Annam Brahma: Largest food festival

Gujarat, (Ahmedabad), Nov. 2, 2010: 5,600 vegetarian Indian items prepared by devotees from across Gujarat were presented at the ANNAM BRAHMA, a unique event of celebration and contribution on the auspicious occasion of Diwali by The Art of Living.

 

The event was an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for its vastness of variety and quantity offered at one platform. The food was shared with underprivileged children as Bal Bhoj and was prepared by devotees from Ahmedabad, Kalol, Surat, Dholka, Nadiad, Dahod, Kalol and Ankleshwar.

 

At the satsang that followed, devotees participated with much enthusiasm and devotion. Gracing the occasion, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said: “Food, tourism, clothing, music and dance, yoga and spirituality, Ayurveda and Information technology are the seven unique fields that India can showcase to the world.” Speaking about vegetarian food, Gurudev said: “Even if 10 percent of the world’s population turned vegetarian, the problem of global warming can be considerably reduced.”

 

About 1 lakh people attended the event. Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was also present among other prominent dignitaries.

 

The food event was part of a string of events The Art of Living Foundation has organized in the past to foster and promote cultural heritage of India.

 

The Art of Living’s Silver Jubilee celebration at Bangalore (February 17th - 19th 2006) witnessed for the first in history India 3800 musicians from South India performing on one stage. Musicians played 782 violins, 770 veenas, 10 vichitra veenas, 60 tamburas, 10 mandolins, 138 nadaswarams, 750 flutes, 650 mridangams, 100 ghatams, 100 kanjiras, 138 tavils, 30 morsingas, 20 keyboards, 150 guitars and 92 saxophones enthralled all present with soul stirring symphonies.

 

In Cochin on November 26, 2006, 1,200 Mohiniattam dancers performed on one stage. The event entered the Guiness World Book of Records for a record breaking numbers of dancers together on one stage.

 

Brahmnaad (November 21, 2008), a unique sitar concert for World Peace had 1,094 sitarists together performing in Delhi for Bihar flood victims. The performers between 6 and 70 years of age, included visually challenged sitarists, child prodigies, young students from renowned schools of classical music, artistes from All India Radio, senior practitioners of this art. The event also entered the Guiness World Book of Records for the maximum number of Sitar exponents on one common stage.

 

Antarnaad, a mega singing symphony (January 12, 2010) had 2,750 Indian classical vocalists gathering to showcase a vast repertoire of Indian classical music. Celebrity singers like Shankar Mahadevan and renowned names like Pt Rajan & Sajan Misra were also part of this event. The symphony too entered the Guinness Book of Records for the largest ever Sing-Along Vande Matram where in over 1,00,000 people participated.

 

Mehra De Rang, a mega bhangra concert (November 11, 2010) in the series of Art of Living’s initiative will be an event that will enthrall the audience with largest number of Punjabi Bhangra dancers on one stage.

 

These events hosted by the organization have epitomized spirit of celebration, significance of music and revived the country’s cultural heritage amongst youth and people from all walks of life.