Established in October 2003, Ishwarpuram was a long-standing dream of late Mr. Vikas Bhagwat. While working for a well-known NGO in Pune, Mr. Bhagwat came to know about the apathy of children living in Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland states. Out of the 7 'sister states' that make the Eastern Indian region, these are the most neglected states for last 50 years. Moreover, these are also victims of perennial terrorism.

After knowing more about the condition of these children, Mr. Bhagwat decided to help them in every way he could. The first and foremost task was to actually travel to these regions. Mr. Bhagwat did so and had a tough time convincing relatives of the orphans about the purpose and objective of his drive. Finally, relatives of 12 children agreed and sent their children along with him to Pune.

Many people acknowledged Mr. Bhagwat's mission and helped him in various ways. One among them, Mr. Tanaji Khese donated 2 acres of land in Fulgaon for this noble cause. Mr. Bhagwat started Ishwarpuram at this remote place with no facilities and just one small room as a shelter. He struggled a lot to get help in the form of cash or material like food grains, clothes etc. Finally, his efforts started bearing fruits and he could somehow manage to make both ends meet.


Initial problems faced by children:
The initial stage was filled with all sorts of problems for children as well as Mr. Bhagwat's team. The biggest problem was language barrier, as these children could barely speak any language other than their native one. Some of the children who were smart enough, knew a bit of Hindi and acted as interpreters for other children. Today, the first batch of children is so well-versed with languages that most of them can speak not only Hindi, but also fluent Marathi.

The other issue was taking children into confidence. The children, being in completely new environment, felt alienated. They would not cooperate with the Ishwarpuram team. Quarrels with other children and being homesick were other common problems. Mr. Bhagwat had to perform parental duties, which he did to the fullest.

One of the other concerns was food habits of the children. These children hail from remote places where even common food is hard to get. Children had absurd food habits like eating leaves and various animals, including serpents! The team had a tough time teaching these children about the appropriate food habits.