Puri (Odisha) [India], June 26 (ANI): After its vast and largely volunteer-led support effort to feed the multitude at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year, the Adani Group has now turned its attention to another of India's most iconic religious festivals -- the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. Held annually at the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the nine-day chariot procession draws millions of pilgrims from across the country and beyond.

For the Adani Group, corporate social responsibility has always extended beyond infrastructure, education and healthcare. Increasingly, it includes direct and active participation in India's spiritual and cultural life, not as a sponsor, but as a sevak, according to a release issued by the group.

In keeping with Chairman Gautam Adani's deeply held belief that 'Seva Hi Sadhana Hai' (Service is Worship), the Adani Group is undertaking a comprehensive seva effort to support both pilgrims and frontline officials during the Rath Yatra from 26 June to 8 July.

This year's support includes nearly 4 million meals and drinks distributed free of cost; designated food counters providing free, nutritious meals to pilgrims and officials; beverage counters across the city offering cool drinks to beat the Odisha heat; support for lifeguards from the Puri Beach Lifeguard Mahasangha; volunteers for beach clean-up, especially plastic waste; free T-shirts for official volunteers; fluorescent safety vests for municipal workers; and also a variety of jackets, raincoats, caps and umbrellas for officials and devotees.

The seva effort is a collaboration between the Adani Group, the Puri district administration, ISKCON and local volunteer organisations. The Group, which has been working in Odisha through the Adani Foundation across sectors such as rural healthcare, school infrastructure and livelihoods, sees this seva as part of a larger spiritual continuity in India's public life.

Earlier this year, during the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela, the Adani Group had supported food distribution and pilgrim welfare services on a massive scale in collaboration with ISKCON and Gita Press. On 21 January, Chairman Gautam Adani personally took part in seva at the Kumbh, underscoring the Group's message that social service is not a sideline activity but a central value.

If the Maha Kumbh was about scale, the Rath Yatra is about intimacy. While the numbers in Puri may be smaller, the energy is no less intense, and the logistical complexity is immense. Through its Rath Yatra involvement, the Adani Group is not just offering services -- it is reinforcing a view of development that is grounded in Indian culture, community and compassion.

To understand the Group's broader approach to seva, it is worth noting that these efforts are neither outsourced nor symbolic. Much of the planning is done with on-ground partners months in advance, the volunteers are from within the Group or local communities, and the execution is often led by Adani coordinators who have long-standing relationships in the region.

Whether in Prayagraj or Puri, this emerging model of faith-linked service -- blending corporate capacity with grassroots humility -- offers a compelling view of how modern Indian businesses can walk hand-in-hand with the country's spiritual traditions. (ANI)