By Priyagovind Das
As the sun transitioned into Capricorn for Makar Sankranti on January 14, 2026, Ayodhya Dham was transformed into a sea of devotion. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, fresh from their holy bath at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, arrived at the feet of Lord Ram. To honor this sacred arrival, ISKCON Ayodhya scaled its Food for Life initiative, distributing over 100,000 free prasadam meals.
This massive humanitarian effort is rooted in the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita: “The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal enjoyment, verily eat only sin” (3.13).
Gita Manishi Devshekhar Vishnu Das, ISKCON Ayodhya’s Project Director, emphasized that this service goes beyond mere charity; it is a tool for social cohesion. “The Magh Mela teaches us that we are all interconnected in our spiritual journey,” he said, “Our ‘squirrel service’ this year in Ayodhya Dham, home of Lord Shri Ramchandra Ji, isn’t just about filling stomachs; it’s about breaking down social barriers. When thousands honor prasadam together, there is no high or low, no rich or poor. We want to send a message that true spiritual progress is inseparable from social responsibility. By serving the pilgrims and protecting our environment with eco-friendly practices, we are practicing ‘Bhakti in Action’—healing the heart and the Earth simultaneously. We are all dedicating this service to our Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada and guru parampara.”
To accommodate the surge in devotees traveling from the Triveni Sangam, ISKCON Ayodhya expanded its distribution network to 11 distribution pavilions across the city.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-ayodhya-serves-100000-meals-during-magh-mela-2026/
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