By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
In a historic development at the intersection of spirituality and public infrastructure, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has selected ISKCON Dwarka as an official partner to enhance the quality, purity, and consistency of food served on Indian Railways.
As part of a new “Proof of Concept” (PoC) pilot project launched last month, the Bapudham Motihari–Anand Vihar Amrit Bharat Express (Train No. 15567/15568) is now serving meals prepared under the guidance of ISKCON Dwarka, marking a significant step toward IRCTC’s goal of introducing standardized, “branded meals” on trains. This initiative places ISKCON’s culinary standards alongside reputed global hospitality brands such as Haldiram’s and Elior, signaling a new era for railway catering in India.
The Ministry of Railways, which oversees a catering ecosystem serving over 1.6 million meals daily, is currently undergoing a major transformation aimed at improving hygiene, accountability, and passenger satisfaction. A key objective of this reform is to de-link cooking from serving, moving away from congested and logistically challenging pantry systems. In an official statement, IRCTC noted, “In order to have a PARADIGM SHIFT in quality of meal services in trains and with an objective to have perceptible improvements in on-board catering services in trains, IRCTC has commenced meal trials in some select trains.”
During the current PoC phase, devotees from ISKCON Dwarka are preparing meals on the go within the train pantry itself, ensuring complete adherence to high standards. There is no external transportation involved at this stage, and the bhoga is offered within the train. This approach demonstrates that despite operational constraints, prasadam can be prepared and offered with full consciousness, cleanliness, and discipline while the train is in motion.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-dwarka-partners-with-irctcs-vision-for-branded-meals/
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