By the divine grace of Srila Prabhupada and under the compassionate guidance of His Holiness Loknath Swami Maharaj, a visionary dream of social welfare formally took shape today. The Annamrita Foundation celebrated the Bhoomi Pujan of its fourth centralized kitchen in Vidarbha, along with a goshala and gurukul, on a vast 14-acre land parcel located at Khar Talegaon, Daryapur Road Amravati.
This state-of-the-art kitchen is being developed with the capacity to serve nutritious meals to 50,000 children every day, significantly strengthening efforts to eliminate child hunger in the region.
The program commenced with a soulful kirtan of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere for the day. The idol of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, Srila Prabhupada, was prominently placed on the stage as the symbol of the mission. In a touching beginning, the donor of the 14-acre land, Dr. Kishor Gulabrao Ajmire, offered a garland to Srila Prabhupada’s idol, paying heartfelt tribute to the Founder-Acharya.
During the afternoon session, eminent leaders shared their vision for the project. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, presided over the program virtually and lauded ISKCON Annamrita’s commitment to providing nutritious meals, placing special emphasis on the foundation’s world-class hygiene standards.
His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaj, in his address, especially appreciated the service activities being carried out by Annamrita Foundation Nagpur and Vidarbha Region, praising their efficiency and dedication. Maharaj expressed happiness over the formation of the Annamrita Foundation Amravati Kitchen Monitoring Committee and conveyed special gratitude to its members, including Shri Shashikant Manpure, Shri Hemant Jadhav, Shri Sachin Jahagirdar, Shri Ganeshkumar Ajmire, Shri Ritesh Agrawal, and others. Maharaj also expressed deep gratitude to the Ajmire family for this great donation.
The chief guest, Shri Varun Malu of Malu Enterprises, could not be physically present due to a flight delay at Hyderabad airport but joined the program virtually via Zoom. He received the blessings of Loknath Swami Maharaj, during which it was recalled that the Malu family had donated 2.5 acres of land for the construction of an ISKCON temple, and that during the earlier Bhoomi Pujan, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde and Maharaj ji were personally present in Amravati. Shri Varun Malu assured his full support to the Annamrita Foundation.
Although Guardian Minister Shri Chandrashekhar Bawankule could not attend in person, he conveyed his heartfelt शुभकामनाएं (best wishes) and support for the initiative.
One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was the contribution of the Ajmire family, who had specially traveled from the United States to fulfill the wish of the late Smt. Kumudini Ajmire. Shri Shashikant Manpure and Dr. Ajmire informed the gathering about how their dream of giving back to society through food, education, and cow protection paved the way for this historic land donation. Their son, Shri Neeraj Ajmire, became emotional while addressing the gathering, witnessing his mother’s resolve being fulfilled.
The program was beautifully anchored by Dr. Jigisha Naidu. Guests were welcomed in traditional Indian style with shawls and coconuts by the four Project Directors of Annamrita Foundation Nagpur and Vidarbha:
Dr. Shyam Sundar Sharma welcomed Dr. Kishor Gulabrao Ajmire and Shri Anantshesh Prabhu (Regional Secretary Assistant, ISKCON Amravati Division).
Shri Rajendran Raman welcomed renowned chef Vishnu Manohar.
Shri Pravin Sahni welcomed Shri Shashikant Manpure and Shri Jeetu Jodhapurkar.
Shri Bhagirath Das welcomed Shri Sameer Bendre.
Chairman of Annamrita Foundation Nagpur and Vidarbha Region, Dr. Shyamsundar Sharma, provided detailed information about the initiative. As the program progressed towards its conclusion, Shri Sameer Bendre highlighted the global fight against hunger through “Share Our Strength.” Renowned Chef Vishnu Manohar expressed his happiness over the service initiative and inspired the audience to commit themselves to this noble cause. Shri Rajendran Raman shared the impact and successes of Annamrita’s work in Nagpur, Melghat, and Tumsar.
After the formal vote of thanks by Shri Pravin Sahni, everyone gathered at the site for the main Bhoomi Pujan ceremony. The ritual was performed by Dr. Kishor Ajmire, his family members, and other dignitaries. Conducted as a sacred Vedic ritual, the Bhoomi Pujan was filled with powerful mantra chanting and vibrant kirtan, marking the official sanctification of the land.
On this occasion, special thanks were extended to Shri Shubham Khandelwal, Shri Ashish Karwa, Shri Rahul Ratawa, Shri Sanjay Sharma (resident of Walgaon), Shri Rajdeep Banarse, and Shri Krishna Banarse (residents of Khar Talegaon) for their support. The program concluded with Khar Talegaon Sarpanch Shri Rupesh Kalaskar praising the Ajmire family and assuring complete community support for the project.
This Bhoomi Pujan marks not only the beginning of construction, but also the foundation of a brighter future rooted in service, compassion, and values. More than 200 devotees from Nagpur participated in the program.
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