This stove is designed for the need of cooking for 100 to 300 people. This is a institutional stove / community stove. "Vandemataram" means "SALUTE TO MOTHER LAND". Designed by Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy for the school children and youth camps being conducted by Vandemataram Foundation on Education. This is a low height stove, the frame and outer body is iron, inside the refractory bricks are used. This stove is pushed into the ground for the convenience of cooking. The food cooked weighs often about 100 kgs, unless the stove is of low height it is difficult to lift the cooked food from the stove. The sticks can conveniently remain the ground level, the ashes and charcoal remains in the pit. Which can be removed after cooking using a spade. The life of the stove is around 10 years. This is a 21 inches diameter stove. The cost of each stove, including installation is around $200 (USD). The cost of the stove could be recovered through wood saving in less than 6 months time. The higher efficiency, convenience of cooking, low height, primary air control, etc., makes it most adoptable.
In India as part of Government scheme, mid-day meals are served in schools. Especially in Andhra Pradesh, the food is cooked on three stove stoves. There is a need to conserve fuelwood and considering other impacts, these simple stoves are highly suitable for adoption.
This stove is dedicated to the Vandemataram Foundation http://www.vandemataramfoundation.in/aboutus.php for their contribution towards children and education. This is Open Knowledge http://okgeo.org and OHANDA http://ohanda.org
