It's a dream spread of food items here

Smell of freshly ground spices, aroma of dishes wafting through the air, snacks that entice at the very sight, milk shakes that are waiting to wash down the throat following a delicious meal, and food items that can set the tongue ticking and yearning for more.

What’s more, all this is for any person who walks into the premises of Ganapathi Sacchidananda Ashrama on Ooty road, on the occasion of Swamiji’s 70th birthday.

Understandably so, the crowd also swelled as the day progressed. The lavish spread, which is being prepared by over 1,000 cooks and volunteers includes North Indian, South Indian and even Chinese preparations such as fried rice, gobhi manchurian, noodles and even spring rolls! And, everything is prepared en masse. Not a single devotee is turned away from the food court, for whatever reasons. Dishes that are savoured by the devotees include roomali roti, aloo chaat, paani puri, dosa, naan, curries, bhel, coffee and tea, along with a generous addition of south Indian items, with more items being added into the kitty every hour. 

Though this melange of dishes was originally planned to be offered on the 75th birthday of Sachchidananda Swamiji, the cooks and their team offered to make this year’s celebrations more than memorable. The 13th annual brahmotsava celebrations that started on May 31, will offer this culinary spread to every visitor till June 4. Cooks who have arrived from different parts of the country, are working round the clock to keep the hunger pangs of milling crowds of over 40,000 people at any given time. Sweets are a delight to watch and savour. Kaju katli, jahangir, badam burfi, jalebi, laddu, and mysore pak have been an eternal hit among foodies here. 

This apart, there are also plenty of games and engaging activities for children, men and women alike. Right now, all roads in the city are leading to Sachchidananda Ashrama.