[GHHF]Annadanam is being rendered in four Locations in Andhra Pradesh during Lockdown due to the Spread of Coronavirus.
Your Sponsorship is appreciated
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is supporting Annadana distribution to the needy and poor villagers in three cities and serving food to Cows, monkeys, dogs, and birds in fourth village.
Three different locations are selected to serve meals near Guntur through our Savetemples Office in Guntur. In Chittoor GHHF started serving meals for the next ten days. Anil Kumar and Nagaraj are spearheading the effort to cook and serve the meals.
Realizing the need to feed cows, monkeys, dogs and birds near Anantapur town, Sri Rama Sharma Garu has taken the responsibility to coordinate our activities to make sure these animals would not go hungry, and initiated feeding them starting around April 12 and will continue until May 3rd. Sri Gopi Chary and other volunteers are feeding these animals and arranging water for them to drink.
In Pendurthi near Visakhapatnam, GHHF joined hands with Dana Dharma Charitable Trust and Sri Sai Datta Manasa Peetam Trust in providing meals in tribal areas in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Vizag districts since Prime Minister announced the Lockdown.Sri Sai Datta Lokeswarananda Swamiji coordinating this effort in tribal and needy areas around Vishakhapatnam.
In Chittoor, GHHF is collaborating with Sri Vijay Kumar in providing annadanam to the poor people who reside in a colony. They are planning to feed up to 500 people per day.
Why Annadanam? What is the Significance?
In Mahabharata, Yudhisthiraasked Bhishma about the importance and nature of the gifts, the fruits of offering gifts and the rewards one can receive through this gift. Bhishma recited the discourse given by Narada to him. “'The deities and all the Rishis applaud food. The course of the world and the intellectual faculties have all been established onfood. There has never been, nor will be any gift that is equal to the gifts of food. Hence, men always desire particularly to make gifts of food. In this world, food is the cause of energy and strength. The life-breaths are established on food. It is food that upholds the wide universe … That man who makes a gift of clean food unto a person on the way who is toil-worn and unknown to the giver, is sure to acquire great merit.”
“A man, by making gifts of food in this world, is sure to attain to an excellent place hereafter. He who makes giftsof sweetmeat and all food that is sweet, attains to a residence in heaven where he is honored by all the deities and other denizens. Food constitutes the life-breath of men. Everything is established upon food. He who makes gifts of food obtains many animals (as his wealth), many children, considerable wealth (in other shape), and a command in abundance of all articles of comfort and luxurious enjoyment. The giver of food is said to be the giver of life. Indeed, he is said to be the giver of everything.”
Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Purana, Varaha Purana, Agni Puranas also talked about the importance of annadanam. There is a story that talks about Goddess Annapurneshwari feeding Lord Shiva. We also read that Karna is believed to be the most charitable character in Mahabharata. After his death, he went to heaven where he was not served food. Soon he realized that he did not provide annadanam in his life on earth although he was very charitable. He was permitted to come back to earth and do annadanam seva for 15 days and return to heaven. Such is the importance given to annadanam.
Serving Food is not limited to humans only.
Food offered to cows, monkeys and birds is also extolled in Hindu scriptures.
[GHHF] Annadanam Started on April 24 in Chittoor and will continue until May 3rd
April 25, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation started Chittoor Chapter and started with Annadanam in Indiramma Colony near Murukam Patta area. In this colony most of the residents are SCs, BCs and STs. These are the laborers whose livelihood depends on daily wages. Because of Lockdown they are not able to earn any daily wages. This area is in between Kanipakam and Chittoor.
Sri V Jayakumar has taken the lead to coordinate this effort knowing the dire need of providing annadanam to these needy and poor people. He is aware of the importance of annadanam extolled in various scriptures and felt the need. In Brahma Purna there is a story of the King Bhauvana, who wanted to give land to Sage Kasyapa who was his family priest. At that time, a heavenly voice was heard saying, “Do not think of the gift of land but give food, which brings a great reward Because of its moral merit, the gift of food is sacred in all three worlds.”
More than 500 people were fed on the first day and they are getting ready to serve even more.
Your Donations are appreciated. Details are given below at the end of this writeup.
[GHHF] 21000 Tribals were provided Annadanam in Visakhapatnam Area since Lockdown – Target to Feed 16,000 by May 3rd.
As you all know that Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) is providing meals to Farm laborers in three different locations in Guntur area. Similarly, GHHF has taken responsibility with the initiative of Sri Ram Sharma Kasibhatla, one of the Board members to provide food to the cows, the monkeys, the dogs, and the birds in the Anantapur area. Please visit our website: www.savetemples.org
GHHF in association with Dana Dharma Foundation and Sri Sai Datta Manasa Peetam Trust is providing meals in tribal areas in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Vizag districts since Prime Minister announced the Lockdown.
Sri Sai DattaLokeswarananda Swamiji has been traveling to these three districts and arranging meals for the poor people as well as tribal people in these three districts.
Annadanam was served to about 12, 000 people since the Lockdown was announced on March 24. Later it was extended to May 3rd.
Sri Sai Datta Lokeswarananda Maharaj Swamiji has graciously agreed to coordinate our Savetemples activities in and around the Pendurthi area. Sri Swamiji has been working in the area for the last three years inculcating moral/cultural values for more than 25 tribal Govt. schools, distributing books and stationery to needy poor kids and conducting competition exams, providing meals, feeding cows and educating villagers to develop skills in handicrafts.
There are many pictures to upload. But we will attach a few pictures and videos.
Donations: Interested donors can visit our website and Press Donate button and select General Donation under the PURPOSE.
To sponsor one-day meals for up to 400-500people in one village costs approximately $250.
[GHHF] Annadanam to Farm Laborers in Three Locations in Guntur, AP started.
As many of you know that Lockdown was extended until May 3 in India to stop the spread of Coronavirus by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Savetemples Office in Guntur identified three locations where there is a dire need to provide meals for the farm laborers. Since no farming is being done during this lockdown period, many farm labor families have been struggling to have one regular meal. Many of them live on daily wages. If there is no work, no income will be coming to feed their families.
Dasaripalem Village, Swarna Bharati Colony, and Siva Nagaraj Colony were selected based on the desperate need basis by our office and other friends of Savetemples movement. In these three locations, we decided to provide 400-500 meals to these farm laborers and their families.
Many volunteers decided to cook every day and provide one good meal around mid-day. You can see there are some ladies who are cleaning and cutting the vegetables while others are cooking the meals. As you can see that in Dasaripalem village our people served the meals for everyone who came with plates. They were asked to stand in line maintaining the distance.
In two colonies in Guntur municipality, authorities did not allow our people to cook and serve the meals due to the fear of spreading Coronavirus. As a result, our Savetemples volunteers bought dry food items and packed them in bags and distributed them individually to each family. Each bag contains rice, dal, vegetables, salt, tamarind, and other items for them to cook. You can see our volunteers distributing these dry meal bags.
We will provide meals until the lockdown is lifted on May 3.
NOTE: One can sponsor one day meal for $250. You can go to our website, click on the Donate button, then press Purpose category, and select Feed Farm Laborers category.
Visit our website: www.savetemples.org
[GHHF] Feeding Monkey, Cows, Street Dogs and Birds during Lockdown in India continuing in Anantapur Area.
Of all the charities (Daana) , annadanam is given more importance than any other charity in Hindu Dharma. It is considered one of the religious duties of all Hindus to offer food to any unexpected guest during mealtime. In fact, Sashtras talk about eating food only after one offer food to a guest. Also, many Hindu families offer food to the deities in their house before they partake their food. Almost all the Temples and Ashrams offer annadanam to the guests. It is also customary to feed people on the death anniversaries of the deceased persons.
In India, the lockdown was extended till May 3, 2020. That means very few people can come out of their houses to attend to their daily work. They have to maintain social distance. Consequently, the cows, monkeys, street dogs and birds are being fed. Many of them are roaming with no food and water.
Generally, these animals are totally dependent on humans to feed them in either in Vegetable Market, Temples area, individual homes or in the streets. Since people are not able to venture out even to buy basic needs, these animals are deprived of their food and water.
Sri Rama Sharma Kasibhatla, the Board member of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) and who coordinates our activities in Karnataka and other States in India received requests from different sources about the pitiable condition of these animals. Few people called Savetemples office and appraised of the sad situation. Immediately we took the initiative to start in Kalyandurg village, Kalyandurg Mandal, Anantapur district. So, our volunteers in that Village started this operation to feed the animals.
It is decided to feed them until lockdown is lifted so that these animals would have enough food and water. We are grateful to the volunteers who have taken the responsibility to feed these animals.
We started feeding the Cows, Monkeys, dogs, and birds on April 12 and will continue until lockdown is lifted.
You can see some volunteers are going to the village and feeding them. Many people are either donating food items or giving them at a deep discount.
Please look at the money seating next to the Priest who is cutting Melons to feed them. Also, melons donated by farmers. Find how many cows are fed.
DONATIONS:
We would appreciate your donation to continue annadanam to the needy, poor and tribals as well as animals.
Sponsor ONE day meals for $250.
To donate visit our website. Click on the Donate button, then press Purpose category, and select Feed Farm Laborers or General Donation category.
