Prayagraj: ISKCON unveils state-of-the-art mega kitchen to serve over one lakh devotees daily
Prayagraj: To accommodate more than a lakh devotees daily, ISKCON has launched a cutting-edge mega kitchen. In Mahakumbh, the meal is produced and delivered to 20 specific sites.
In Prayagraj, the Adani Group and ISKCON have partnered to provide food to devotees during the Maha Kumbh Mela. The Mahaprasad Seva is available from January 13 to February 26, which is the whole time of the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Millions of devotees go to the holy Sangam for spiritual cleansing, and the program aims to provide them all-encompassing assistance, making sure they are fed and cared for while they are there.
In order to handle the volume of activities, ISKCON has set up two enormous kitchens that can prepare meals for up to 50,000 people on typical days and up to one lakh on days when bathing is most popular. The kitchen uses cutting-edge equipment, such as cranes to handle large utensils and a sliding system that resembles railroad tracks. This guarantees seamless and effective operations in managing the enormous amounts of food needed daily.
The kitchen’s environmentally friendly design is one of its primary features. The big, traditional stoves, referred to as “Salem” in the area, have unique chimneys that eliminate pollution from the building.
The stoves have a spiritual touch since they are named after Hindu deities and holy rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Serving the devotees and improving their pilgrimage experience is the main objective of this effort, according to an ISKCON official. To guarantee that no one goes hungry, the lovingly cooked meals are delivered to 20 strategic places around the Mahakumbh region.
“We have about 200 volunteers working here,” said Ajit Mukund Das, head chef of the ISKCON Kumbh Mega Kitchen. The procedure is step by step. Pulses are soaked a day ahead of time, spices are chopped and prepared ahead of time, and the kitchen opens at two in the morning. At 5 a.m., the cooking starts. Food is cooked till nine in the morning for around fifty thousand individuals.
More of it is then made as needed after that. We fed almost one lakh people on “Snan” days like Makar Sankranti. We have cranes and rails in place to lift and move the enormous boats. In an hour, the roti machine can make 7000 rotis. Vegetables are being sliced and peeled by a large number of ladies. Since our goal is to deliver “Prasad” rather than merely food, the furnaces are named after the gods. Every action we do is made possible by God’s power.
This enormous endeavor, which feeds and supports millions of pilgrims attending one of the biggest spiritual gatherings in the world, demonstrates ISKCON’s dedication to service and devotion.
