ISKCON’s Akshaya Patra Programme- Truly Enlightening

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as “Hare Krishna Movement”, has been practicising “devotion to god” ( Bhakti Yoga) for the past 4 decades. They were instrumental in attracting people to the ideals of Hinduism world over. ISKCON runs the Akshaya Patra Foundation – the largest mid-day meal non-governmental organization in the world, which is now feeding over 960,000 underprivileged children daily in over 5,700 schools in six states in India.

From their Website: “The Akshaya Patra Foundation makes a difference in the lives of underprivileged children and their families by evolving a free school meal program in government schools.

The mid day meal program motivates children to attend and remain in school thereby ensuring their holistic overall development. This in turn contributes to a self-reliant, productive society. It is therefore our endeavor to make sure that children continue their education.

It is a proven fact that children who are fed at school display a higher level of concentration, short-term memory and verbal fluency. Also, the drop-out rate is tremendously low amongst children who avail the mid-day meals in schools.

The program therefore plays a vital role in ensuring a better tomorrow, both for the child and the society at large.”

In a detailed interview here at ODE Magazine( reproduced at Huffington Post), Chitranga Chaitanya Das from Akshaya Patra Foundation explains the concept.

Watch these videos to understand the difference Akshaya Patra has been making.

Akshaya Patra in Bangalore

Akshaya Patra in Puri

Akshaya Patra in Jaipur

Akshaya Patra in Vrindavan

Quite Overwhelming!!..... I never knew that we can mass produce Indian breads like chappati without compromising on quality. The scale at which Akshaya Patra operates is just amazing....

This is a best example of how corporates join hands with an NGO to make a difference to the society, thereby to the future of a country. Take a look at the honour roll.

Their USA arm, chaired by Desh Deshpande of Sycamore Networks, runs the "One for One" program where $28 donated to the foundation will provide nutritious meals to one child every day for an entire year.

An excellent cause and an excellent program....