Beyond Meals: Beyond Meals: Jindal Foundation Steps Up Devotee Care with Water, Rain Gear, and More
~ Lakhs of devotees were served with hot meals, more than 3,000 litres of safe drinking water, over 5,000 glucose packets, and 1,000+ raincoats handed out to the volunteers and chariot pullers who make Rath Yatra happen ~
Puri : Every year, as millions of devotees make their way to Puri’s Jagannath temple amidst the chants of Jai Jagannath – another quiet tradition plays out, one that started 12 years ago, in 2015. That’s when Jindal Foundation, the CSR arm of Jindal Steel, began its Seva initiative at Rath Yatra, built around a simple idea: no pilgrim should be left wanting on one of India’s most sacred journeys.
What started during the historic Nabakalebara celebrations in 2015 has evolved into one of the largest corporate-supported humanitarian initiatives associated with Rath Yatra. During this year’s eleven-day festival, from 15 to 25 July 2026, the Foundation is expected to serve lakhs of freshly cooked meals to devotees arriving from every corner of India and across the world.
At three bustling locations across Puri – near the Shri Gundicha Temple Bus Stand, Puri Railway Station Square and Station Road – live kitchens begin work long before sunrise. Volunteers and employees work in shifts, cooking up traditional Odia fare of rice, dalma and khata, with hygiene and food safety front and centre.
But the effort doesn’t stop at food.
This year, the Foundation has expanded its support beyond community meals. Recognising the physical demands of the festival, it has distributed 6,000 glucose packets to help devotees remain energised, provided 1,300 raincoats to personnel engaged in pulling the holy chariots and supporting the district administration, and deployed three 1,000-litre safe drinking water tankers at key locations for eleven days to ensure uninterrupted access to potable water.
For many elderly pilgrims, women travelling with children, and devotees who have journeyed for days to reach Puri, these centres offer a moment of comfort amid the crowds. Volunteers help manage queues, assist vulnerable visitors and ensure that every meal is served with dignity and warmth.
As the sacred chariots make their way through the streets of Puri and the crowds swell in celebration, the volunteers continue their work behind the scenes – serving meals, offering water, extending a helping hand, and reminding everyone that sometimes the greatest act of devotion is simply serving another human being.
Eleven years on, Rath Yatra Seva has outgrown the label of ‘tradition.’ It has become proof of something India has believed for a long time – that serving others is itself a form of worship.
