They once begged on temple streets but today they perform boldly on stage with bagpipes. This is the remarkable story of one woman’s vision that transformed the lives of hundreds of tribal children. The melody of bagpipes echoing through the Aravalli hills has become a melody of self-belief - a reminder that adversity can be overcome when opportunity meets talent and persistence.
Over 200 tribal boys and girls have been brought into education, residential care and structured training.
At the centre of this change stands Usha Agarwal, a native of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district and founder of Shri Shakti Seva Kendra, who is affectionately known across the region as “Usha Maa.” Guided by a simple conviction — “not alms, but education” — she began working with children who lived around temple premises.
Usha Maa, as she is fondly called, recalls when she first saw these children, climbing nearly 1,100 steps while playing the traditional musical instrument Ravan Hattha. Moved by the children’s determination and natural talent, a local initiative was launched to nurture their potential. “We had no idea they could perform with such grace and confidence. That day, we realised these girls deserved a platform that would showcase their abilities and give them a new direction in life.”
Most of the girls come from extremely underprivileged backgrounds. Recognising their resilience, the organisers decided to form a bagpiper band exclusively for tribal girls — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state. However, convincing the girls and their families was a major challenge.
Professional trainers were brought in from Mumbai to teach the children bagpipe music. After two years of rigorous training, the band finally took shape. “There may be similar bands elsewhere, but this is certainly the first of its kind in our region,” Usha Maa says.
For Usha Maa, the band is not merely a form of cultural expression, but a social message. Through performances, the group seeks to highlight the responsibility of the society to free children from begging.
“Our country cannot feel proud if even one child is forced to beg,” she says, adding that efforts are underway to make the Ambaji region completely free from child begging.
For many members of the band, the journey is deeply personal. Seema, one of the band’s key performers, says she used to begged before being encouraged by Usha Maa to pursue education. “After joining, we did not just learn music. We learned confidence, discipline and how to live with dignity and self-respect,” she says.
Paramai Rekhakumari, the band’s leader and an eighth-grade student, says the training programme provided food, accommodation and academic support alongside music.
Rekha, another member, remarks, “We come from remote valley villages where there was no access to education. But after joining Shree Shakti Seva Kendra and the Tribal Girls Bagpiper Band, our lives changed completely. Music gave us confidence, education gave us direction, and discipline gave us strength.”
Fifteen-year-old Amba shares a similar story. “I used to beg. Now I go to school and learn music,” she says; a simple sentence that captures a profound shift. Teachers at the centre say the children are not only learning music but also performing well in academics and sports. The Shree Shakti Seva was established in 2011 by Usha Maa with the guiding philosophy “Bhikhe nahi, pan bhanva jaiye” (Not to beg, but to learn). The initiative began at Gabbar Hill, Ambaji, with just 10 children and now has more than 200. Usha Maa says, “We also launched a campaign called “Jagah Nahi, Zindgai Badle” (Change Life, Not Place) under which we adopted entire families. We also provide women skill training.”
During its journey, the organisation recognised that education alone could not break the cycle of poverty. In response, Shree Shakti Seva Kendra, with support from the Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and its own institutional efforts, facilitated the construction of 200 houses for tribal families.
Inspired by the success of the first batch, nearly 500 children have now registered. The group has already been invited to perform at prominent public events, including Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.