaborate, with many ornamental details.
The act of ascending a path to reach a place of pilgrimage is a part of the Hindu and Jain consciousness, which is why many of the holiest temples are located along hills and mountain ranges. The Jains have five separate hill locations for their holiest clusters of temples, with Shatrunjaya Hill at Palitana being the most important. For nothing can match the vision of a hillside covered with the spires of hundreds of temples, each stretching higher still, as if anxious to establish communion with the skies.
Amidst these serene surroundings a group of socially conscious Jains and others from USA,UK, Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Middle East and India are planning to do what their religion exhorts them to do-show compassion and care for your fellow beings.
They are organizing a Mega Mobility Camp at Palitana from the 23rd of December 2009 to the 9th of January, 2010. It would be the largest of its kind anywhere in the world and would rehabilitate over 25,000 poor orthopaedically handicapped and hearing impaired from the nearby districts.
Amputees would get free custom made Jaipur foot prosthetics, polio afflicted children would become mobile through fitting of Callipers, Tricycles, Wheelchairs, Walkers would be distributed on a need based assessment and hearing impaired would undergo audiological tests and receive appropriate hearing aids.
A large number of international and national visitors are expected at the camp to witness a humanitarian project the likes of which has never been attempted before. |
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The trust organizes Mobility Camps for the physically challenged all over India. As the name suggests these camp impart “mobility” to the physically challenged.
The following activities are undertaken in these camps: |
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- Free fitting of Jaipur foot prosthetic to amputees
- Free Callipers to impart mobility to Polio affected children
- Free fitting of made to measure supporting splints, moulded jackets, spinal braces,tibia braces and artificial hands to OH patients as per their individual requirements.
- Free distribution of Tricycles and Wheelchairs (for both adults and children) along with crutches, walkers, blind men’s sticks etc.
- Conducting of audiology tests and distribution of appropriate hearing aids to hearing impaired children.
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Diagnostic/Screening Camps:
The USP of our Mobility Camps is the pre-identification and selection of beneficiaries through screening/diagnostic camps at selected locations in proximity to the main camps. This ensures that the aids and appliances are distributed to genuine and needy beneficiaries only.
In addition to the orthopaedic screening camps a team of Audiologists are also sent to selected schools and other locations to conduct audiology tests on the hearing impaired children. Based upon the results of these tests Hearing Aids of the appropriate strength (Mild-Moderate-Strong) are recommended for distribution during the main mobility camps.
Geographical Coverage of the Mobility Camps:
Gujarat school children:
For the third year in succession the Education department of the Government of Gujarat selected our trust to organise mobility camps targeting school and out of school children in all the 25 districts and 4 Corporations of Gujarat. The ongoing camps aim at the rehabilitation of orthopaedically handicapped and hearing impaired children.
More than 20,000 OH and HI children have been rehabilitated in these camps during 2008-2009.
Banaskantha District of Gujarat:
The trust has organized several camps all over Gujarat for the rehabilitation of the physically challenged.
The district collectorate of Banaskantha was so impressed by our work that during 2008 Independence Day celebrations they prompted us to make a commitment to free the district from any physically challenged awaiting rehabilitation by 1st May 2010-the Golden Jubilee of the state.
The trust is now organising a series of camps all over the district to keep up to its commitment.
Mobility camps in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas:
For the second year in succession our trust ventured where hardly anyone goes and organized a hectic three week schedule of Mobility Camps covering areas like Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Leh and Kargil including Zanskar and Changthan valleys in Ladakh and Srinagar/Anantnag in Kashmir.
A total of 1304 beneficiaries availed of the free services offered with a Mobile Van and team of technicians/social workers from Mumbai.
Mumbai mobility camps:
The trust continued with its activities to rehabilitate the physically challenged school children and others in a series of camps in different areas of Mumbai.
These camps were organized with the support of the Education Department, Municipal Corporation and social organizations like the Lions and Rotary.
A major camp was organized with support from Belgium which was attended by well known names from the fashion industry and the crème de la crème of Mumbai society.
Permanent centres for the handicapped: |
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| In addition to the various camps organized all over the country the trust also has three permanent centres which offer free orthopaedic assistive devices to the physically challenged. These centres are located at: |
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- King George V Memorial Hospital in Mumbai which has been active for the last many years
- Dharamsala in the land of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This centre also acts as the hub for various activities in the northern part of the country
- NRI General Hospital at Chinakakani in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh which acts as the base for welfare activities in South India.
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All the above centres are fully equipped and manned by trained and experienced technical personnel.
MOBILE ORTHOPAEDIC AND AUDIOLOGY HOSPITAL VANS:
The overwhelming response to the mobility camps and the need to provide such services right at the doorstep of the disabled prompted Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust to design and fabricate a fleet of Mobile Vans to render services to OH and HI patients.
Three vans are fully equipped with the necessary machinery, raw materials and technical manpower and move from village to village organizing camps for fitting of Jaipur foot artificial limb to amputees and Callipers to polio affected children.
Another custom made van has four sound proof cabins to conduct audiology tests and distribute appropriate hearing aids to the hearing impaired.
This has given a quantum jump in the number of beneficiaries that could be rehabilitated right down to the village level where no such activity had ever been carried out before. |
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| click here to view Total Number of Beneficiaries |
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