On a cold December day in 2004, Hare Ram Pandey’s life changed forever. Walking through a forest near his home in Deoghar, Jharkhand, he heard the faint cries of a newborn baby. When he reached the spot, he found an infant girl lying alone, her tiny body covered in ants. Most people would have called the authorities and walked away. Pandey picked her up, rushed her to a hospital and refused to give up on her.“When I found this girl, she was in a very bad condition. There were ants all over her umbilical cord and her back. I immediately took her to a hospital, where she was treated for almost 21 days. The doctor had also lost hope, but I knew that this girl was God’s gift to me and would survive,” Pandey recalled while speaking to The Better India.
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He named the girl Taapsee. Today, nearly two decades later, Taapsee is one of 35 daughters Pandey and his wife, Bhavani Kumari, have raised after rescuing abandoned baby girls from forests, railway stations and roadsides across Jharkhand.
One rescue became a life’s mission
Photo credit: The Better India
Pandey often says it was not a planned decision. It was simply impossible for him to look away. “When I first saw Taapsee, my soul bonded with this tiny human. How could anyone abandon these girls? They deserve to live and I resolved to help as many girls as I could.”Exactly a year after rescuing Taapsee, another abandoned newborn was found. Pandey brought her home too and named her Khushi. That was the moment he realised this could not be an isolated act of kindness. He went on to establish Narayan Sewa Ashram, a home dedicated to abandoned girls. Over the years, local police, railway authorities and district officials began calling him whenever an abandoned infant girl was found. The children don’t call him “sir” or “guardian.” They simply call him “Baba.”
Parenting 35 daughters isn’t easy
Behind the inspiring story is the reality of raising a family of around 40 people. Food, education, healthcare and everyday expenses remain a constant challenge. “I farmed on our family land but age has caught up with me and that income is not sufficient for us. I find it tough to put food on the table daily. I’m helpless,” Pandey admitted.According to him, the family’s monthly expenses run into lakhs. Despite financial struggles, he has continued ensuring the girls attend school, receive healthcare and grow up with dignity. Some schools have waived tuition fees, while local residents regularly step forward with donations, food and other essentials.Despite the hardships, Pandey remains resilient. He doesn’t dream of fame. He dreams of completing the unfinished roof of the girls’ home. He dreams of buying computers, a washing machine and an inverter so the children can study comfortably. Most importantly, he dreams that every girl gets the future she deserves. Taapsee and Khushi, the first two daughters he rescued, now aspire to become doctors.
“I will do this till the day I die”
Photo credits: SBS Hindi
In 2023, Pandey’s extraordinary journey reached millions when he appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati alongside actor Shefali Shah. His story moved host Amitabh Bachchan and audiences across the country. But recognition hasn’t changed his purpose. His words remain as simple as they were the day he carried Taapsee into the hospital. “I will do this till the day I die. I have faith and believe that we will find good people who will help us,” he said during the show.Not every parent is connected by blood. Some become parents through a decision they make in a single moment- one that quietly reshapes dozens of lives. For Hare Ram Pandey, fatherhood began with one abandoned newborn in a forest. Twenty years later, it continues in a home filled with 35 daughters who know him simply as Baba.
