Tiruchirappalli's Rajeshwari Helps Cook Free Sehri For Muslim Students During Ramadan
Her Hindu identity does not stop her from helping in the kitchen and packing free Sehri for over 100 fasting Muslim students.
Published : February 24, 2026 at 4:14 PM IST
By Abdul Karim
Trichy (Tamil Nadu): The aroma of ghee and spices emanates from one of the houses in the narrow lanes of J.K. Nagar near Kajamalai past 8 pm every night. That is the place where Selvi Rajeshwari resides. She gets busy helping her tenants prepare food - not for their own consumption but for Muslim students staying across the city hostels. As the rest of Tiruchirappalli winds down for the night, Rajeshwari places large containers on the stove, chops onions and washes rice before they are put into large cauldrons. A Hindu woman, today she has become an integral part of Ramadan tradition and does not have any qualms about her service.
For the past several years, during the holy month of Ramadan, she has been helping prepare Sehri, the pre-dawn meal, for those students who cannot cook.
The initiative was started by Professor Maideen Abdul Kader, her tenant, who began the feeding initiative, disturbed by the plight of outstation students who struggled to access Sehri in time. He began cooking and distributing food free of cost. Though he started modestly, it has grown into a service feeding more than 100 students.
And Rajeshwari plays a major role in the entire process. From peeling onions and lighting the stove to packing food into neat parcels, she works alongside Maideen and his mother, Fatima. Ghee rice, kuska, vegetable biryani, dal rice, and tomato rice, along with boiled eggs, are neatly prepared and portioned. Later in the night, the food packets are delivered.
“Fatima and her son prepare Sehri food for Muslim students who observe fast. They start at 8 pm every night and I help them during that time. I do this because I want to serve humanity, without looking at caste or religion. It gives me peace of mind,” says Rajeshwari.
By 11 pm, the parcels are ready. Maideen then sets out, travelling up to 50 kilometres through KK Nagar, Subramaniapuram and Sethurapatti, delivering the meals to hostels of government and private colleges. It continues until nearly 4 am.
Though donations from friends and charitable organisations help sustain the effort, it is Rajeshwari’s participation that has drawn a lot of attention. But she does not see this service as anything beyond the ordinary. "I like doing what I am doing, it gives me satisfaction," she says.
In her kitchen, faiths blend as seamlessly as spices. And students across Tiruchirappalli are relieved to get warm meals every Ramzan. They may not be aware of Rajeshwari or her efforts, but her care is present in every food packet delivered.
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