Seva project · Madhya Pradesh
Narayan Seva
Feeding the hungry with reverence, as service to the Divine (Narayana) present in every person.
Overview
What is Narayan Seva?
Narayan Seva means feeding a hungry person with reverence and humility, in the awareness that the Divine (Narayana) dwells in the one being served. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba asked that it not be called “poor feeding”: it is not charity, but gratitude offered to God.
In the Samithis, food is prepared, packed and served with love and devotion. In Madhya Pradesh it is recorded in state reports as “Narayan Seva (Cooked Food)”, and it is the most frequently reported seva activity in the state.
“It is quality that God values, not quantity. You may perform narayana seva (feeding the poor) on a large scale, but without purity of heart, you cannot please God. God will be pleased even with a morsel of food offered with sacred feelings. All that you do with purity of heart will find fulfillment.”In Madhya Pradesh
Seva on record
These figures come straight from approved activity reports filed with the state office. Where nothing is recorded, a dash is shown.
481
times held, 2026 YTD
2025: 517
1,03,810
beneficiaries, 2026 YTD
2025: 93,778
6,259
participants, 2026 YTD
2025: 7,009
District-level figures are not available per activity, so only state totals are shown here.
Source: approved activity reports, state office. 2026: 1 Jan 2026 – 27 Sept 2026; 2025: 1 Jan 2025 – 31 Dec 2025. — = not recorded. Nothing is estimated.
Stories
Success stories
Stories are being documented with consent
We publish the experiences of beneficiaries and volunteers only after their written consent is recorded. Until then, no story will be made up to fill this space.
Lend a hand in this seva
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