Nat Geo India presents Mega Kitchens

I had visited Amritsar
last year.

One of the lasting
memories of my trip was that of my Harmindar Sahib (Golden Temple) visit. I
finally got to see the langar (holy kitchen) there that I had heard so much of.

The massive scale
of the kitchen amazed me. By the number of people fed every day. The joy, with
which volunteers cooked, served and cleaned up the dishes afterwards. The sheer
consistency of the food and the warmth with which it was offered was humbling.
This was no ‘hell’s kitchen.’ The sense of calm and peace here was something to
be treasured. For a food lover this was heaven on earth.

This got me
thinking. Are there more places like this? Are there more untold stories of
folks selflessly working to feed thousands of people? Are there more such
examples of efficiency that we can celebrate in the world of Indian food?

Then I got to know
about the new program called ‘Mega Kitchens’ that National Geographic Channel
(NGC) is launching.

It covers
industrial scale kitchens across the country. Some of these are professional
kitchens like those run by the Indian Railways and by flight kitchens. Kitchens,
which demonstrate scale and proficiency that can, match the best in the world
and make us proud of our country.

The others are
kitchens that run solely on love. Kitchens of religious places, charitable organizations,
places that feed multitudes with a smiling face. Places that send off tired and
hungry devotees, underprivileged children home well fed.

Don’t expect these
to be kitchens that survive just on good luck or chance though. Most of these
use modern techniques and processes such as assembly lines and even solar power
to feed those who come here.

You can see some
of these fascinating, humbling and awe inspiring stories on the Mega Kitchens
series.

The show airs on:
Monday 22^nd June at 10pm

Here’s the link to the promo:  http://bit.ly/MegaKitchens

Note: This post was done in association with NGC