Click here to view a photo slideshow of life at ShantiNiketan retirement community.
(RNS) Fifty years after they began arriving from India, the first generation of Indian-Americans is retiring and finding itself in a quandary.
Although many have the resources to live comfortably in retirement, some still depend on their children and suffer from social isolation as they navigate old age in an adopted country.
Bindu Sheth, left, Urmila Gandhi, center, and Rani Rajagopal, walk around the grounds near the lake. Shantiniketan, located in Tavares, Fl., is a gated retirement community catering to Indian immigrants. Residents dine on vegetarian meals, partake in daily yoga as well as Bhajans (prayer) everyday at noon. Some women dress in traditional sarees and their is a strong sense of community. RNS photo by Julie Fletcher.
This image available for Web and print publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
The problem is likely to grow as the influx of Indian immigrants rises; the country’s estimated 2.8 million Indian Americans are second only to Chinese Americans as the nation’s largest Asian population.
“Indians came here in the late ’60s mostly as professionals and focused on building their careers and educating their children,” said Rajeshwar Prasad, president of the National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens. “They never really planned anything for their retirement.”
While numerous organizations have emerged to provide Indian-Americans with senior day care, in-home respite and adult education, such services are mostly temporary solutions.
Recognizing the problem, information technology professional Iggy Ignatius started a gated community in Orlando, Fla., developed specifically for Indian-American seniors. This community, called “ShantiNiketan,” or “abode of peace” in Sanskrit, has been his long-cherished dream.
The India-born Ignatius saw retirement housing communities mushrooming all over the country, especially those catering to specific health and lifestyle needs.
He also understood that Indian-Americans can feel out of place in many retirement communities. Their need for Indian food, Hindu prayer rooms or even companions who can speak their mother tongue could pose potential challenges.
So Ignatius bought land in Orlando, Fla., in 2008, and with the help of friends and veterans in the community, he started constructing Phase 1 of ShantiNiketan.
With 54 condos and a common clubhouse for dining and recreation, ShantiNiketan is a snug haven for seniors of Indian origin. Everything at the complex is Indian, starting with the food offered to the Hindu gods displayed in the prayer room.
“ShantiNiketan is the first retirement housing plan targeting a specific immigrant group in the country,” said Ignatius. “Orlando was the obvious choice because of its tropical climate and proximity to tourist attractions like Disney World, giving children and grandchildren incentive to visit their parents in ShantiNiketan.”
A two-bed, two-bath condo costs approximately $160,000, with a monthly expense of $800 per person including food, housekeeping and taxes.
Resident Ashwin Pandya, a retired doctor from New York, describes life in ShantiNiketan as “mini India.” Pandya enjoys the social life and conveniences of the community.
Priest, Mahesh Shatri, in his condo, which is decorated like a temple. Shantiniketan, located in Tavares, Fl., is a gated retirement community catering to Indian immigrants. Residents dine on vegetarian meals, partake in daily yoga as well as Bhajans (prayer) everyday at noon. Some women dress in traditional sarees and their is a strong sense of community. RNS photo by Julie Fletcher.
This image available for Web and print publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
Ignatius and his team have designed a schedule to keep occupants engaged and entertained with meals, yoga, music classes and Bollywood movies in the clubhouse. The staff makes it a point to celebrate all Indian festivals.
“After my daily activities, I just sit under a tree and chat with my friends,” Pandya said. “That happens only in ShantiNiketan.”
The project has proven to be a financial success. All 54 condos in the first phase have sold; a second phase of 120 condos is under construction. Ignatius plans to have an assisted-living facility with round-the-clock nursing services within the premises by 2014.
“More and more people are entering the phase of life I am in now,” added Pandya, the retired doctor. “They have their children here, but their hearts are in India. ShantiNiketan is best suited for such people.”
8 Comments
purushottam rathi
Thanks. We are looking forward to visiting SHANTI_NIKETAN in very near future.
I just have to do a bit more convincing to friend(s) and family who are so much
unsure of moving from current locations they are so much used to.
In my own mind, its a great feeling to imagine myself living in Shanti-Niketan!
Mr K.Singh
Thanks for sharing the happenings at Shanti Niketan.It does represent the ideal venue for the lonely and socially isolated seniors.Children owe it to their sacrificing parents to provide them this haven in their declining years.Using and abusing them as baby sitters and verbally chastising them is cruel and heinous.Earn their love and blessings by providing them this sanctuary(Shanti Niketan) and redeem yourselves.Heartfelt thanks to all those associated with the running of this Center and for providing such a wholesome environment for senior citizens. With love
Kumar
Mr. K. Singh’s comment appear heart-felt but a bit bitter. True, we seniors are, I would say utilized rather than “used” but it is not by command, it is more by our own willingness and pleasure to do so. Our first generation progeny is mostly very prosperous and they can very well afford babysitters but they let us do it so that we can be with our grand children and upkeep integration into them. Imagine if you were replaced by paid sitters; you would miss out on cuddly talks, touches, hugs and their school stories, often silly. True, our children can be more caring for us but they are not and that is because of their pressures on daily living in the USA. Think positive, what you and I have is the very best and second to none.
Sahab Dayal
Thank you, Iggy, for forwarding the article and the photos depicting life at Shantiniketan. There is no question that what you have provided to Indian seniors in the United States is distinctive and potentially life changing. When we first arrived from India 30-40 years back, we had determination for hard work and for seeking the ‘pursuit of happiness’. Most of us realised our dreams and enjoyed rewarding careers. Now in retirement, we crave for rediscovering the lifestyle we left behind in India and a sanctuary which offers post-career tranquility, contentment, and happiness; this inevitably centers on meals of your choice, spiritual and religious upliftment, and social and cultural interaction. Shantiniketan seems to embody all of this and more.
Obviously, our children are going through life’s struggles of their own and, in spite of best of intentions, can’t fully provide the life their parents need in old age. We should not judge them harshly and appreciate the efforts they are making to provide their families the happiness we sought when we first arrived here decades ago. Hats off to Shantiniketan.
Kshitish Divatia
What is the cost of buying or renting a condo ?
Is it available for this summer ?
Gupta
I visited Shanti Niketan sometime in 2009 and was very much impressed with the work done by Iggy. He has devoted most of his life in planning & executing in the development of the project for the good of the Indian community, and he needs to be applauded for the same. The location is great, being in proximity to Orlando, and the weather is moderate.
The needs of all communities of all parts of the country are addressed. Thanks Iggy, for your vision and contribution to the Indian community.
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