The massive kitchen at the Brahma Kumaris’ Shantivan Complex in Mount Abu feeds 50,000 people daily using only solar energy—no gas, no electricity, just sunlight transformed into steam.
Nestled in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, this kitchen is part of the world’s largest solar cooking system. It’s a marvel of sustainable engineering and spiritual service, run by the Brahma Kumaris spiritual organization.
☀️ How it works: Solar thermal technology
- 84 Scheffler reflectors, each 9.2 square meters wide, track the sun across the sky.
- These curved mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a focal point, generating temperatures up to 800°C.
- The intense heat is used to produce steam, which powers large cooking vessels to prepare vegetarian meals.
- The system is entirely fuel-free and emission-free, making it one of the cleanest mass kitchens on Earth The Times of India | MSN Times of India The Better India.
🍛 What’s cooked and served
- The kitchen prepares nutritious vegetarian meals for visitors, residents, and spiritual seekers.
- Meals include staples like dal, rice, chapatis, vegetables, and sweets—cooked in bulk with precision and care.
- The food is served as part of the Brahma Kumaris’ commitment to selfless service and spiritual nourishment.
🌍 Environmental impact
- The solar kitchen saves thousands of liters of fuel annually.
- It drastically reduces carbon emissions, aligning with India’s push for renewable energy and sustainable living.
- It’s a model for eco-conscious infrastructure, especially in regions with abundant sunlight.
🧘♀️ Spiritual and social mission
- The Brahma Kumaris believe in purity, peace, and sustainability.
- Feeding thousands daily is part of their seva (service) ethos.
- The kitchen also educates visitors on clean energy and conscious living.
This kitchen isn’t just a culinary feat—it’s a beacon of what’s possible when technology, spirituality, and sustainability come together.
Would you like to explore how similar solar kitchens could be built elsewhere or how to visit the Shantivan Complex yourself?
The kitchen that runs on sunlight
Unlike most solar setups that rely on panels, this one uses solar thermal energy, mirrors that concentrate sunlight into intense heat. Eighty-four massive Scheffler reflectors, each 9.2 square metres wide, sit on rotating frames, tracking the sun’s journey across the sky. As they move, their curved surfaces catch and focus the rays to a single point, creating intense heat, often several hundred degrees Celsius, and in ideal conditions, reaching up to around 800 °C. This focused solar energy is what powers the kitchen, producing steam that cooks thousands of meals every day - cleanly, efficiently, and without fuel.
That blazing heat is then used to produce steam. Each reflector’s concentrated beam hits one of 42 specially engineered steel receivers, which convert water into steam, more than 3,500 kilograms of it every day. The steam is collected through insulated header pipes and directed into a central drum, from where it travels to giant cooking vessels inside the kitchen.
This is where solar science meets everyday Indian food. The steam is used to cook everything from dal, rice, and curries to beverages - even for sterilising water and washing utensils. Everything happens on a massive scale yet with near-zero pollution.
Every morning, the mirrors tilt and turn automatically, facing the sun like a field of shining sunflowers. By evening, a photovoltaic-powered timer resets them, ready for another day of cooking powered purely by sunlight.
- The system also has clever support in place:
- A water-softening unit to prevent scale buildup
- A pressure reducer that keeps steam flow consistent
Sources: The Times of India | MSN Times of India The Better India Indulge-The New Indian Express
