Prayagraj: Five chefs from Bihar are keeping a decades-old tradition alive with mouth-watering food. At Charkhi Dadri Ashram’s community kitchen in Magh Mela, the day starts early. The chefs, led by Rakesh, plan and prep breakfast for seers, saints, and visitors.Post-breakfast, the chefs dive straight into lunch prep for seers, devotees, and visitors – no time to rest! The aroma of traditional cooking fills the air, making mouths water. Wholesome meals, cooked the old way, are on the menu.Pawan, a chef, checks the dal’s consistency, then moves to the rice and sabji cooking in a massive utensil. “We serve 500-700 devotees daily – more on main snan days,” says Rakesh. “Our goal’s simple: no one leaves the ashram hungry.”The menu changes daily – think kofta, palak paneer, dal, aloo parwal, dal makhani, jeera rice, chapatis, often rounded off with kheer. “I live for the praise,” says Rakesh. “Feeding them, hearing them rave about my food – that’s what keeps me going.”Rakesh and his team from Katihar, Bihar, have toured with Charkhi Dadri Ashram for over 10 years, cooking for devotees and saints – an act they consider service to mankind. His 4-member team helps serve 1,000-1,500 people daily. Rakesh has attended over 10 Magh Melas and the 2019 and 2025 Maha Kumbh, touring Prayag, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Nasik. When not on duty, they’re back home in Bihar with family.The chefs, aged 25-35, are masters of their craft. “It’s a blessing to serve,” says Pawan. “Serving mankind – feeding a devotee good food with a smile – is the best thing we do.”“We love to cook and serve visitors. After serving these saints and seers for so many years, I am well acquainted with their taste,” says Pawan, who claims that he learnt cooking when he was just 15. “My team members and I wake up at 4 am and cook food for over 1,500 devotees every day, though the numbers double on main snan days.”
