In Gujarat’s Chandaki, No One Cooks at Home, Yet No One Goes Hungry

The sun rises over Chandaki, a small village tucked in the heart of Gujarat, casting a warm glow on its narrow lanes and modest homes. Yet there is something unusual about the village: no smoke rises from chimneys, no pots simmer on stoves, and the kitchens remain silent. There’s no clatter of utensils, no aroma of spices drifting through the air. 

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In Chandaki, cooking at home is a tradition that has quietly faded — and yet, remarkably, no one goes hungry.

Once home to over a thousand residents, Chandaki now has around 500 villagers, most of them elderly. With younger adults moving to cities like Ahmedabad or abroad for work and education, leaving behind their parents who are often in their 70s and 80s, the older population is left to fend for themselves. 

Loneliness crept into homes alongside the fading of community ties, and daily meals, a simple pleasure, became a challenge for many.

This demographic shift brought everyday challenges that most of us barely notice — cooking, grocery shopping, even simply finding company at meal times. With no local grocery store and a three‑kilometre trek to the nearest town for basics, preparing meals became tedious.

A kitchen for the whole community

This quiet crisis sparked a remarkable solution. Led by the village sarpanch, Poonambhai Patel, who returned after 20 years in New York, Chandaki reinvented the way it nourishes its people. 

The village came together to foster a new tradition — a community kitchen that cooks and serves meals for everyone. Initiated around 14‑15 years ago, the idea was simple but powerful: prepare nutritious meals centrally so residents don’t have to toil in their individual kitchens. 

The community came together to create a central kitchen — a hub where all meals are prepared and shared. 

For a monthly fee of Rs 2,000 - Rs 2500, villagers receive two hearty, nutritious meals a day, prepared by cooks employed by the village. The kitchen serves traditional Gujarati fare, ensuring variety, taste, and balanced nutrition, proving that care can be as much about quality as it is about quantity.

More than just feeding the body, the initiative has nourished hearts. The solar-powered dining hall doubles as a gathering place, where laughter, conversation, and shared stories fill the space. 

It has become a sanctuary of connection, a place where neighbours are friends, and every meal is a reminder that no one is truly alone. Scepticism gave way to appreciation as villagers embraced the benefits: improved health, reduced stress, and a renewed sense of belonging.

Strength in togetherness

The success of Chandaki’s community kitchen is rooted in simplicity and collaboration. By pooling resources, the villagers not only solve a practical problem — they strengthen the social fabric. 

For the elderly, who might otherwise struggle with cooking daily, this approach brings freedom and dignity. For the community, it rekindles a sense of purpose and togetherness that transcends individual homes.

For families with members abroad, the kitchen brings comfort beyond measure. Knowing that parents are cared for and are eating nutritious meals, socialising daily, and staying connected with neighbours. It allows children living distant to focus on their lives, assured of their elders’ wellbeing.

Chandaki’s model has started to inspire neighbouring villages facing similar challenges. It demonstrates that solutions don’t always require complex policies or technology — sometimes, all it takes is collective will, creativity, and a commitment to care for one another.

In Chandaki, the absence of home-cooked meals has given rise to something far more meaningful: a community that thrives together, proving that even small villages can teach the world big lessons about resilience, compassion, and the power of shared purpose.

As the evening sun dips below the horizon, the community hall hums with laughter, conversation, and the gentle clinking of plates. In Chandaki, food is more than nourishment; it is a celebration of togetherness. 

Here, no one cooks alone, and no one eats alone. The village stands as a reminder that when communities unite, even the simplest acts, like sharing a meal, can transform lives and create a future where no one is left behind.

Sources:

‘This unique Indian village with 500 people has no kitchen due to a rare tradition, it is located in…’ by Vaishal Shashtri for DNA India, Published on 18 August 2025.

‘In this Indian village, no one cooks food at home’ by The Times of India, Published on 2 October, 2025.