Bhagalpur, Dec. 24: Five inmates of Ramanandi Hindu Anathalay (orphanage) at Nathnagar, who were abandoned by their biological parents, would soon be adopted by foreign couples.

For the first time in the history of the 90-year-old orphanage, five couples from abroad have managed to get the registration for adopting the children.

Four-year-old Kazal Bharati, two-and-a-half-year-old Babloo Bharati, two-year-old Nikita Bharati, three-year-old Lakshmi Bharati and six-year-old Munni Bharati have been selected by their would-be parents from Belgium, France, US and Italy.

The orphanage administration has started the formalities to hand over the children to their new parents.

Anushree, the coordinator of the orphanage, said a childline had handed them over the kids after they were found abandoned on the roads. "They came here when they were between 5 days and a month. Babloo and Nikita were in a critical condition but thanks to proper care, today the two kids are leading a healthy life," she said.

Dinesh Yadav, secretary of the orphanage, claimed such inter-country adoption is a first for the institution. According to him, earlier the children were selected from the website of Central Adoption Resource Authority (Cara), a unit of the Union ministry of women and child development.

"We will miss them. They have grown up with us. On the flip side, they would get parents and also enjoy the foreign lands," said Bikash Bharati (13), an inmate of the orphanage.