Annadana At Mantralayam
It is said that the donation of food and water (i.e. Annadana (Anna: rice, Dana: donation)) is superior to all other forms of charity since it fulfils a basic need of all creatures unlike other forms of charity which are always only as efficacious as the recipient of the donation.
Hence Sri Guru Raghavendra relentlessly propagated Annadhanam and ensured that free food and water was made available to all visitors to the Mutt. It is a practice that continues to this date at the Moola Brindavana Matha at Mantralayam with approximately 11,000-21,000 people being fed here everyday. While the Brindavana is open on all days of the year, no food is served on Ekadasi, Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse and Krishna Janmashtami days.
Read more about this topic: Raghavendra Swami