In a stunning example of sustainability and scale, India has built the world’s largest solar-powered kitchen in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. This state-of-the-art facility can cook up to 50,000 meals every single day—entirely without gas, electricity, or fossil fuels.
Harnessing the power of the sun, this eco-innovation not only showcases India’s commitment to renewable energy but also revolutionizes the way mass cooking is done for large gatherings, especially in religious and community institutions.
- Location: Mount Abu, Rajasthan
- Capacity: 50,000 meals/day
- Technology: 400+ parabolic solar concentrators
- Zero gas, zero electricity — 100% solar-powered cooking
- Built with support from: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), NGOs, and spiritual organizations
“This isn’t just a kitchen. It’s a message to the world that clean energy can feed people at scale,” said an official from the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
Using a network of high-efficiency solar concentrators, sunlight is focused to generate steam, which is then used to cook massive quantities of food—dal, rice, vegetables, and even chapatis—efficiently and hygienically.
The system includes thermal storage units, allowing cooking to continue even during cloudy periods or after sunset.
- Saves thousands of LPG cylinders and units of electricity annually
- Cuts down carbon emissions by over 150 tons per year
- Serves food to temple visitors, pilgrims, and community members free of charge
- Promotes eco-conscious tourism and green infrastructure development
The kitchen has already become a model for other nations, with international delegates and environmentalists visiting the site to study its design and replication potential.
As India takes giant steps toward clean energy leadership, the Mount Abu Solar Kitchen stands tall—not just as a marvel of engineering, but as a symbol of serving humanity with sustainability at heart.
