– Tumsar Kitchen Inaugurated by Loknath Swami Maharaj
Nagpur :- The Tumsar Centralized Kitchen, a significant expansion of the Annamrit Foundation Nagpur, was ceremoniously inaugurated by Srila Loknath Swami Maharaj, a revered disciple of Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and Zonal Secretary of Maharashtra and Noida. The event also saw the special presence of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Swami Maharaj from New York, USA.
The chief guests for the occasion included prominent Mumbai industrialists Neeta Pitte and Vivek Pitte. The entire construction cost of the kitchen was generously covered by Smt. Anju Saraf and Ajay Saraf of the Govindam Foundation, Hospet, Karnataka, in memory of their late parents, Swarnalata Saraf and Govind Das Saraf.
Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma, Chairman of Annamrit Foundation Nagpur, detailed that the ten thousand square feet of land for the kitchen was donated by Shakuntala Devi Saraf and Dongardas Saraf, parents of Tumsar’s chartered accountant, Anil Saraf.
The program commenced with a Vastu Shanti Yagna, led by Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma and Shakuntala Sharma (alias Shubhangi Mataji) as the principal yajmans. The Yagna was conducted by distinguished Acharyas Murlidhar Prabhu of ISKCON Chowpatty, Principal Acharya Jagannath Kripa Prabhu of ISKCON Pandharpur Gurukul, and Gurukul students Bhakt Damodar and Bhakt Arya, who performed the Puja and Havan rituals with melodious and auspicious Vedic mantras. The Havan concluded with the participation of Loknath Swami Maharaj, alongside Rajendran Raman (Manager), Bhagirath Das (Director), and other prominent and special guests.
Throughout the event, Vishal Prabhu and Sudama Prabhu led the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. As the mantra filled the air and the Vedic chants resonated, Loknath Swami Maharaj and the other guests entered the new Vastu Griha, worshipped the north-eastern door of the kitchen, and formally inaugurated it. Following the inauguration, Maharaj and the guests performed an anointment of the three idols of Lord Sri Jagannath, Baldev, and Subhadra Maharani.
The ceremony continued with a stage program hosted by Dr. Jigisha Naidu. During this segment, Loknath Swami Maharaj honored the chief guests Neeta Pitte, Vivek Pitte, Anju Saraf, Ajay Saraf, and C.A. Anil Saraf with garlands and special gifts. Directors of Annamrit Foundation, Rajendran Raman and Praveen Sahni, assisted Maharaj in these honors.
Special guests recognized during the event included Annamrit Foundation’s Vice Chairman Sanjay Tiku (Sarvadarshi Prabhu) from Delhi, Pan India Head of the US-based company Share Our Strength, Sameer Bendre, and Project Head Sachin Jahagirdar, Annamrit Foundation’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Branch Head Sudarshan Prabhu, Jalna Branch Head Ganesh Nakate, ISKCON Nagpur and Vallabh Vidya Nagar Gujarat’s President Sachidanand Prabhu, ISKCON Regional Secretary Assistants Hari Kirtan Prabhu and Anantshesha Prabhu, Prof. Dr. Nimdevkar, Dinesh Agarwal (Nagpote), Arun Agarwal and Vastu Shastra expert Satyanarayan Sharma. More than 250 ISKCON devotees participated in this event. Many devotees reached the venue by three buses and their personal cars under the able leadership of Vrajendra Tanay Prabhu, Vice-President, ISKCON, Nagpur.
In his address, Loknath Swami Maharaj emphasized the significance of the Food for Life initiative, explaining that it was launched by Srila Prabhupada after witnessing two children struggling with dogs over a piece of bread. He highlighted that the Annamrit Foundation operates under this very scheme. The event concluded with heartfelt gratitude expressed by Rajendran Raman and Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma to all the guests.
– Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma
Chairman, Annamrit Foundation Nagpur
