After Maha Kumbh Mela, Gautam Adani offers seva at Puri Rath Yatra

Building on its large-scale, volunteer-driven outreach during this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the Adani Group has now turned its attention to the famed Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha—one of the most iconic Hindu events in India.

The annual chariot festival, held at the sacred Lord Jagannath Temple, attracts countless devotees from across India and the world over nine days.

Motivated by chairman Gautam Adani’s guiding principle that “Seva Hi Sadhana Hai” (Service is Worship), the Group is undertaking an extensive range of services for pilgrims and frontline personnel during the Rath Yatra, which runs from June 26 to July 8, according to people familiar with the matter.

The logistical challenge

This year's efforts involve the free distribution of nearly 4 million meals and beverages; specially set-up food counters offering wholesome meals to both pilgrims and officials; hydration points placed around the city to help visitors cope with the summer heat; support to lifeguards affiliated with the Puri Beach Lifeguard Mahasangha; volunteer-led clean-up drives focused on plastic waste; complimentary T-shirts for event volunteers; fluorescent vests to enhance the visibility of sanitation workers; and provision of raincoats, jackets, caps and umbrellas for officials and worshippers.

These efforts are being delivered in collaboration with the Puri district administration, ISKCON, and grassroots volunteer groups.

The Adani Foundation, which has already been active in Odisha through programmes focused on rural health, school development, and livelihood generation, considers this seva a natural continuation of India's living spiritual traditions, said sources.

For the Adani Group, corporate social responsibility is not confined to sectors like infrastructure, education or health. Its scope now increasingly includes hands-on participation in spiritual and cultural life—“not as a sponsor, but as a sevak (servant of God).”

Earlier this year, the Group played a key role in the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela, where it helped organise food and welfare services for pilgrims in partnership with ISKCON and Gita Press. Gautam Adani himself participated in seva on January 21, reinforcing the belief that social work is “not a sideline activity but a central value.”

According to sources, while the Kumbh effort stood out for its sheer scale, the Rath Yatra campaign is more about deep, personal engagement.

Though the crowd size in Puri is comparatively smaller, the spiritual fervour is equally powerful, and the organisational demands remain formidable.

Through this initiative, the Group isn’t just providing logistical help—it’s reaffirming a model of development deeply embedded in Indian values of community, service and faith.

Much of the execution is shaped months ahead in coordination with local stakeholders, insiders said. Many of the volunteers come from the Group itself or nearby communities, and long-serving Adani coordinators with deep local ties often lead the on-ground effort.