Andhra Pradesh is always in the news when it comes to religious conversions. Missionaries go above and beyond to convert people so much so that a village in the state even set up a board asking missionaries to stay away. 

Several organisations are doing what we call “Ghar Wapsi” – bringing back our Hindu brethren to our fold, in Bharat and so is the case in a state like Andhra Pradesh. An organisation called Samarasata Sewa Foundation (SSF) is in the news – this time for their achievement of bringing a whopping 23000 Hindu brothers and sisters back into the Hindu fold. 

In an interview with Raw Talks Amogh YouTube channel, a member of the organisation Badla Shankar shares more information about the organisation.

About Samarasata Sewa Foundation

SSF was conceived by the late Sri P.V.R.K. Prasad, a renowned IAS officer who served the nation in various roles, including as the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Chairman of the Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and Media Advisor to Prime Minister Sri P.V. Narasimha Rao.

When the organisation was founded in 2015, as an initial step in its mission, the Samarasata Sewa Foundation (SSF) focused on empowering marginalised Hindu communities. They initiated temple construction in areas lacking such infrastructure and undertook renovation projects for existing temples as needed. In this pioneering initiative, SSF garnered support and cooperation from the Endowments Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), and the Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDPT).

Some of their focus activities include:

• Bringing back the importance of temples by doing activities related to them.
• Building new temples and fixing old ones to make it easier and encourage more people to visit.
• Going door-to-door – dharma prachaaram
• Having bhajan sessions every week to keep the community together.
• Advising people about spirituality to prevent possible conversions 
• Helping disadvantaged Hindus become stronger in their faith.
• Making our Hindu community more united and peaceful.

Some of the achievements of the Samarasata Sewa Foundation listed on their website include:

• Established 500 temples across various regions of Andhra Pradesh. TTD provided financial assistance for each temple; additionally, private donors from diverse backgrounds contributed both financially and in kind
• Trained and appointed archakas (priests) from marginalized communities who were passionate about their religion. TTD played a role in their training. More than 500 archakas from weaker sections now serve in these temples.
• Introduced Bala Vikas Kendras within the temple premises to offer educational support, particularly remedial teaching, to children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Engaged in door-to-door campaigns to promote awareness of Hindu religious practices and beliefs.

• SSF operates in over 5,000 villages across more than 360 administrative subdivisions, with the assistance of nearly a lakh trained Dharma Rakshakas
• There are actively working Bhajana teams totalling 5,000
• In SC, ST, and fishermen communities throughout the state, at least 500 new temples have been constructed
• SSF has initiated a robust Ghar Wapsi Program, successfully bringing back 23,000 individuals into the Hindu faith as of 2023
• SSF has launched hundreds of evening schools to elevate the educational standards of children from disadvantaged backgrounds while instilling cultural values. These schools are attended by approximately several thousand children daily, much to the delight of their parents
• Over 50 lakh families have been educated on various aspects of the Hindu Dharma in eight phases of the door-to-door campaign
• Regular training is provided to Dharma Pracharaks (religious propagators) at the village, subdivision, and district levels
• In tribal divisions, pamphlets highlighting tribal history, heritage, and culture, along with stickers depicting tribal deities, have been distributed during the door-to-door campaign

In the video, Badla Shankar does mention something positive and that which instills hope – that people are more aware now possibly due to social media and are not as easily susceptible to conversion like before. Thanks to the hard work done on the ground by organisations like SSF and people like Badla Shankar, we will see change and there is hope for Hindu Dharma.

For more information, visit the website here.