Anandwan


Anandwan was established in 1949 by Baba Amte with a hope of giving marginalised people a dignified life through self-reliance and restoring a sense of belonging which they had lost due to the ill treatment at the hands of society.

Anandwan is located in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
We believe that self-reliance and pride in one’s existence are very essential to lead a meaningful life. Baba Amte established Anandwan with a few leprosy patients and some savings.


Our mission is to bring back hope to those who have been shunned from society. Creating a sense of belonging through collective effort and providing people access to better healthcare facilities, quality education and an occupation of their choice, we give them the right and means to lead a successful life.


Initiatives in healthcare, education, agriculture and agro-industries, small and medium scale industrial units, renewable energy and conservation have been taken up by MSS. Anandwan can be termed as the Center for Rural Innovation and Incubation because a wide range of activities have been undertaken here over the years that have also been replicated in many villages across Maharashtra, such as construction of Nubian vault houses and man made lakes among many others.

Anandwan aspires to become a Smart village. The SMART (Sustainable, Measurable, Affordable, Replicable and Technologically advanced) village model is a holistic approach towards development for improved quality of life and standard of living for all our citizens. We hope to serve as a benchmark for all villages in the future.