From a chance encounter at a Rajkot traffic signal to a ₹300 crore campus housing 5,000 elderly souls. The remarkable story of Manav Seva Charitable Trust’s mission to restore dignity to India’s forgotten elders.

In the heart of Gujarat, on the Rajkot – Jamnagar Highway, stands an institution unlike any other in the world. Sadbhavna  Vrudhashram also known as Sadbhavna Dham is the world’s largest free old age home, offering unconditional, lifelong shelter to the most vulnerable elderly: the bedridden, the childless, the destitute, and the forgotten. No discrimination. No conditions.

As India’s joint family system continues to fragment under the pressures of urbanisation and migration, millions of elderly people find themselves without care or support in their final years. Sadbhavna Vrudhashram was born precisely to answer this crisis and it has grown, in just a decade, from seven residents to a vision of 5,000.

The  Founding Moment:  A Traffic Signal That Changed Everything.

The story of Sadbhavnadham begins not in a boardroom or a government office, but at a traffic signal in Rajkot. When Vijabhai Dobariya, who was to become the spear bearer of India’s most ambitious elder care mission, came across one such frail old man who could barely walk, selling chickens for a livelihood, he was stunned. The old man was on a seven day fast. Passersny had turned a blind eye to him.

Vijaybhai sold all his stock and gave him money. Yet the encounter had lodged something else in his heart, a moral imperative that would not go away. India’s Independence Day on 15th August, 2015, six years later after Sadbhavna Vrudhashram was officially established. The symbolism was not accidental, as India celebrated freedom, this establishment started providing freedom from abandonment to the forgotten old people of the country.

A society is judged by the way in which it treats its weakest members, not the way in which it treats its strongest.

A journey of Compassionate Growth:

2015: Founded on Independence Day With just 7 senior citizens. Vijaybhai Donbariya sets the founding principle: no healthy-only policy; the sickest, most vulnerable elders are welcomed first.

2018-2022: Residents grow steadily:256 to 550. A professional team of caretakers, nurses, physiotherapist, and support staff is assembled. A weekly pocket allowance of ₹100 per resident is introduced to preserve  dignity and financial independence. 

2024: The facility crosses 650 residents, including 200+fully bedridden individuals. A dedicated department of comatose, cancer-stricken, and diaper dependent elderly is established. Manav Seva Charitable Trust announces the world-record expansion plan.

2025: Present  – Renamed Vinubhai Bachubhai Nagrecha Parisar. Seven 11- storey towers under construction at Mota Rampar. 700+ residents currently cared for. A 151 crore tree plantation initiative is launched nationwide.

Why Sadbhavndham Is the World’s Largest Old Age Home.

The claim is not just a number it is a category defining statement. Most old age homes across the world serve paying residents or accept only those who are mobile and self-sufficient. Sadbhavna Vrudhashram inverts this model entirely. 

Under construction at Rampart on the Rajkot-Janagar Highway, the new campus officially the Vinubhai Bachubhai Nagrecha Parisar will consist of seven 11-storey buildings spread across  30 acres, with 1,300 rooms capable of housing 5,000 elderly individuals simultaneously. The total investment stands at ₹300 crore, funded entirely through public donations and philanthropic support. 

Among the landmark donations: a single gift of ₹108 crore by Shri Hashubhai Nagrecha and Smt.Umbiebn Radia. Morari Bapu hosted an eight-day global Ram katha in late 2024 specifically to raise funds for the mission. As reported in Divya Bhaskar, this Rajkot old age home’s plan to shelter 5,000 elders marks a historic moment in Indian elder care, a shift from individual charity to a scalable , replicable national model.

What makes it truly unique?

Not India but the world’s first zero cost to resident. No fees, no charges, no subscriptions ever. Every elderly person admitted receives food, shelter, medical attention, and emotional care for life. 

Inclusive without exception. Residents are admitted of caste, religion, creed, state of health, or mobility. Bedridden individuals including those with cancer or in a coma are a priority, not an exception.

World – Class Facilities Under One Roof 

The new campus is designed as a complete, self-contained living environment not an institution, but a home. Facilities include: 

• Temple
• Annapurna dining hall
• Library
• Exercise and fitness area
• Yoga hall
• Medical center / Dispensary 
• Landscaped Gardens
• Community hall
• Physiotherapy wing
• Dedicated Bedridden Care Unit 

A professional team of caretakers, helpers, nurses, physiotherapists, administrative staff, and house keeping assistants ensures that every resident – no matter their condition- receives dignified, attentive care around the clock.

The Special Care Department: For Those With No One.

One of Sadbhavna Vrudhashram’s most distinctive features is its dedicated department for the most medically vulnerable elderly — those who are completely bedridden, diaper-dependent, suffering from cancer, or in a coma. These are individuals who, without Sadbhavna, would have no recourse.

Out of the current 700+ residents, 260 are fully bedridden. Many arrived having been abandoned by family or discovered on roadsides. The ashram requests the public: if you see a destitute, helpless, or bedridden elderly person in your vicinity — of any age — please bring them to Sadbhavna Vrudhashram. They will be admitted and cared for, free of cost, for life.

Elder Care as National Duty

Sadbhavna Vrudhashram anchors itself in the ancient Indian value of Matridevo Bhava, Pitridevo Bhava — the sacred duty to honour one’s mother and father. In an age where this value is increasingly difficult to act upon individually, the ashram offers society a way to collectively fulfil this responsibility.

The Manav Seva Charitable Trust also plans to use Sadbhavna Vrudhashram as a replicable model that can be built in every Indian state — turning one institution’s compassion into a national system of care.

The institution has spiritual credibility and institutional strength due to the patronage of Swamiji Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati Maharaj and the guidance of the advisory committee chairman Shri Mital Khetani and presence of revered individuals like Mrs. Deena Mehta (Former President of BSE).

 Sadbhavna’s Vision for “Beyond Elder Care”

Sadbhavna Vrudhashram is not only an old age home. Similarly, Manav Seva Charitable Trust also operates:

– 151 Crore Tree Plantation Drive — a government-imposed environmental drive with 150 Miyawaki forests to be established in Gujarat.

Care of abandoned and injured bulls (Badad Ashram)

To rescue and rehabilitate stray dogs.

Animal Hospital — free veterinary care for animals

Free Medical Services: Community health camps for those in need

This multi-pronged mission is a commitment to a philosophy of compassion that must include all living things and the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sadbhavna Vrudhashram really cost free?

Yes, completely. No fees, charges, subscription or deposit is collected from any resident – at any time. Food, shelter, medical care and daily needs are provided for free for life.

In Sadbhavna Old Age Home in Rajkot, who can be taken care of?

Any old person who is destitute, childless, bedridden or abandoned, irrespective of his caste, religion or background from any part of India. Those who can’t get up from bed or are medically weak and frail, including those in a coma or with cancer, are particularly welcome.

In which state would Sadbhavna Vrudhashram be?

Vinubhai Bachubhai Nagrecha Parisar, Jamnagar – Rajkot Highway, Mota Rampar, Gujarat – 360110. The new campus is being constructed at Rampar, near Paddhari, on the same highway.

Who is the visionary behind Sadbhavna Vrudhashram and how to donate to it?

Online at donate.sadbhavnadham.org or by calling +91 85301 38001 / +91 80002 88888. Donations are tax deductible.

What makes it the “world’s largest old age home”?

The new campus will provide a home to 5,000 senior citizens in 7 11-storey buildings, making it the largest Elder Care facility in the world to be free for the elderly; it was covered in the news by national media such as Free Press Journal, Tribune India and Bilkul Online.

How many of the elderly are there now living in Sadbhavna?

At present, over 700 old people are residing in the existing facility in Rajkot, including 260 who are bedridden. This new campus will eventually be able to house 5,000.

Sources & References

1. sadbhavnadham.org/how-sadhbhavna-vrudhashram-became-indias-largest-old-age-home

2. Divya Bhaskar — Rajkot old age home, 5000 elders arrangement (Gujarati language coverage)