Rajkot’s Growing Haven for the Elderly Set to Become a Landmark in Care
Where Abandonment Ends and Dignity Begins
We Don’t Need Donations, We Need Parents: Dhirendra Kanabar
Inside Gujarat’s Largest Old Age Home Caring for 700+ Forgotten Lives
A Place Where 5,000 Elders Will Find Care, Respect, and Belonging
From Bedridden to Belonged: Stories from Sadbhavna Old Age Home
No Elder Should Be Left Behind : Mital Khetaani
- Bilkul Online | By Rafat Quadri
- Ahmedabad | 28 April 2026
There are some silences that are difficult to hear—the silence of an elderly person sitting alone in a room, the silence of someone who once raised a family but now has no one to call their own.
In Rajkot, that silence is being answered with an unusual appeal.
Not for funds. Not for expansion.
But for people.
“We are not looking for beneficiaries—we are looking for parents,” said Dhirendra Kanabar, Administrator of Sadbhavna Vrudhashram in Rajkot, summing up the philosophy behind the Vinubhai Bachubhai Nagrecha Parisar Sadbhavna Old Age Home.
Inside Gujarat’s Largest Free Old Age Home
A growing home in Rajkot is restoring care, respect, and belonging to thousands of elderly lives. Vijay Dobriya is the President of Sadbhavana Old Age Home (Sadbhavna Vrudhashram) in Rajkot.
Rajkot’s Sadbhavna initiative is building one of the world’s largest free care homes for the vulnerable. A 5,000-capacity initiative offering lifelong care to the destitute, bedridden, and forgotten elderly.
A Home That Invites the Forgotten
Sadbhavna Old Age Home is opening its doors to childless, destitute, disabled, and bedridden elderly individuals, offering them free admission and lifelong care—without any fees, discrimination, or conditions.
At a time when the traditional joint family system is steadily weakening, the institution is responding to a growing social reality—elderly individuals being left without support, shelter, or dignity.
For many, this is not just an old age home. It is a last refuge.
Unmatched Scale with a Singular Purpose
What makes Sadbhavna stand out is not just compassion—but scale backed by intent.
- Capacity to house 5,000 elderly residents
- 1,400 rooms across 7 towers, each with 11 floors
- Built at a cost of approximately ₹500 crore
- Spread over 30 acres, with 20 lakh sq. ft. construction area
The expansion aims to create what is being described as the world’s largest free old age home for men and women, designed to accommodate those who have nowhere else to go.
“This is not infrastructure—it is responsibility at scale,” said Mital Khetani, from administrator team.
Who Can Find a Home Here
Sadbhavna’s approach is notably inclusive.
The institution provides shelter to:
- Childless and destitute elderly
- Disabled and seriously ill individuals
- Completely bedridden persons
- Even patients in coma—of any age—who have no one to care for them
A dedicated department has been created specifically for those who are entirely dependent—individuals who are often invisible in society because they cannot ask for help.
Currently, over 700 elderly residents are already living at the facility, including around 260 who are bedridden and require constant attention.
“The real tragedy is not aging—it is being left alone while still alive,” Kanabar said.
More Than Care—A Life Rebuilt
The Sadbhavna campus is designed not just to house people, but to restore a sense of life.
Residents receive:
- 24/7 medical care and personal supervision
- Regular health check-ups and therapeutic services
- Physiotherapy support to regain strength and mobility
- Clean, safe, and well-maintained living spaces
- Nutritious food and daily care
Beyond physical care, the environment focuses deeply on emotional and mental well-being.
There are libraries filled with religious and inspirational books, game rooms encouraging interaction, and a grand auditorium hosting cultural programs, bhajans, and seminars.
A Satsang Hall provides space for spiritual connection, while a temple within the परिसर offers peace and devotion—helping residents find comfort beyond their circumstances.
“Care is not just medicine—it is conversation, respect, and the feeling that you still matter,” said Khetani.
Designed for Dignity
Even the smallest details reflect a deeper philosophy.
Residents are given:
- Personal wardrobes and storage
- Bedside facilities
- Spaces they can call their own
These are not just amenities—they are reminders of identity and independence.
The aim is clear: to transform a facility into a home.
For Those Who Have No One Left
One of the most significant efforts is the special unit for completely bedridden and abandoned individuals—including those who may spend their days in pain, isolation, or even waiting for death due to lack of care.
Sadbhavna steps in where families and systems often cannot.
“If someone has no one to care for them, then it becomes our duty as a society,” Kanabar said.
A Living Community, Not an Institution
Spread across a peaceful, eco-friendly campus, Sadbhavna is designed to replace loneliness with belonging.
Here, people do not just live—they interact, participate, and reconnect.
The effort is to ensure that every resident experiences:
- Companionship instead of isolation
- Routine instead of emptiness
- Respect instead of neglect
“We are not giving them shelter—we are giving them a family,” Khetani said.
A Call That Extends Beyond Rajkot
The organisation is urging citizens to become part of this mission.
If anyone comes across an elderly person who is:
- Homeless
- Bedridden
- Seriously ill
- Abandoned or helpless
They are encouraged to help bring them to Sadbhavna Old Age Home, located near Paddhari on the Rajkot–Jamnagar Highway.
Closing Reflection
In a rapidly changing society, where progress often comes at the cost of connection, Sadbhavna Old Age Home raises a simple but powerful question:
What do we owe those who once gave us everything?
“A society is remembered not for how it treats its strongest, but for how it cares for its most dependent,” said Kanabar.
At Sadbhavna, that answer is being written every day—quietly, patiently, and with dignity.
One life at a time.
If you come across any destitute, bedridden, or abandoned elderly person—or wish to support this initiative—please reach out and contribute generously.
Sadbhavna Old Age Home (Mob: 80002 88888)
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