Kishori Tandon Endowment

Deeply spiritual, caring, always doing her duty towards others, empathetic to the needy, gregarious and fun loving - is how one may describe Kishori. And yet, these words fall short of a true & complete description of the honesty, sincerety and childlike innocence of her personality. 

Kishori bravely faced some health problems from her younger days, and yet fulfilled all her relationships with a sense of self effacing duty. She not only devoted herself to looking after her family, her parents and her in-laws, but equally tended to the poor & needy around her.

At one time, she single-handedly nursed her father-in-law who was bed-ridden with cancer, and looked after her father who was battling for his life in an ICU, and simultaneously served the domestic help stricken with TB. When the maid in the house was diagnosed with TB, Kishori was advised by everybody to send her to the village, considering the high risk of contagion given her own severly compromised immunity due to diabetes. However, she refused to abandon the poor soul, thinking that sending her away would deprive her of treatment and could therefore prove fatal for the hapless girl. To Kishori, human values and empathy were more important than any risk to her already fragile health.

Sharing came naturally to Kishori, particularly with the deprived. Meals were always shared with guests and domestic help alike.

On a regular basis, Kishori generously donated to Blind Schools and a well known Eye Care institution. Suffering herself from waning eyesight due to severe diabetic retinopathy, Kishori was particularly concerned about the visually impaired in our society.

She also spent her time teaching some of the poor children of maids working in the house.

Kishori was born on 20th December, 1956, the elder of two daughters, to Sh. D.P.Puri & Smt. Tara Puri. Having migrated from Pakistan during the traumatic partition of 1947, both parents began working in Delhi, for the Government of India. Kishori acquired her high school education in Lady Irwin School in Delhi. Thereafter, she went on to do an honours in English literature at the Jesus & Mary College in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

Modern and vivacious, yet rooted in traditional beliefs, Kishori was selfless in her willingness to share and care for others. Affectionate & giving, she was loved by everybody who came in contact with her. 

Mother to a daughter, Kishori nurtured her with all the tender love and care. She inculcated in her daughter values of honesty, good deeds and was always an example to be emulated.

Apart from the bond of love in her personal relationships, Kishori had a spiritual detachment from the worldly attractions.

Kishori passed away on 2^nd December, 2009, at the age of 52 years.

Kishori has left her indelible memories in the hearts of all those whom she touched. Truly, a life lived for others.

This endowment honours Kishori’s legacy of selfless giving, not only of charity, but more so of her love, care and service.