Seer conducts bhoomi puja for Akshaya Patra Foundation

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 23, 2017: Udupi Palimaru Mutt seer Sri Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami, who is in waiting to ascend the Paryaya Peetha, on Friday performed the bhoomi puja for the mega kitchen of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which will serve midday meals to schoolchildren from 2019 at Kodman village near Mangaluru.

The kitchen, to be operational by 2019, is expected to help the foundation to serve midday mels to over 50,000 students every day in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. At present, 14,000 students from 135 schools in and around Mangaluru are served, according to Karunya Sagar Dasa, president of Akshaya Patra Foundation, Mangaluru.

The kitchen will adhere to good manufacturing practices and use technology and innovation. GT Foundation and Diya Systems have lent a helping hand to the foundation to build it.

Dignitaries present at the ceremony expressed happiness at being part of such an initiative addressing the national issue of eradicating classroom hunger. They congratulated the foundation for successfully completing 17 years of implementing the school lunch programme and also appreciated GT Foundation and Diya Systems for their support.

Diya’s V. Ravichandran said his dream of building an automated kitchen facility to nourish underprivileged students is becoming a reality through the foundation.