In Tirupati, last year ISKCON distributed more than 60 lakh plates of prasadam meal in and outside the temple premises. The above mentioned prasada meals were distributed to piligrims ,temple devotees and underprivileged during several festivals, as part of Anna Dan Seva initiative during MakarSankranti, at temple anniversary celebrations and many other occasions.
Donate towards free and tasty lunch prasadam served every day to hundreds of pilgrims visiting the temple. The devotees are served sumptuous prasadam consisting of rice, sambar, sabji, pongal and butter milk.
Donation towards AnnadanaSeva is exempt from income tax under section 80G.
We serve Annaprasadam with this very principle in mind, for among the hungry crowd there may also be the anonymous genuine devotee, saint or even Devata.
gavamkunduyanamkuryat
gograsamgaupradaksinam
gosunityamprasannasu
gopala pi prasidati
The Sanskrit word annadānam literally means the offering or sharing (dānam) of food (annam). In every ethnic and religious community across the Indian subcontinent, no festival or ceremony is complete without annadānam, or at least with the distribution of prasādam.
Accordingly, the importance of food is stressed in ancient scriptures, including the Vedas, Upanisads, Dharma Sastras, DhammaPāda, etc. Taittiriya Upanishad declares, ‘All life force comes from food.’ (annamvaiprānah) and ‘Let food be produced in plenty’ (annambahukurveet).
In Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Krishna declares,
annadbhavantibhutani
parjanyadanna-sambhavah
yajnadbhavatiparjanyo
yajnah karma-samudbhavah
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties."
GajaturagaSahasramGokulamkotidanam
Kanaka RajathapatramMethinisagarantham
UpayakulavishuttamKotikanyapradanam
NahinahibahudanamAnnadanamsamanam
"Donating 1000 elephants & horses, donating 10 million cows, donating any number of vessels of silver and gold, donating the entire land till sea, offering the entire services of the clan, helping in the marriage of 10 million women, all this is never ever equal to Annadanam, the feeding of hungry and needy."
