Chinmaya Vijaya is an integral unique program of CORD in India. Chinmaya Vijaya is a girls’ orphanage at Kaza near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The idea for the orphanage germinated after the tsunami of December 2004. It began in a small building with three girls taken in by the founders Dr. Sumathi Mukkamala and Dr. AppaRao Mukkamala. Later, built on a sprawling five acres of land donated by Sri Lingamaneni Bhaskara’s family, the orphanage became fully functional in early 2007 under the auspices of CORD. The founders have been inspired by Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda words, “You are born to work. To work for yourself is no problem; but also, you have to work for your neighbors, your community. It’s your duty.”
Speaking about the orphanage, the founders said, “We chose to start an all-girls orphanage because one of the sins in our society is that the girl child is discriminated against. Our goal is to bring up these children like our own, with love and affection, provide them with comfortable living quarters, nutritious food, quality health care, and a world-class education.”
Dr. Sumathi Mukkamala further adds, “The children we take in are priceless. I feel so lucky that I can do this for children who are in need. When I sit there with them, watching them; the joy I get…nothing else in the world compares.” As of 2017, Chinmaya Vijaya is providing shelter to 84 girls.