The Hindu : Karnataka News : ISKCON launches `Akshaya Vastra'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

ISKCON launches `Akshaya Vastra'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, AUG. 13. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which runs the Radha Krishna Temple here, today launched a project, "Akshaya Vastra," to provide clothes to poor schoolchildren.

ISKCON is feeding 60,000 schoolchildren every day under its Akshaya Patra Project.

By Krishna Janmashtami (September 6), it would distribute clothes to 7,500 schoolchildren and cover one lakh students in phases, the ISKCON president, Madhu Pandit Das, said at a function organised to inaugurate the project.

While clothes were given to 250 schoolchildren, 25 students of the Government High School at Peenya received wristwatches at the function.

Madhu Pandit Das said good attire helped children present themselves better and infused self-confidence.

"We want children to have a fulfilled childhood. That is why we decided to launch this project," he added.

He said the decision to launch the project was taken two months ago and volunteers of ISKCON had collected 7,500 clothes for the purpose.

He lauded them for their efforts in this regard. Some schools had acted as collection centres.

`Donate clothes'

He urged people to donate clothes for the benefit of poor families.

Madhu Pandit Das said ISKCON had approached garment manufactures and some affluent families to donate clothes.

An Akshaya Vastra counter had been opened on the temple premises for the collection of clothes during visiting hours, he said.

The former Chief Justice of India S. Rajendra Babu, who inaugurated the project, said that the project was in tune with Article 29 of the Constitution, which spoke of equitable distribution of wealth and also Article 21, which said nobody should be deprived of life.

The Supreme Court had held that "life" meant a decent living, he added.

The Rajajiangar MLA, N.L. Narendrababu, said what ISKCON was doing was a model to other institutions and individuals.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka