During the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year, the Adani Group had launched a massive seva campaign, with the majority of the contribution coming from volunteers. Now the group has turned its attention to another major religious event of the country – the Rath Yatra – held in Puri, Odisha.
Every year, this nine-day Rath Yatra, which starts from the famous Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, attracts lakhs of devotees from India and abroad. Carrying forward the vision of Chairman Gautam Adani – ‘Seva hi sadhna hai’ – the group is organizing special seva works for devotees and service officers during the Rath Yatra from June 26 to July 8.
According to sources, about 40 lakh food and beverage items are being distributed free of cost in this service. Several food counters have been set up in the city where pilgrims and administrative staff are getting nutritious food. Keeping in mind the hot weather, stalls of cold drinks have also been set up. Apart from this, assistance is also being given to the lifeguards deployed on the Puri beach.
Volunteers are carrying out beach clean-up drives, with a special focus on removing plastic waste. Municipal employees are being given safety jackets, while government volunteers are being given free T-shirts, and raincoats, caps, jackets and umbrellas are being distributed to devotees and officials.
The entire service initiative is being run in collaboration with the Adani Group, the Puri administration, ISKCON and local NGOs.
In Odisha, the Adani Foundation is already active in rural health, school infrastructure and livelihoods. The group sees this service work as linked to India’s social and spiritual tradition.
The Adani Group’s social responsibility is not limited to education, health and infrastructure development. It has now moved towards becoming an active participant in Indian culture and faith – not as a sponsor, but as a servant.
Earlier, during the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the Adani Group, in collaboration with ISKCON and Gita Press, had provided food service and helped pilgrims on a large scale. On January 21, Gautam Adani himself participated in the service work at Kumbh and made it clear that public service is a core value for him, not a separate activity.
Sources say that while Maha Kumbh was a symbol of the grandeur of service, the Rath Yatra is an example of the soulful and local connection of service. The number of devotees in Puri may be relatively less, but the energy and organizational challenge of the event is not less in any way.
Through this service campaign of Rath Yatra, the Adani Group is not only providing assistance, but it is also further strengthening its vision of development based on Indian values, cultural consciousness and community spirit.
According to the information, this service campaign is planned in advance with local partners. Volunteers are either from the group or from local communities, and the implementation at the ground level is led by coordinators who have deep ties in that area.
