Gujarat

Khimjibhai has been donating books and uniforms to poor girls for the last 13 years, from the money he makes through begging.

Pravin Master, a resident of Gandhinagar, found a unique way to persuade people to give up alcohol and tobacco. This is how the 35-year-old hairdresser has turned his salon into a rehab centre for many of his customers.

A widow’s presence at a wedding is considered a taboo at many places in India. A Gujarat-based businessman decided to crush the superstition by taking this laudable step.

While brides usually enter weddings looking demure and surrounded by others, 26-year-old Ayesha had other plans.

Hemant Patel has personally witnessed what hunger can do to people — not once but twice. The first time was when his own daughter was sick and he had no money to feed her. And the second time was after the 2002 riots in Gujarat when he saw hundreds of people sitting outside a hospital with no food. In the 13 years since then, Hemant has been going regularly to government hospitals and slums to provide meals to the poor. This is his story.

Among the various beautiful and mesmerizing places in India, there are a few which have been given a special status of being the heritage sites by UNESCO. These wonderful sites are not just a treat for the visitors but also hold great cultural significance. Here is a complete list of these sites.

Jeram Thesia, a 65-year-old diamond trader from Surat, has only one dream – to see the development of his native village, Ingorala, located in Thesia district of Gujarat. He is spending Rs. 15 crore from his own pocket to deepen and widen a 10 km stretch of Thebi River, which will become a lifeline for several farmers who have been suffering because of the lack of water in the region.

What started as a small gesture, of feeding underprivileged children, by 31-year-old Darshan and his friends has turned into a full-blown movement.

Nishadbanu Vajifdhar, a 22-year-old woman from Haldharu village in Gujarat, found a wonderful way to honour all the teachers who have taught her right from primary school till college. Not only has she set a great example for many others to follow, but has also inspired young people in the village to pursue higher education.

49-year-old Sanjay Raval is a book shop owner in Ahmedabad. One day, he found some people getting ready to cut down a beautiful cassia tree near his office. This is what he did to save it.