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Solar cooking festival opens sustainability week at Giridarshan courtyard: Celebrating Jimmy McGilligan’s Sustainability Legacy

Dispatch from Sanawadiya

Solar cooking festival opens sustainability week at Giridarshan courtyard

By Tina Khatri | April 16, 2026
Solar cooking festival at Giridarshan

Participants gather around solar cookers at Giridarshan, Sanawadiya, for the opening of Sustainable Development Week.

Sustainable Development Week in memory of Jimmy McGilligan opened with a solar cooking food festival at Giridarshan, Sanawadiya, drawing participants from Indore, Mhow and nearby villages.

Jimmy and Janak McGilligan Foundation for Sustainable Development is organising the week-long programme from April 15 to 21 to mark the 15th death anniversary of Jimmy McGilligan.

The opening session began at Giridarshan with devotional music and collective prayers. Students from Gurukul led invocations, while Bhavi Bhopalwala, Janak Palta McGilligan, Dr Prakash Kaushal and Rajendra Ochani led prayers for unity and peace. Trustee Virender Goyal welcomed participants with the chanting of “Om”.

A Solar Community Feast

By noon, the courtyard of Giridarshan filled with solar cookers as around 30–35 participants joined hands-on sessions. Families and youth cooked a range of dishes including kadhi, idli, pulao, khichdi, kheer, cake and rabri, along with organic millets and mulberry jam.

Solar engineer Deepak Gadhia from Gujarat, solar cooking expert Ajay Chandak from Maharashtra, and Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Goswami attended the session. Speakers stressed solar energy as a practical response to rising energy demand and urged wider adoption and awareness.

They described Jimmy McGilligan as a pioneer in solar cooking systems, highlighting his work in developing solar cookers, dryers and kitchen models. Janak Palta McGilligan’s continued work in promoting solar cooking and sustainable living also came into focus.

Participants demonstrated solar cookers and panels, discussed thermal solar technology, and explored the role of large-scale solar kitchens in rural and institutional use. Experts called for stronger adoption of renewable energy in India’s energy transition.

"Participant Nitya shared her experience, recalling preparing tamarind rice with her grandmother. She described the slow cooking process, aroma and shared learning as memorable, and said seeing Janak Palta McGilligan actively involved added inspiration."

At the end of the programme, trustee Anuradha Dubey thanked participants, guests and solar cooking teams. The foundation said upcoming sessions will focus on solar innovation, water conservation, organic living and the role of universities in building a greener India.

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