Garland around my neck : the story of Puran Singh of Pingalwara

Garland Around my Neck is the riveting story of a rare humanist whose passionate concerns gave dignity and hope to thousands of men and women. In the annals of twentieth- century Punjab- or the whole of India for that matter- there are few who embodied the range, resoluteness and rigorous self discipline in life as Puran Singh (1904-1992) did. A barefoot colossus who strode the century-or at least 88 years of it, he left a legacy of concern and compassion for not only India's neglected social strata, but also for the environment. This compelling book brings to life for the first time in rich and anecdotal detail, the amazing story of an extra ordinary man who overcame impossible odds to establish Pingalwara an institution based in Amritsar for the disabled, destitute, mentally challenged and hopelessly afflicted sections whose existence continues to be ignored by an indifferent and uncaring society. The remarkable man's incredible journey through life is movingly portrayed and the gripping narrative is given a wholly new dimension by a unique collection of photographs. An evocative story eloquently told.