7-2 Narayanan Krishnan

Kiefer Sutherland: Every single one of us has seen something so devastating that it has broken us. Maybe it's something quiet, a mother kissing her kids goodnight in the back of her old station wagon. Or something even more shocking, a man literally starving to death on the street. And when we see things like this, most of us feel it deeply. But we manage to pull ourselves back together and go on with our lives. But thank God there are people on this planet like Narayanan Krishnan who cannot.

He comes from a life of privilege, but he shuns the cultural belief of some in India that says that men and women who are destitute, homeless, struggling, or suffering from mental illness are untouchables, unworthy of compassion. But he sees them as equal. That is why he cooks for them, feeds them, cares for them, and offers them the simple dignity of a bath.

The sight of the hungry, the sick, and the homeless broke his heart to pieces. But he took those pieces and built a life for himself, helping people in need as their friend.

Narayanan Krishnan: I saw a very old man. He was eating his own human waste for hunger. I thought, what is the purpose of my life? What am I going to do? In a star hotel, I feed all my guests. But where in my hometown, there are people who are living even without food. And I quit my job, and I started feeding all these people from 2002.

Today morning, we made Ven Pongal and Sambar. Ven Pongal is a blend of rice and dahl and for the lunch we made tomato rice and Sabji. We feed the homeless, mentally ill destitute and the old people who have been left uncared, of the society. People are suffering for food. They don't have food to eat. If you don't give them food to eat, they will die out of human hunger.

I cut their hair, I give them a shave, I give them bath. For them to feel, psychologically, that they are also human beings, there are people to care for them, they have a hand to hold, hope to live. Food is one part. Love is another part. So, the food will give them physical nutrition. The love and affection which you show will give them mental nutrition.

Brahmins are not supposed to touch these people, clean these people, hug these people, feed these people. Everybody has got 5.5 liters of blood. I am just a human being. For me, everybody the same. What is the ultimate purpose of life? It's to give. Start giving. See the joy of giving.

Kiefer Sutherland: Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present CNN Hero Narayanan Krishnan.

Narayanan Krishnan: Thank you so much CNN for this global recognization. I want to thank my father for his support. This is the right path I have taken. The people I feed are my friends and bring my inner joy, no joy could ever give. Clarity and focus are needed to know our destination. I know mine. I will continue to go to the streets again and feed these people because they need us. Thank you one and all.