“A mother is defined not just by child birth; sometimes, pain, rejection, and purpose makes her a mother.”
How many times you must have crumbled over small setbacks—losing your temper, feeling stressed, or seeking revenge for petty hurts? But then, there are stories that will humble you. Stories of women who endured unbearable pain, silence, and injustice. They didn’t scream or strike back—they rose with the hurt. Today, we bring you a real-life journey of 2 such women – mother daughter duo—broken by life, yet unshaken in spirit. Their response to suffering is what truly raises them to the highest spiritual health with inner peace & contentment and earns them our deepest respect🙏.
Table of Contents
💫 The Story of Sindhutai Sapkal — From Rejection to Reverence
Born into a poor cattle-grazing family in Wardha, Maharashtra in 1948, Sindhutai Sapkal was married off at the tender age of 12 to a man 20 years older. Her life quickly spiraled into abuse and betrayal. At 20, pregnant and beaten, she was thrown out of her home by her husband.
Left on the streets with a newborn in her arms, she begged to survive—but never begged for sympathy. Instead, she found purpose in the cries of orphans around her.
That’s where her spiritual journey began—not in temples, but in selfless motherhood.
💔 The Untold Pain Behind Sindhutai Sapkal’s Marriage
A Child Bride With Dreams, Silenced Too Soon
Born as Sindhu Sathe in 1948 in a poor family in Wardha, Maharashtra, she was lovingly called “Chindhi”, meaning torn cloth, because her family believed she was unwanted.
Her father, though financially weak, believed in education and secretly sent her to school by using cow dung leaves as paper and charcoal as ink.
However, societal norms prevailed, and at the tender age of 12, Sindhu was married off to a man 20 years older—a 32-year-old cowherd named Shrihari Sapkal. Her dreams were buried under the burden of a household far too early.
The Deep Wounds of Abuse and Distrust
Sindhutai’s marriage was marked by emotional torment, beatings, and suppression. Her husband, insecure and manipulated by village politics, grew increasingly suspicious of her.
At age 20, while nine months pregnant, Sindhutai stood up for the rights of Adivasi women who were being exploited by local authorities. She publicly questioned a forest officer for withholding wages from tribal workers—a bold move for a woman, let alone one from a backward village.
This act of courage, however, invited wrath instead of respect.
🩸 Betrayal That Left Her Bleeding—Literally
The forest officer, enraged by her defiance, falsely accused her of being a prostitute. Rumors spread quickly, and her husband—without verification—believed the lie.
One night, in a fit of rage and blind shame, he beat her brutally and threw her out of the house. Alone, bruised, and bleeding, she found herself abandoned by the very person she had dedicated her young life to.
🌙 Alone Under the Sky—Giving Birth in a Cow Shelter
Homeless, with no food, no family, and just days away from delivery, Sindhutai took refuge in a cow shelter (gau shala).
Under the shelter of a broken roof and amid haystacks, she gave birth to her daughter—alone.
That night, without a single soul to help her, she cut the umbilical cord with a sharp stone, wrapped her newborn in rags, and made a decision:
“If I can survive this night, I will not let another child feel this pain.”
That moment was her spiritual rebirth.
🧘Spiritual Health Born Through Service
Rather than surrender to trauma, Sindhutai transformed her suffering into seva (service). She adopted over 1,400 orphaned children and became “Mai” (Mother) to all of them.
She lived in ashrams and train stations, sang bhajans for food, and used every rupee earned to feed and shelter abandoned kids. Her emotional wounds became her spiritual strength.
She believed:
“I have no one… That’s why I became mother to everyone.”
🌼 Forgiveness That Stunned the World
Years later, when her husband grew old and was left destitute, Sindhutai forgave him. She took him in—not as her husband—but as another orphan, one among the thousands she adopted.
“I accepted him as one of my children,” she said. “Because he too had no one.”
This profound act of forgiveness and spiritual transcendence touched millions. It reflected not weakness, but the deepest strength—the kind that comes only from the heart of a mother and the soul of a healer.
Her ability to forgive her abusive husband, even allowing him to live in her shelter as an orphan, was perhaps her deepest act of spiritual transcendence.
Why Indian Women Tend to Be Spiritually Healthier Than Men
In India, women are often raised with values of compassion, devotion, and sacrifice. From praying daily to holding families together during crises, spirituality becomes not just a practice—but a way of life.
🌸 Story of a Mother in India
She entered her home with dreams in her eyes,
But those dreams slowly turned into silent cries.
Behind the veil, she hid her scars,
Smiling by day, weeping under the stars.
Words cut deeper than the wounds she bore,
Yet she stayed strong, always wanting more—
Not for herself, but for the ones she fed,
With trembling hands and prayers silently said.
She told herself each sleepless night,
“My children will rise, they’ll touch the light.”
She swallowed pain, served love on a plate,
And waited for life to change her fate.
She never spoke of the life she lost,
For her children’s dreams, she bore every cost.
She is every mother—quiet, unseen,
The strength behind every child’s dream.
🕉️ Key reasons why Indian women exhibit higher spiritual resilience
- 1. Rooted in Rituals: Many women grow up participating in pujas, vrats, and spiritual stories that build emotional grounding.
- 2. Emotional Strength through Adversity: From facing gender bias to handling family responsibilities, women often channel pain into prayer and surrender.
- 3. Devotion over Ego: Culturally, women are taught humility and devotion, while men are often expected to lead externally rather than reflect internally.
- 4. Nurturing Energy: The divine feminine or Shakti represents the ultimate creative and healing force — women embody that energy naturally.
🌼 Legacy of Sindhutai Sapkal: A Spirit Beyond Her Time
Sindhutai passed away in 2022, leaving behind not just children, but a living temple of love. Many of her adopted children became doctors, lawyers, social workers, and even caretakers of other orphans.
Her life is a masterclass in spiritual health through selflessness.
👩👧 The Silent Sacrifice: Sindhutai and Her Daughter Mamta
The night Sindhutai gave birth alone in a cow shelter, clutching her belly under an open sky, she also gave birth to her destiny.
That child—her only biological daughter—was named Mamta.
But life would soon demand of her an even more profound sacrifice.
Despite the deep love she held for Mamta, Sindhutai realized that if she were to dedicate her life to hundreds of orphaned children, she must not show any sign of personal attachment or bias. She feared that raising her own daughter alongside orphans might create a sense of inequality among them.
💔 A Mother’s Painful Choice
In an act of almost unimaginable spiritual strength, Sindhutai entrusted Mamta to a trust to be raised separately.
It wasn’t abandonment—it was a conscious act of selflessness.
She believed that by doing so, she could love every orphan she adopted as her own, without any distinction.
“I gave away my own daughter to serve thousands of children equally. That was not easy. But love is not ownership—it is surrender,” she once said.
🧕 Mamta’s Understanding and Strength
Years later, Mamta reunited with her mother, not just emotionally but in her mission.
Today, Mamta is actively involved in the work and social institutions her mother built, standing proudly beside her as a reflection of quiet strength and generational purpose.
Mamta never resented her mother’s decision. Instead, she grew up understanding the enormity of Sindhutai’s path and has since embraced her role in continuing her mother’s legacy.
🌟 A Legacy Passed On
Sindhutai’s story is not only of her own spiritual power—it’s also a story of a daughter who inherited that strength, not through comfort, but through courage.
Together, their journey tells us this:
True healing & upliftment happens not when we take, but when we give.
💖 A Call to Reflect
In a world chasing status and material success, Sindhutai reminds us that true power lies in giving.
Her legacy is proof that a woman’s deepest strength isn’t in her status, but in her soul.
Let us honor her by empowering women to turn pain into purpose, and hearts into homes of healing.
🏆 Sindhutai Sapkal: Awards and Recognitions
🥇 1. Padma Shri (2021)
One of India’s highest civilian honors, awarded by the Government of India for her distinguished service in the field of Social Work.
“For selfless service to over 1,500 orphaned children and creating 6+ institutions for their care.”
🌿 2. Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice (2013)
Awarded for her lifelong dedication to uplifting the poor, abandoned, and orphaned, especially children and women.
🏅 3. Real Heroes Award by CNN-IBN and Reliance Foundation (2008)
Celebrated as a true grassroots hero for changing lives through love, care, and perseverance.
🥇 4. Ahilyabai Holkar Award by Government of Maharashtra (2010)
For her work in women empowerment and child welfare in Maharashtra.
💖 5. Jeevan Sadhana Gaurav Award
By Pune University, recognizing her lifetime achievement in social service.
🎓 6. Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt.) by DY Patil Institute of Technology, Pune
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to society, especially in education and rehabilitation.
🕊️ 7. National Award for Iconic Mother (2016)
Given for her role as a universal mother figure to thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.
🧡 8. Nari Shakti Puraskar (2017 Nominee)
India’s highest civilian award for women, she was widely recommended and celebrated for her empowering work with women and children.
🏠 Legacy Beyond Awards
- Over 1,500+ children lovingly raised
- Many became doctors, lawyers, engineers—and some now run her orphanages
- Founded 4 organizations including:
- Savitribai Phule Girls’ Hostel
- Mamta Bal Bhavan
- Sanmati Bal Niketan
- Abhiman Bal Bhavan
If you wish to donate to above organizations, check Mamata Sindhutai Sapkal’s website here.
Read about Women Empowerment & India’s ranking in gender gap here.