In a remarkable display of devotion, tradition, and scale, the Jagannath Temple in Puri continues to operate the world’s largest open-air kitchen, feeding over 100,000 people every day with freshly prepared meals.
Located within the sacred temple complex in Odisha, the kitchen—known as the Rosha Ghara—functions with extraordinary coordination, using age-old methods that have been followed for centuries. Massive clay ovens, hundreds of earthen pots, and a dedicated team of over 600 cooks (known as Suaras) and helpers prepare the revered Mahaprasad, which is offered to Lord Jagannath and then served to devotees.
The kitchen operates without the use of modern machinery, relying on firewood as fuel and traditional cooking techniques, all carried out in meticulously maintained hygienic conditions. The entire operation is guided by ancient rituals and spiritual discipline, making it not just a culinary marvel, but a spiritual one.
Food is cooked in earthen pots stacked in tiers—sometimes up to nine levels high—with an incredible tradition where the food in the topmost pot cooks first, an occurrence devotees consider miraculous.
“The kitchen of Lord Jagannath is not just about feeding people, it’s about faith, service, and an unbroken legacy,” said a temple spokesperson.
Recognized for its scale and sanctity, the Puri Jagannath Temple kitchen stands as a shining symbol of India’s cultural richness and its commitment to collective service through spirituality.
