Heritage

Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve deeply affected from a very early age by some of the repressive and cruel social customs, particularly the treatment meted out to child widows, he decided very early in his life, that society could not move forward without sweeping reforms for women. While society at the time was sharply divided between the conservative majority, and the reformist minority, Anna - as he was lovingly called by his people took a balanced approach. He simply proceeded to act upon his ideals, beginning in a small way, and working tirelessly till one day his dream of women's education and widow education, rehabilitation and remarriage, reality.

In his own personal life too, he lived by his principles. The long and felicitous marriage between him and his second wife, herself a child widow, was a shinning example of how men and women can work shoulder-to-shoulder to bring about social change.

Today, that little ashram with which he started has blossomed and burgeoned into a thriving and dynamic institution, the Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha.  Little ashram is beautiful, well thought-out memorial is a fitting, permanent documentation and homage to this great man's work, and to the thousands of nameless people who he enthused and inspired, to donate their time energies, money and faith to the cause of women's education and emancipation.

To narrate every aspect of the lifework of a man of his stature, is no easy task - given that he worked tirelessly for every day of his 105 years, and achieved what many would have taken several lifetimes to accomplish. And yet, this unique memorial has managed to provide us and generations to come with a multi-dimensional picture of thoughts of Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve. The facets of his humble yet self-assured personality, his might struggles, And his sweet successes - all shine through in the three halls of this unique structure. Anyone who enters here, surely, will leave from the other side a changed person - moved, touched and full of pride, that once, there walked one such as him in our great land. And that his legacy continues to inspire the forward-thinking men and women in India and all over the world.