Saraswathi Educational Cultural & Charitable Trust
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    About the Trust

    Our story

    Three decades of staying close to the ground

    The Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust was founded in the year 1996 by the late Smt. Indira Garyali with a view to promote Education, Indian Culture and Heritage and to facilitate charitable assistance for the aged, poor and destitute of India.

    Over the years, the trust has conducted many activities under it’s core objectives and has grown from strength to strength to be recognized in India and abroad for affordable education, promotion of vedic heritage, Indian classical dance and music and charitable assistance and endowments.

    Today, The Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust runs the Madras Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in collaboration with the Sree Annamalaiyar Educational Trust providing education to many under privileged students. The trust conducts the Vasant Utsav festival of Dance every year to promote vedic culture and Indian classical dance and music. The trust also conducts many charitable activities as providing donations for scholarships, aged care facilities, mental health of the poor and needy as well to orphanages, girl child education, palliative care and for assistance of the disabled. The main charitable purpose of the trust is to help women and families take care of their children and determine their own future. The trust has collaborations with Equitas Development Initiative Trust and the Sai Jeya Trust to conduct charitable activities that help youth and families build a future for themselves.

    Donations to the trust are exempted under Sec.80 C of the Income Tax Act and is also approved for receiving foreign contribution under Order No. 075900710 of the Ministry of Human Affairs. The trust has also received grants from the Government of India, State Government, South Zone Cultural Centre and the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology.

    We are proud to say, that under the able guidance of our Chairman and Trustess, the trust is continuing to expand it’s activities to others Indian cities and entering into collaboration with overseas trusts to increase the scale and scope of it’s activities in India.

    Today the trust runs and supports a number of programs, from scholarship funds to cultural festivals to partnerships with welfare homes, all listed under Our Activities.

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    Our Founder

    Smt. Indira Garyali

    Late Smt. Indira Garyali, the Founder of the Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust was born on November 1928 in Srinagar in Kashmir. She is the daughter of (Late) Sri. T.C. Tiku, a Forest Official and wife of Dr. K.N. Garyali, a Freed Fighter and a Gandhian constructive worker. She moved to Delhi in 1948 with her husband. There she became a member of the 100-year-old Mahila Mandal established by Mrs. Haskar, mother of Kamala Nehru, at Sita Ram Bazaar. She engaged in voluntary work for national calamities, war victims and conducted feeding programmes in homes for the blind, old, handicapped, orphans as well as leprosy patients. She moved to Chennai in 1980 to live close to her daughter Dr C. K Garyali and family.

    In 1986 Smt. Indira Garyali established the Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust, in memory of her husband, to promote the education of poor and neglected ‘girl-child’ and to impart vocational training to youth. She also believed in promoting Indian art and culture and painstakingly made a collection of heritage utensils of India with a view to set up a museum.

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    Key Office Beares

    Trustees

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    Founder Managing Trustee

    Sri. Ravi Garyali
    Sri. Ravi Garyali is the youngest son of the Late Sri. Kashi Nath and Late Smt. Indira Garyali. Coming from a background in Agriculture and banking, Sri Ravi Garyali is an entrepreneur and the Managing Director of Irrigation Products International Pvt Ltd, based in Chennai India. Being a social worker and philanthropist at heart, Sri. Ravi Garyali has worked extensively with orphanages and old age homes carrying on his mother’s charitable work. He has served as the Managing Trustee of the Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable work.

    C K Gariyali

    Managing Trustee

    DR. C.K. GARYALI, IAS
    Dr C. K Gariyali IAS is the daughter of the Late Sri Kashinath and Late Smt. Indira Garyali. Dr. Gariyali holds a Masters in Social Work, Dr Gariyali enters the Officers Training Academy, Masourrie and received a posting in the IAS in the state of Tamil Nadu. During her tenure in the IAS, she was instrumental in initiating the Chidambaram Natyanajali dance festival and the Mahabalipuram Dance Festival. She also served as Secretary Social Welfare and has implemented many government social initiatives and projects and has a sound understanding of the needs of the population. After retiring from an illustrious career in the IAS, serving the people of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Garyali continues her social work as Trustee of the Equitas Developmental Trust and also serves as Adviser to the Saraswathi Educational Cultural and Charitable Trust.
    Dr Gariyali has helped the trust in developing the Vasant Utsav Dance Festival (Chennai) and the Navvarsh Mahotsav (Bangalore) hereby creating the cultural activies of the trust. She has also written various books on Woman’s Empowerment and Self Help Groups which (published by the Trust) which serve as text books on social work and micro finance.

    Archana Ramasundaram

    Trustee

    Mrs. Archana Ramasundaram, IPS
    A distinguished Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of the 1980 Batch with many firsts to her credit: the first woman Joint Director of the CBI and the first woman officer in India to head a paramilitary force/ Central Armed Police Force (SSB) and one of the first two women Members of the Lokpal of India, the apex anti-corruption body (2019-24).

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    Secretary

    Smt. Priyadarshini Rajkumar
    Smt. Priyadarshini Rajkumar is the granddaughter of the Late. Sri Kashi Nath Garyali and Smt. Indira Garyali. She is trained in Bharatanrithyam under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subramanyam and completed her arangatram in 1998. She has completed MBA in Finance from University of Newcastle and has worked in the financial services industry in Australia.
    Smt. Priyadarshini Rajkumar manages the administration as well as all the programme activities of the trust.

    Dr-Jayanthi

    Trustee

    Smt. Dr Jayanthi Anandan
    Dr Jayanthi Anandan is a well known Ophthalmologist interested in Social and cultural work and promotes ancient scriptures and Shaivite philosophy.

    Smt. Srimayi Vempati

    Trustee

    Smt. Srimayi Vempati
    An internationally acclaimed Kuchipudi artiste, global cultural ambassador, and the visionary creator behind this new work, Srimayi Vempati is the Secretary and Chief Instructor of India’s legendary Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai. As the chosen successor of her guru and father-in-law, the legendary Padma Bhushan Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, she dynamically heads the Academy, preserving its classical lineage while driving its global evolution.

    Renowned for her technical brilliance and captivating lead roles in major dance dramas, Srimayi has headlined premier Indian festivals like Khajuraho and Konark, and led historic, 40 and 50-city international tours across the USA, France (including Paris, Quartier D’ete), Australia, and Singapore. A decorated recipient of the "Kuchipudi Moukthikam" award, her brilliant artistry makes her one of the most influential forces in classical Indian dance on the world stage today.

    Deepa

    Trustee

    Smt. Deepa
    Deepa serves as the Project Head at Project ViThai, leading project implementation with dedication and expertise. She brings nearly 18 years of corporate experience across sales, marketing, and human resources, having worked with reputed organizations such as Tata Motors and Genpact. She holds an M.Sc. and an MBA from Cochin University of Science and Technology. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Deepa is passionate about trekking and enjoys spending time with her beloved pet, Timmy.