Gift an Akshaya Patra - Food for life

Arti December 20, 2010
In the Mahabharata, Yudhistira Maharaja had once inquired, “What gift will reward in this world and in the next?”
Bhisma Pitamaha answered, “There has never been, nor will there ever be, any gift equal to the gift of food…”

Remember that loud gong of bell when we all would eagerly reach out our hands for that tiffin box. Recess was something that we all looked forward to. After all, who can imagine school without a lunch break and who can learn on an empty stomach anyways!

But do you know that millions of poverty stuck children are actually living that reality each day. No food forces these hungry souls to quit schools for odd jobs so that they can fill their little bellies. This is a very sad scenario indeed but it’s true…

To tackle this intertwined problem of hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) set up Akshaya Patra, a non profit charity for children, in 2001 which has since been working with a single aim that No child in India should miss out on education because they are too hungry to attend.


True to its name, an inexhaustible bowl of food, Akshaya Patra serves unlimited hot and fresh mid day meals to millions of under-privileged school children each and every day so that they can continue their education thereby helping India achieve its goals of eradication of hunger and encouragement of primary education.

You may be wondering what’s all this and why am I telling you all this? Well, Indiblogger, an Indian blogging community, in association with Akshaya Patra has started this campaign, “Blog and feed 50 children!” to champion the cause. I, being a member of ISKCON myself and knowing that they can be trusted that your money will be used for the right purposes, decided to join in as well.


We all blog for joy, isn’t it? And what can be a greater joy than the joy of giving? With Christmas just round the corner, it’s the perfect time to bring a little magic into the lives of those around us. So here’s your chance to gift hope, strength and joy to children… write a blog post or make a donation online… let’s join hands to raise awareness… let’s endeavor to be a Santa for somebody this year… Let’s gift an Akshaya Patra…

For more details, visit their website http://www.akshayapatra.org/ or email them at infodesk@akshayapatra.org
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Arti

Posted by Arti

Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of sharing, exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest. If you have any queries, do leave a comment, I will be pleased to help! You can also contact me at - 22arti@gmail.com

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17 Comments

  1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 20, 2010 at 10:39 PM

    very well written, Arti!

    ReplyDelete
  2. smDecember 20, 2010 at 11:07 PM

    very well written
    like the pics

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  3. chitraDecember 21, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    Great post Arti, Planning to write one.

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  4. Dr. Pratibha SinghDecember 21, 2010 at 9:27 AM

    awesome line Arti'' let’s endeavor to be a Santa for somebody this year… Let’s gift an Akshaya Patra…''
    beautifully written and presented.great!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. magiceyeDecember 21, 2010 at 10:27 AM

    beautiful post

    ReplyDelete
  6. MartinaDecember 21, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    What a nice idea Arti! You're so right - christmas is about giving and celebrating new hope and new light. May the next year be a better one - for the children and for everybody.

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  7. Felicity Grace TerryDecember 21, 2010 at 6:12 PM

    so many wonderful causes out there, many thanks for sharing these details.

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  8. Ginny HartzlerDecember 22, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    It is a good thing that you are raising awareness of this, children should not have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.

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  9. Sushma MallyaDecember 22, 2010 at 11:09 AM

    lovely post,...sorry arti couldnt keep in touch as i wasnt feeling well from past few days...Thanks for asking,felt really nice

    ReplyDelete
  10. SridharanDecember 22, 2010 at 12:39 PM

    "We all blog for happiness"- How true it is..
    What an apt occassion to donate and gift ..and make others happy.
    Nice blog Arti ,You've got some interesting posts. I am following your blog

    http://sridharan-s.blogspot.com/

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  11. MohiniDecember 22, 2010 at 3:21 PM

    Very beautifully written! The contest has made us united. I like the Mahabharata quote and the Way you suggested to become a Santa. Really Loved this! Photos are very nice too.

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  12. Green MonkeyDecember 22, 2010 at 6:59 PM

    FANTASTIC Arti! your good will and positive energy is contagious! will do both.... donate and post.

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  13. ArtiDecember 22, 2010 at 8:00 PM

    Thanks everybody for supporting this very noble cause.
    @ Chitra, Green Monkey - thanks for your wonderful gesture!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. betty-NZDecember 25, 2010 at 10:45 AM

    Thanks for sharing these scenes with us.

    Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  15. umeshpatelDecember 27, 2010 at 4:58 PM

    nice comment, keep posting

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownApril 5, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    Akshaya Patra Doing good .....
    http://www.venkij.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMay 17, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    Greetings from The Akshaya Patra foundation!

    We would like to thank you for your wonderful post on The Akshaya Patra Foundation.
    We at Akshaya Patra are glad to have an enthusiast like you.
    We would like to share with you that Chase Community Giving is running a campaign on Facebook of which Akshaya Patra is also a part. Chase Community will donate $25,000 to the top 100 charities who receive the most number of votes and will move on to the next level http://bit.ly/iyFELz.

    The good news is we have already qualified for the second level with 941 votes from supporters across the globe. Charity receiving the most votes (rank 1) will get $500,000. Votes for the next round will start from 19th may. So we request you to help us by spreading the word across through your blog and help us get $500,000 from Chase Community Giving to feed more and more children.

    I am sure a blog post from you will make a huge difference.

    Best regards,
    Sarmistha Sengupta
    The Akshaya Patra Foundation
    Bangalore
    www.akshayapatra.org

    “Feeding a hungry child is not charity, it is our social responsibility”

    ReplyDelete

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