How we began

Khelaghar was founded in 1972 in the province West Bengal, near the city of Calcutta. The project was a response to a moment of intense social turmoil in South Asia, much of which fell on children to bear. It is estimated that ten million innocent civilians, mostly Bengalis, were displaced.  Khelaghar's aim was to provide a home to the children who were forced to migrate to India and had lost their families.

It was founded by the famous writer and social worker (late) Maitrayee Devi. She was a student of Tagore at Vishwabharati University, the university Tagore had founded.  She was profoundly inspired by his vision and founded Khelaghar exactly on those principles. Later she was joined by the late Professor Gouri Ayyub, who was also renowned for her commitment to social justice and secularism.