|
|
RASHTRA SEVIKA SAMITI
Founded by late Smt. Lakshmibai Kelkar at Wardha in the year 1936, the
Rashtra Sevika Samiti is a cultural Organisation of Hindu Women. The
Rashtra Sevika Samiti is committed to the cause of the glorious
Hindurashtra, our motherland. The Samiti is an all India Organisation.
They have over 3,500 branches in our country.
Creating awareness among women regarding their cultural and social
responsibilities is the principal theme of the work of the Samiti. With
this aim in view the Samiti imparts training to women. The said training
involves development of a woman as a whole; physically intellectually
and spiritually so that she could lead the society through operation of
shakhas (Branches).
It must be remembered that women constitute the very back-bone of the
family. Women have to play multiple roles, annapoorna (Providing
nutrition), nurse, maintaining hygiene and sanitation, taking care of
ecology, bringing up children and a host of other roles simultaneously.
But the most important role a woman has to play is that of a preacher of
culture and way of life-Dharma & to inculcate ethical values and
practices in her family. It is mainly the women who transmit the
cultural values to the successive generations. The training imparted to
the women through Shakhas is designed to meet all such demands and to
equip the Sevikas so that they would be able to promote and practice all
that is expected of them.
The Samiti holds periodical shibirs (Training camps) of varying
durations, from time to time, for intensive exposure of the Seviks to
various issues facing our country. The main training is imparted in the
annual training camp so as to equip the participants in such a way that
they could conduct the Shakha work competently.
Various functions and programmes are organized every year so as to
establish and sustain social contacts on a mass scale. State level and
National level conferences are held routinely for review and planning of
work.
The Samiti operates various seva karyas which include schools for girls,
hostels for girls, hostels for children of the disabled leprosy
patients, samskar kendras, vocational training centers, counseling
centers, libraries, tuition classes, etc.
One significant karya is to train women so that they could officiate as
priests on various religious occasions and rites. It is now a common
sight in a few cities in Maharashtra to see women officiating as
priests. In fact they are in great demand because they conduct the rites
meticulously and in the true spirit of a priest. |
