On October 16th 2014, Just One hosted a bandhara, a free feeding for everyone, to honor the great saint Satuwa Baba Maharaj. Maharaji left the body 2 years ago on November 25, 2012, yet his legacy is still vibrant in the Varanasi community.
Maharaji and Sai Maa loved to feed people together. Many times I saw these two great masters strolling the dining halls, shouting directions to staff to ensure everyone was fed fully. And so to honor Maharaji, Sai Maa invited all of Varanasi to be at the Sathya Sai Maa Moksha Dham on Maharaji’s birthday.
More than 1200 meals were served by Just One on this day. To cater for this many, the ground floor was set up as a waiting area. The first floor and part of the second floor were set up as dining halls. And the kitchen itself was created on the second floor. The cooks arrived the night before and began their preparations early. This was to be a full meal, and many were to be served.
Maharaji and Sai Maa loved to feed people together. Many times I saw these two great masters strolling the dining halls, shouting directions to staff to ensure everyone was fed fully. And so to honor Maharaji, Sai Maa invited all of Varanasi to be at the Sathya Sai Maa Moksha Dham on Maharaji’s birthday.
More than 1200 meals were served by Just One on this day. To cater for this many, the ground floor was set up as a waiting area. The first floor and part of the second floor were set up as dining halls. And the kitchen itself was created on the second floor. The cooks arrived the night before and began their preparations early. This was to be a full meal, and many were to be served.
The food program started promptly with a procession of sadhus being served at 11:30 am and was completed some 4 hours later at 3:30 pm. In addition to the 100 sadhus, more than 100 pundits (Vedic priests) were also served. Many of these were students, as Varanasi is known throughout India as one of the finest places to receive a Vedic education. More than 300 children from local slum communities also participated along with many other guests from all over Varanasi.
The secret to a great bandhara is the taste of the food. The menu for today was spinach and paneer, vegetable curry, puris (fried bread), a sweet and spicy yoghurt, chutney and 2 gulab jamun, a favorite sweet delicacy in India. As I walked around the dining halls I asked some sadhus, pundits, and all the guests, "How does the food taste?" I received more positive responses and excellent reviews than I could have imagined.
It was a tremendous joy to be part of paying homage to one of Varanasi's great citizens in this way and feed 1200 people as part of this. Om Jai Jai Sai Maa!
The secret to a great bandhara is the taste of the food. The menu for today was spinach and paneer, vegetable curry, puris (fried bread), a sweet and spicy yoghurt, chutney and 2 gulab jamun, a favorite sweet delicacy in India. As I walked around the dining halls I asked some sadhus, pundits, and all the guests, "How does the food taste?" I received more positive responses and excellent reviews than I could have imagined.
It was a tremendous joy to be part of paying homage to one of Varanasi's great citizens in this way and feed 1200 people as part of this. Om Jai Jai Sai Maa!
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