VIRUDHUNAGAR: At 65, Mariammal of Srirangapalayam found herself with nothing but the clothes she wore. Widowed, penniless, and abandoned by her only daughter, she drifted to the steps of a temple, where hunger gnawed at her more fiercely than loneliness. For days, passersby saw her sitting in silence, her frail frame bent not just with age but with despair. A few offered food, but it was clear she needed more than meals — she needed a place where she could still feel human.
That place came in the form of the Mother Teresa Old Age Home near Vembakottai. Social worker R Selvakumar, who first spotted Mariammal’s plight, contacted the home’s founder, 52-year-old G Gnanaguru, known simply as Guru. Without hesitation, Guru welcomed her in at no cost. Today, she has a bed to sleep in, three meals a day, and, most importantly, people who care for her.
Like Mariammal, many senior citizens who have been abandoned by their families and have no one to care for them have found comfort and dignity over the past two decades, thanks to Guru — a farmer by profession, who runs the home entirely free of cost.
Speaking to TNIE, Guru recalled the lasting impression left by elderly people he saw on the streets as a child. “As a schoolboy, I would often pass by them. Those early encounters quietly planted the seeds of a lifelong mission. The desire to serve the elderly and build hospitals began taking shape back then,” he said. Years later, after completing his Class 12, he rented a small space and opened his first shelter, beginning with just two senior citizens. “As the number of residents began to grow over the years, I decided to construct a permanent building on my own property to provide the elderly with a more comfortable place to stay,” he said.
Being a farmer, Guru began using a portion of the rice cultivated on his farm to feed the residents. He also hired a cook to help manage daily meals. He fondly recalled how friends and local community members, inspired by his dedication, began supporting his mission. “One such supporter is SP Subburaj, a local vegetable vendor, who was so moved by our efforts that he started supplying vegetables for every meal free of cost and has continued to do so, even when grocery prices went up. He never once asked for money,” Guru said.
In addition to regular medical check-ups provided by Primary Health Centres and government hospitals, the home has also received critical support from the private healthcare sector. “Dr Tamilmani, a compassionate physician from a local private hospital, has been generously offering his medical services free of charge during emergencies. His timely help ensures that our residents get immediate and quality care when they need it most,” Guru shared.
He also took immense pride in how his passion for service has influenced his own family. His daughter, Guru Priya (22), a postgraduate in Commerce, now plays a key role in the daily operations of the home. “From managing household needs to personally attending to the emotional and physical well-being of the elderly, she has become an integral part of the home’s nurturing environment,” he said.
Looking to the future, Guru dreams of expanding his mission even further. “Beyond just providing shelter and food, I want to build a hospital that can serve not only the residents of our home, but also the wider community, especially those who can’t afford medical treatment,” he said.
With his unshaken resolve and the support of a compassionate community, Guru’s mission has become more than just an old age home — it is a sanctuary where the forgotten find family, and the abandoned find dignity. For Mariammal and countless others like her, the journey that began in loneliness and despair now ends in comfort and care. And for Guru, every smile that returns to a weary face is proof that one man’s compassion can defy cruelty, rebuild broken lives, and keep hope alive where it once seemed lost.
(Edited by Dinesh Jefferson E)