Introducing #India’s #RiceBucketChallenge

Capitalizing on the immense popularity of the ALS ice bucket challenge, an Indian woman has conceived of the rice bucket challenge as a way to encourage charity for the poor.

Unlike the ice bucket challenge, which requires the participant to dump a bucket of cold water over their head, the rice bucket challenge asks that participants simply donate a bucket of rice to somebody in need.

It is described on its Facebook page as an "Indian version for Indian needs".

The challenge is still in its infancy, with the inaugural donation made on Sunday morning.

It was conceived by Manju Latha Kalanidihi, a journalist from Hyderabad, and is proving a hit across the country.

It isn't very tough to go viral on social media. The Ice Bucket Challenge was introduced to spread awareness about the ALS and raise money for research to cure the neurodegenerative disease. The Ice Bucket Challenge may be making waves the world over, but the Rice Bucket Challenge is what is raging in India.

In a bid to help the poor, Hyderabad-based Manju Kalanidhi has sparked off the latest trend- a Facebook initiative, called an Indian version for Indian needs- that has gone viral across social media. The Facebook page describes it as a 'Desi Challenge for Desi Needs, Cook or buy one bucket of Rice / Biryani and feed the needy. Tag #RiceBucketChallenge and challenge your friends.'

This challenge isn't tough at all. All that the rice bucket challenge requires one to do is to provide a bucket of rice for the poor. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Rice Bucket Challenge has even got its own hashtag trending too - #RiceBucketChallenge.