Civil Servant, Former Chief Election Commissioner and Author of an International Bestseller.

Mother Teresa's Indian Author

Mother Teresa’s first project which functions till date in Kalighat in South Calcutta- now Kolkata-near Kali Temple is a home for dying destitute. This first hospice founded by Mother Teresa came two years after she established Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata.

Nirmal Hirday, situated in the narrow by-lanes of Kolkata has witnessed more than 35000 deaths. It was started in an old abandoned Kali Temple. Some of the Most popular books on Mother Teresa note that she convinced the government to donate the dilapidated building for her cause. Most people admitted here suffer from serious injuries and terminal diseases such as HIV, Cancer, AIDS and Tuberculosis. The house for the Pure Heart was founded by Mother Teresa on her 42nd Birthday in 1952 to welcome, treat and give joy to the dying abandoned in their last days.

The volunteers and sisters at Nirmal Hirday assist and take care of sick people and offer their services to treat them. Although untrained, the volunteers give in everything they can to give relief to the ones who are suffering. Apart from doing the daily chores, the volunteers and helpers clean the wounds, bind them, and feed the sick.

Mother founded this place with a belief that if you die smiling, the gates of heaven open for you. The goal was not to just end the suffering but to rather help the sufferer find joy in it. Mother Teresa’s official biography mentions that the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity started from here with only 12 members.

As Missionaries of Charity gained popularity, the donations poured in from all over the world. The main task of the congregation was to love and care for people who have been abandoned to die on the streets. Mother Teresa received recognition and acclaim throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards.

Many authors of Mother Teresa all over the globe have put in efforts to pen down her life in their own words. One such Indian Author is Navin Chawla, a former chief election commission of India. His 23 year long association with Mother Teresa made him the official biographer of Mother Teresa. He wrote an acclaimed biography, ‘Mother Teresa (Missionaries of Charity) in 1992, royalties of which are largely donated to the Missionaries of Charities or leprosy and disability related causes.

The Pioneer quotes, "The acclaimed biography of the most famous and admired woman in the world. 'Chawla's book is one written from the heart."

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