By Krati Purwar
January 18, 2024
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Most temple towns of India are known for opulent and grand pilgrim centres, but they are also known for hosting community kitchens that offer devotees free meals. Many of these centres remain open throughout the day to serve pilgrims travelling from faraway places in the country. Here are some of the most popular community kitchens.
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On January 23, 2024, around 45 community kitchens in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, will come into existence to serve thousands of devotees free meals until March 2024.
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The Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Shirdim Maharashtra, features Prasadalaya which cooks more than two tonnes of rice every day along with sambhar, moong dal, sabji, etc.
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Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, has the second-largest community kitchen in the world. It feeds sattvic dishes like khichdi, rice pudding, dal, curries, and others to pilgrims.
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Akshardham Temple in Delhi has a community kitchen that serves vegetarian meals consisting of rice, dal, and vegetables. It also has a vegetarian food court on the premises.
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Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, has the largest community kitchen in the world that feeds thousands of people every day. The dishes include dal, rice pudding, pickles, and flatbread.
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There are three community kitchens near Vaishno Devi Temple, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir. Along with vegetarian meals, they also serve refreshments, like tea, coffee, and biscuits to devotees.
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