Chalkboards to Fodder: The Story of a 75 year old Principal Turned Shelter Hero

Long after the last school bell rang and his chalkboards gathered dust, 75-year-old Subhashchandra Achliya found a new calling — not in classrooms, but in the quiet company of abandoned cows, offering them the dignity the world had long denied.

In a quiet stretch of Yavatmal, Maharashtra, where the land breathes history and faith, an elderly man devotes his days to the ones the world has abandoned—cows discarded because they can no longer produce milk or turn a profit. To some, they might seem like a burden. To him, they are lives worth protecting.

To 75-year-old Subhashchandra Achliya, they are divine.

It all began in 2004, when Subhashchandra bought a modest piece of land. What greeted him there was unexpected: a Shivalinga and a small, untouched temple resting peacefully on the soil.

For many, it might have been a coincidence. But for him, it was a sign from the divine, a call

from God himself. A deeply spiritual man with unwavering faith, Subhashchandra believed this was no accident. It was destiny.

A few years later, around 2008 or 2009, that call grew louder. With a heart full of devotion and a desire to do something meaningful with the land, he approached a local trust. He didn’t have a blueprint, but he had a clear intention to serve, to protect, and to give back. That’s how Shri Sidheshwar Shiv Mandir Trust was born in 2011, an animal shelter dedicated not to productivity, but to pure, selfless care.

The cows that come here are not the healthy, milk-giving kind. They are weak, sick, abandoned, often saved from the horror of slaughterhouses. "They may not give milk, but they give blessings," Subhashchandra says, eyes gleaming with purpose. Under his care, they receive shelter, food, clean water, and medical attention — a dignified life that society had denied them.

What makes Subhashchandra’s journey even more compelling is the life he led before retirement.

From 1968 to 2006, he served as the principal of a government high school. For 38 years, he

stood not just as an educator, but as a guardian for generations of underprivileged children. In the broken classrooms of Yavatmal, he saw more than just poverty. He saw potential.

In those days, students came to school without books, shoes, or even uniforms. Instead of turning away, Subhashchandra rolled up his sleeves. He donated clothes, gathered books, and even formed a volunteer community called Mahatame Phule. His efforts directly impacted 230 to 300 children, giving them a fighting chance to dream. The government recognized his dedication by honoring him with the "Utkrasht Shirshak" award.

Even now, there's no trace of pride in his voice. Only gratitude. He believes that every good deed he’s done has been guided by God, that he was simply the vessel. “After retirement, God showed me the way,” he often says, his palms pressed together in prayer.

Words fall short when trying to describe him. But if one must try: perseverance, humility, a

golden heart, and a spirit fiercely loyal to faith and service. Subhashchandra Achliya isn’t just a man who opened a shelter. He’s a man who chose kindness again and again - in classrooms, in temples, and in the quiet sanctuary of forgotten lives.

In a world rushing for relevance, he stands still, doing the quiet, beautiful work of saving souls. Not for praise. Not for profit. But simply because he believes someone must.

Written by Mauli Darda

Mauli wrote this article as a participant of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.