Right in the middle of Gujarat’s Mehsana district, there’s a village that’s already living the future everyone else keeps talking about.
Chandanki doesn’t do things halfway. Here, you won’t see smoke curling out of kitchen chimneys or hear pressure cookers hissing away in every house. The old-fashioned home kitchen? Gone.
Instead, over 600 people come together, three times a day, to eat from one huge community kitchen. It’s more than just a way to feed everyone- it’s a bold statement about how to live better, stay equal, and move forward together.
The Visionary Origin
how did this all start? It goes back decades to the then village sarpanch Poonambhai Patel. He wasn’t just wise-he saw further. Patel figured out early that everyone cooking alone wasted resources and kept people apart.
He dreamed of a place where women didn’t have to spend hours at the stove and where nobody cared about who had more or less. Eating together would level everything.
Now, thanks to him, Chandanki stands as a living, breathing example of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-the world is one family.
How the "Chandanki Model" Works
As for how it works, it’s actually pretty simple, but the impact is huge. The village swapped their old stoves for a solar-powered kitchen and an air-conditioned dining hall. No more huge electricity bills- the sun takes care of most of it.
Every villager chips in a small monthly fee, about ₹2,000. That’s just a small amount for a day for two solid meals, cooked by professionals who actually care about taste and hygiene. And everyone eats together- farmers just off the fields, visiting NRI families, kids, elders- all on the same floor, sharing the same food.
Solving Modern Problems
What’s really wild is how many problems this one idea solves.
- First, it’s way more sustainable. Centralized cooking means almost no LPG use and barely any food waste.
- Second, it’s cheaper than grabbing a fancy coffee in the city. Bulk buying and solar power keep costs low.
- And maybe best of all, women get their time back. No more sweating in kitchens all day-they can study, work, or just breathe.
A Lesson for the World
Chandanki’s story is proof that you don’t need to choose between tradition and progress.
These days, when so many people feel isolated, this village shows what happens when you come together. It’s not just about saving money. It’s about building something real- a community.
Chandanki isn’t just a village that stopped cooking at home. It figured out how to live happier and closer, all while looking out for the planet and each other. The rest of the world could learn a thing or two here. Maybe it’s time we all take a seat at their table.
