LUCKNOW: Mumukshu Bhawan, a hospice where elderly people who believe in “Kashyam Marnam Mukti” (‘Death in Kashi leads to salvation'), wait for their final sojourn, is one of the many amenities that have recently been opened on the campus of Kashi Vishwanath Dham (KVD), inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in December of last year. There were previously three such centres in Varanasi, but this one stands out since it is located in Baba Vishwanath‘s courtyard.
The three-story, completely air-conditioned building, spread in 1,161 square metres, is perilously located right next to Baba Vishwanath (lord Shiva) and equidistant from the famous Manikarnika Ghat, the cremation site by the holy Ganga.
The locals claim that this is the “Avimukt Kshetra,” or the Kashi’s holiest circle.
One of the 20 service buildings on the grounds of Kashi Vishwanath Dham is the salvation hospice, which recently welcomed those looking for salvation.
Six senior citizens, two of whom are ladies, have travelled from all across the country to Mumukshu Bhawan, also known as Vaidyanath Bhawan, in anticipation of leaving for their heavenly home, receiving salvation, and never again having to participate in the tiresome cycle of life and death.
Be it Mohanlal, 64, Badri Prasad Agarwal, 88, the former mining engineer from Churu (Rajasthan), Chandulal Sadanlal Parmar, 80, the former textile machines engineer from Mumbai, or Kavita Srivastava, 69, a former schoolteacher and Kukum Jaiswal of Lucknow.
The chance to spend their final days in the courtyard of their “isht” Lord Shiva by holy Ganga has left everyone speechless. The hospice has a hostel with 40 beds.
The facility is only for those over the age of 65.
There are beds available here for anyone who meets the age requirements on a first-come, first-served basis.
They are free to stay here until the day they pass away, but if someone who is near to passing away due to a terminal illness comes, they will be given preference.
“If such a person arrives and there is no vacancy, then the healthier residents would be shifted temporarily to local old age homes,” says hospice manager Kaumudi Kant Ameta.
In fact, the management of the hospice has been awarded to a Udaipur-based NGO Tara Sansthan which runs eye hospitals and old-age homes in Udaipur, Prayagraj and other cities. The responsibility of management was given through tender.
Ameta also shares that the hospice has a team of two doctors, six nurses-cum-caretakers, housekeeping and kitchen staff.
“Inmates are given the meals as per diet chart prescribed by doctors in view of age and health condition,” says Ameta, adding that a personal pantry facility is also available.
All the facilities are free of cost for the inmates by the organisation, which runs on donations.
The inmates, who perform religious activities and yoga, are also taken to Kashi Vishwanath temple regularly.
As the hospice took final shape, the managers of Tarat Sanathan offered the inmates of old age homes of the organisation to register if they were interested in staying at this hospice in Kashi Vishwanath Dham.
Six of them showed interest and were brought here.