Temple Prasad is the divine food that you get in temples across India. It is the food that we offer to the deity, who blesses it merely by coming in contact with the food. When offered it is called Naivaidayam and once offered it becomes the divine prasad.
There are many different types of Prasad offered in different temples. The food offered is as per the deity’s choice. It also depends on the region where the temple is – our deities really consume the local food.
Temple Prasad from India
Come with me to feel the bliss of temple prasad across India.
Mahaprasad at Jagannath Puri
Puri is the Anna Kshetra of Jagannath. It is meant to be a place where God himself comes to eat. No wonder then that the Jagannath Puri kitchen is the biggest kitchen in the world. It also uses the traditional way to cook in fresh clay pots every day using the water from two wells within the temple premises.
The food cooked is a whole meal that is cooked by the Brahmins or Sevayats of the temple. However, it is believed that the Mahalakshmi – the consort of the Jagannath herself looks over the kitchen. The prasad is first offered to Jagannath after which it becomes Prasad. It is then offered to Mahalakshmi, after which it becomes Mahaprasad.
You can visit the kitchen in the morning to see the cooking. Later in the day you can visit Anand Bazaar and get the prasad which includes rice, daal, vegetables, and lots of sweets. In fact, people in and around Puri take the temple food for any functions at their homes.
To take home, dry items like Khaja are packed in neatly carved palm leaf boxes.
Tirupati Laddu
Who does not like Laddus from Tirupati Balaji? It is a unique Laddu with its own GI tag that every Balaji devotee craves. Though it is made of the same ingredients that many laddus are made of – Gram Flour, Ghee, Sugar, Nuts and Spices, its secret ingredient is the devotion that goes into it. After all, it is made to be offered to Venkateshwara – the one who lives on Tirumala hills.
Made in lakhs within the temple precincts, each laddu weighs about 200 gms and is offered to devotees after they have visited the temple. The taste is divine and the phrase – you just can’t have one, seems to be written for it. No wonder people not just eat but also pick up for taking it back home with them.
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