Madhu Pandit Dasa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Madhu Pandit Dasa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Madhusudhan S |
| Alma mater | M.Tech Civil Engineering (IIT Bombay) |
| Known for | Spiritual leader, President of ISKCON Temple, Bangalore, Chairman of Akshaya Patra Foundation, Chairman of Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir |
| Spouse | Bhakti Latha Devi Dasi |
| Website | http://www.madhupanditdasa.com/ |
Madhu Pandit Dasa is a spiritual leader, the President of ISKCON Bangalore.[1] As a humanitarian, he has been actively involved in programs like Akshaya Patra that provides mid-day meals to children studying in Government schools. He is the Founder and Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, guiding the organisation to realise the vision - "No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger”.[2] The Government of India has conferred upon him the prestigious Padma Shri Award[3] in recognition of the distinguished service rendered by Akshaya Patra Foundation for the children of India. He is also the Chairman of Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir, the upcoming iconic cultural and heritage complex in Vrindavan.[4] Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa is also the Chairman of Basil Woods Institutions.[5]
Madhu Pandit Dasa, originally a student of science, achieved recognition through a national talent search program during his pre-degree years. After attending IIT-Bombay, he dedicated his life to the mission of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Over nearly three decades, he has engaged in various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for millions of people in India. In addition to his work in the social sector, he has developed innovative approaches to present India’s ancient cultural ethos within a modern scientific and technological framework.[6]
The Akshaya Patra Foundation
July 2000 saw the beginning of an initiative led by Madhu Pandit Dasa[7] - the Akshaya Patra Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation was to serve underprivileged children by providing mid-day meals at Government schools of Bengaluru Rural District. To meet the requirement of preparing meals in large quantity, a centralised kitchen was designed by Madhu Pandit Dasa. He also gave the Foundation a working Governance Model, where transparency and accountability are the core values. Based on these values, Akshaya Patra has become one of the few trustworthy NGOs in the country. Demonstrating this point, Akshaya Patra has been awarded the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)’s Gold Shield Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting consecutively five times, placing the Foundation in its Hall of Fame.[8] Akshaya Patra has spanned 25 years and has grown from providing mid-day meals to 1,500 children to 2.2 million children everyday across the country.
