Seventeen Women with a Vision

On November 17, 1951, 17 women from the Malleswaram neighborhood in Bangalore decided they wanted more than just traditional social roles. Vimala Rangachar was a young woman, barely 18 or 20 years old, married to a busy doctor. While her husband was occupied with his practice, she found herself with time on her hands. She and the neighborhood women wanted a place where they could meet, play together, and spend time socializing. That simple desire sparked something bigger.

The key founders included Vimala Rangachar and Ammanni Iyengar, with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's daughter as the first president. Dr. Radhakrishnan himself suggested the name MEWS—Malleswaram Enterprising Women's Society. They chose that name because they saw themselves as adventurous and enterprising women ready to make something happen. Members also joked that they greeted each other with a "meow"—perhaps echoing the popular notion of women being identified with cats!

Beyond the Social Club

What began as a club for sports and cultural activities quickly expanded. MEWS started offering classes in music, dance, arts, crafts, rangoli, and flower arrangement. They even revived rare art forms like Tanjore decorative painting, while adding nutrition, health education, and devotional programs.

Through the 1960s and 70s, MEWS hosted lectures and cookery classes led by figures like Nalini Dhawan. Their cultural events grew so popular they drew visitors including Bollywood stars Dharmendra and Hema Malini.

Seeing a Real Need

But as the years went by, they started thinking beyond themselves. They wanted to serve the women in their neighborhood, to do something truly meaningful. That's when they noticed a real problem: young women were coming from small towns to Bangalore for work, but there was nowhere safe for them to stay.

Those days, private PGs didn't exist at all. There were only massive establishments like YMCA, but nothing suitable for local women, especially young working women from outside Bangalore. These girls desperately needed somewhere to live, and that's when it struck them—they should provide living space.

A Mother Takes Charge

Around this time, Vimala got a government position with the handicrafts board and became very busy. She didn't want MEWS to fade away, so she handed the whole thing over to her mother, Ammanni Iyengar. She asked, "This is the idea—would you like to take it on?"

Ammanni Iyengar took charge of the whole situation, working alongside another like-minded lady from Malleswaram, Mrs. Bhandari, whose husband held a high position at Canara Bank. Ammanni was incredibly enterprising herself—she wore a traditional 9-yard kachchha saree and was super-efficient at managing everything.

Creating a Home Away from Home

They started by renting spaces. In January 1963, MEWS officially opened a working women's hostel, providing safe, affordable housing for about 60 women working or studying in Bangalore. The main building was originally a coach shed that had been converted. Most Malleswaram properties were one-acre plots, and since nobody was living in that main building, they rented it for the hostel.

The hostel became incredibly popular, growing from the initial 60 to nearly 100 working ladies. Seeing this success, they decided to make it permanent. Canara Bank stepped in with a loan—for just three and a half to four lakhs, they were able to buy their own property on 17th Cross in 1977. The main building was called 'Bhooma', with a huge compound around it. That became the hostel, creating a supportive, self-managed community.

How Ammanni Ran Things

Ammanni Iyengar ran that place like clockwork. She hired a couple to live on the premises—a cook and a cook's assistant—because breakfast had to be ready for all the women by 6:30 in the morning. They used to collect firewood from different places and cook everything fresh, just like you would for your own daughter at home.

That was exactly her approach—she took care of those women the way you'd care for a girl in your own house. She made it so comfortable that they always felt it was like a home away from home. They loved the place—it was very quiet, nice, well-protected. They knew they were in a safe place, and that security meant everything to them.

The rules were strict but fair. All the girls had to be in by 9 o'clock at night. For nearly 60 years, from 1977 onwards, the hostel ran smoothly this way.

When the Old Rules Stopped Working

But things shifted. Women's attitudes and work situations changed from what they were in those days. IT jobs started requiring women to work very late into the night—they'd have to come back around midnight or 1 AM. This clashed completely with the 9 PM curfew rule.

It became controversial. A couple of girls would say, "Our office requires this, we can't help it." There were conflicts coming up. Meanwhile, private PGs had sprouted up everywhere. Everybody with a vacant room or two in their home was converting it into a PG, so there were plenty of facilities available for women now.

Vimala Rangachar, though she'd left MEWS because she was busy with other things, would visit occasionally to advise them. She finally said they shouldn't run the hostel anymore—it didn't make sense with all the other options available, and following the rigid rules wasn't possible in the modern work environment.

Reinventing for Survival

They were seriously advised to close and started contemplating it. Then COVID came, giving them the opportunity to plan with a different vision. The organization needed to get economically strong. With no income and 25 tiny rooms measuring 9 by 10 feet each, they considered a school, but that came with its own hassles.

Then MEWS made a bold decision to demolish internal walls and create large 20 by 30 feet rooms suitable for renting. The conversion took one and a half years and caused serious financial strain. But having started, they had to finish it!

What MEWS Is Today

Today, the spaces are rented and the hostel area at the back has been converted into office spaces. An interesting fact is that all the people occupying the older buildings are those connected to the field of art—Natya Institute for Kathak and choreography, the Crafts Council, and filmmaker M.S. Sathyu's office. The Bhoomika convention hall hosts many cultural activities.

MEWS also runs community events like the annual "Malleswaram Santhe," a popular fair where women entrepreneurs sell eco-friendly products, crafts, textiles, and food.

Seven Decades Strong

Over seven decades, MEWS has grown from a small recreational club into a landmark for women's empowerment, culture, and community service in Bangalore. They have about 135 to 140 members, but as a rule, new members are only taken from within existing members' families. It is premised on a sentimental connection—a lady from their family used to work here, they ran all this.