Sonu Sood visits AiR-Atman in Ravi to shower appreciation for 30 years of service to mankind

Atman in Ravi aka AiR as he is known, is a spiritual guru with a difference, as actor Sonu Sood discovered recently. The actor visited the garden city on 1 August, to catch up with the spiritual icon. AiR, in his earlier avatar, was a very successful entrepreneur. “Whatever I touched turned to gold,” he revealed. He was the quintessence of the growth story of the retail sector. But then an inner realization changed all that- the true story of a “Monk who sold his Mercedes”.

He quit his retail empire and devoted his life to making a difference in the lives of others, by building AiR Humanitarian Homes. They are dwellings that ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of the poor and the destitute. AiR Humanitarian Homes motto is to pick sick and dying from the streets of Bangalore and make them stand on their feet.

Sood himself is no stranger to philanthropy. He went beyond the call of duty during the CoViD-19 pandemic and helped thousands of migrant laborers reach their homes when all roads seemed closed. That act earned him the sobriquet of ‘Messiah of CoViD-19’.

So when he heard about the noble work being done for the last 30 years by AiR in Bangalore he couldn’t stop himself from accepting the invite from AiR and visited him to show his appreciation and join hands for the ones in need. His visit to Air Humanitarian Homes gave him a deeper insight into the need for people to come forward and help. “Homelessness is a complex problem that needs a multipronged approach; individuals must come forward to do their bit, We need more humanitarians like AiR” he said.

AiR Humanitarian Homes have been established in Bannerghatta, Chikkagubbi Village and Chandapura in Bengaluru. With more than 800 residents at present, over the last three decades they have helped lakhs of people to get back on their feet and return back to their lives after successful recovery. The AiR NGO also helps with the medical bills of the needy. They have even managed to unite wandering, homeless people with their families.

The inmates of the homes are provided with clean, decent facilities and personalized care that restores their physical, mental and emotional well-being. “Nobody is ever turned away,” said AiR, “whether they be infants, children, juveniles, elderly, abused or sick.” They have picked up starving people who were injured with maggot-infested wounds, taken them to their homes and provided them with love and care. As a result, such people have been able to get back on their feet and lead normal lives. 

“We now plan to expand the service to other parts of the country,” AiR disclosed. Sood concurred. “Homes such as these are needed beyond the big cities. If one determined and enlightened individual can do so much, imagine the difference that all of us can make collectively.” They have intimated to join hands for the noble cause and help as many people in need as possible even beyond the borders of Bangalore.