The biggest ever Commonwealth Big Lunch

British Council hosted the biggest-ever Commonwealth Big Lunch with over 30,000 indigenous students and staff members of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) - the largest residential institute for the Tribals in the world - in Bhubaneswar on 23 March 2018.

Organised in collaboration with KISS and KIIT founder Dr Achyuta Samanta, the event brought together the High Commissioners and Representatives from 53 Commonwealth countries and the indigenous students from KISS to share a meal at the KISS premises.

Check out the highlights from this inspiring event:

Alan Gemmell (Director British Council India), Sir Dominic Asquith and Lady Asquith (British High Commissioner India), and Bruce Bucknell (British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata) share a meal with the students at KISS

More than 3000 students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences formed this enormous human logo of British Council, in celebration of our 70 years in India

The indigenous students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences who prepared the food for the commonwealth big lunch — A mega lunch prepared by the brilliant, indigenous students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences

Alan Gemmell (Director, British Council India) struck up a conversation with Yogita, an aspiring botanist from KISS, who talked about her passion to study medicinal plants of Odisha and find cures for diseases

About Commonwealth Big Lunch

Commonwealth Big Lunches, created by educational charity the Eden Project in partnership with the UK Government, encourage people to get together to celebrate their Commonwealth connections through food. Launched by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Commonwealth Big Lunches were organised as the UK hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, bringing together 52 leaders from across the Commonwealth to London and Windsor. Lunches of all shapes and sizes took place between Monday 12 March — Commonwealth Day — and Sunday 22 April. Over the six-week period, high profile and diverse events were held across the Commonwealth, including the biggest-ever lunch hosted and attended by British Council India and the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS).