With her steely determination, fortitude and patience, she could face seemingly insurmountable challenges and change her dramatic struggles into what can be called fuel to spur her personal greatness for the societal good. That is how she viewed adversity. She didn’t let it dishearten her.

   Rather, adversity and roadblocks shaped her character, clarified her priorities and defined her path. Sindhutai Sapkal, an icon of motherly love to orphans in Maharashtra, passed away in Pune on January 4 this year, aged 73.

   Fondly called ‘ Maai’ in Marathi, Sindhutai will continue to live on in the hearts of about 1200 orphans she cared for giving them food, shelter, education and above all motherly love. “I am there for all those who have no one,” she used to say. Growing up in childhood was daunting for Sindhutai as it was neglect, deprivation and poverty all the way. Worse, she was an unwanted child in....