India is a country that is well-known for its rich and diverse cultural heritage, and this is best seen in its variety of cuisine spread across the country. The current form of Indian cuisine is an amazing amalgamation of the cultures and traditions of different ethnic Indian communities that have been absorbed and integrated for centuries. Besides eating food to satisfy hunger and maintain normal bodily functions, Indians view food as an auspicious entity that helps connect people across regions and cultures and preserve age-old food traditions.
In a general sense, food is any substance that is consumed to provide the necessary nutritional support for a living body. Human food is usually of plant or animal origin and contains nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The food eaten by a human is ingested and assimilated by the body cells to provide energy, maintain life functions, and stimulate growth. While food is one of the essentials of life, it is also a constant element that is found across all societies and cultures, with interesting variations in food habits based on local produce, climate, etc. In the context of religion, the role of food often goes beyond the mere fulfilment of physical and emotional needs, as it becomes an integral part of the daily puja rituals.
An essential part of the daily Hindu puja rituals is the preparation of prasadam and offering it to Bhagwans. The cooks must first take a bath, wear fresh clothes, and remove their shoes before entering the sacred cooking space, while mantras are often played quietly in the background to create an aura of divinity. Cleanliness is one of the most important aspects of preparing prasadam, and it is also very important that the food being cooked as prasadam is fresh. After the food is cooked and offered to Bhagwans, everyone present is invited to eat the prasadam. The process of receiving prasadam from the offerings made to the deities is not only between the devotee and Bhagwan but is also community-based, where prasadam is shared with others. The Vedas say, “the giver of food protects one and all”, and sharing prasadam is “the noblest form of donation.” Thus, sharing prasadam is the greatest service towards humanity.
There are three stages of prasadam. The first stage being the preparation, which involves cooking hygienically in a clean place with fresh ingredients; the second stage involves offering the cooked food to the deities with bhakti and asking for blessings; the third stage involves eating the prasad with devotion. All three steps require meditative discipline and great devotion or love by the ones preparing the food, the ones offering the food, and the ones eating the food. From the ghee soaked halwa and puri, or chana with puri to pedas, nakul danas, nuts, and dried fruits to laddus; to the food served at Durga and Kali puja pandals, which includes white rice or yellow pulao (basanti pulao), moong dal khichdi served with various kinds of bhajas (fried vegetables), a mixed vegetable soft curry or cauliflower potato curry, chutney, and payesh (rice kheer); prasadam in India is of many types.
Jagannath Puri Mahaprasad
Jagannath Mahaprasad, famously known as the Chappan Bhog, is of two types – Sankudi mahaprasad and Sukhila mahaprasad. Sankudi mahaprasad includes rice, ghee rice, mixed rice, cumin seed, and asafoetida-ginger rice mixed with salt; dishes like sweet dal, and plain dal mixed with vegetables; vegetable curries of different types; saaga bhaja, khatta, sweets, etc. A brief look at the prasadam menu shows a well-balanced meal consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals, which are essential components in a daily meal. Thus, what we get here as prasadam is a perfectly balanced meal, prepared daily with fresh ingredients and cooked in a satvik manner; a healthy and delicious gift for the devotees as leftovers from the offerings made to Bhagwans. Religious perspective wise, as per the Skanda Purana, Jagannath Deva blesses his devotees by allowing them to eat His Mahaprasad, which is also known as Anna Brahma. The temple kitchen, which cooks for one lakh devotees each day, makes the Mahaprasad in earthen pots and uses firewood as fuel. After it is offered to Bhagwans, the Mahaprasad is freely distributed to all people, irrespective of caste and creed.
Tirupati Laddu Prasadam
Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its prasadam in the form of a laddu, also known as Sri Vari Laddu. It is among the most sought-after prasadam. It is believed that the Tirumala laddu prasadam is made using a recipe created by the Pallava dynasty. The laddoo was introduced more than 300 years back (in 1715) as naivedyam to Bhagwan Venkateshwara. It has still not lost its popularity. In the Tirumala Temple kitchen, almost 3 lakh laddus and other prasadam are made daily. The kitchen (known as Laddu Potu), equipped with modern amenities, can make 800,000 laddus daily. There are three conveyor belts in the potu area for moving ingredients from one end to the other.
For making the Tirumala laddu prasadam daily, 10 tons of gram flour, 300-500 litres of pure ghee, 700 kg of cashew nuts, 540 kg of raisins, 150 kg of cardamom, and 500 kg of sugar candy are used. Besides the final product, each ingredient used for making the prasadam undergoes multiple quality checks at the temple lab, thus making it a safe and healthy food for the devotees who throng to eat it. Besides creating a safe prasadam for the devotees, the Tirupati Temple kitchen generates employment for hundreds of local people. Almost 600 people work in the prasad-making unit that functions in three shifts for 20 hours daily.
Durga Puja/Kali Puja Prasad
During Durga Puja and Kali Puja in West Bengal and elsewhere, all houses perform puja, people arrange puja pandals, and Devi temples prepare Maa er bhog, or prasad, which is offered to the Devi. The special bhog for Maa generally consists of white fragrant rice or alternatively basanti pulao (yellow rice with kaju kismis), or khichuri made with moong dal and rice; dal; a mixed vegetable or vegetable curry; varieties of fried vegetables such as fried brinjals, pumpkin, etc.; chutney, and sweets, which includes various kinds of mishti (sondesh, rosgolla, etc), mishti doi, payesh, etc.
Bhog Is A Balanced Meal
The bhog cooking is a special occasion and it is ensured that the cook takes a bath and cooks in a clean place, using fresh ingredients. The food is cooked using minimum spices, yet it turns out to be delicious. Once cooked, it is offered to the Devi first, and later everyone visiting the house, pandal, or temple gets a share of the bhog as prasadam of Maa. Even a brief glance at the bhog menu shows a balanced meal which includes vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. Cooked in a clean environment and in a satvik way, the prasadam is a gift of Maa for her beloved children and, when eaten with bhakti, gives the devotee a great amount of joy at this touch of divinity.
Prasadam is an important part of Hindu worship rituals. From a physical viewpoint, the food for prasadam is always cooked hygienically, which is also prescribed by our scriptures. Since it is cooked in a satvik manner, it has the satvik guna, so the food offered is also healthy. From a spiritual viewpoint, prasadam contains God’s blessings and has the touch of divinity. Since the food is first offered to Bhagwan before anything else, it also symbolises that everything belongs to Him. Prasad is also symbolic of God’s grace; this food feeds many hungry and poor daily. Thus, during the upcoming Deepavali, or the next time while on a puja pandal or temple visit, do eat the prasad offered there. Hindu puja rituals guarantee that the food is cooked in a clean, hygienic manner retaining the satvik gunas, thus offering the devotees healthy and safe food. Prasadam, which is first offered to Bhagwan, contains divine grace and is a blessing for the devotees in the form of anno bhog.
Shri Banke Bihari Temple’s Bal Bhog
This famous temple, situated in the town of Vrindavan, in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, is dedicated to Bankey Bihari. Here, the first “Bhog,” (prasad that is offered to Bhagwan) is described by devotees as “Bal Bhog.” It consists of tasty kachori, aloo ki sabzi and besan ke ladoo. Another delicious prasad, which is sought after by devotees, is Makhan Mishri (Makhan is butter, and mishri is rock sugar). Makhan Mishri is offered along with Peda (a sweet dish). Makhan Mishri is offered in Kulhad (clay cup). Interestingly, the prasad in this famous temple is made from pure cow milk.
Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple’s Prasadam
In Sabarimala Temple, devotees are offered Appam and Aravana Payasam as prasadam. Both these dishes are quite famous across Kerala. Appam is a kind of pancake made from raw rice, dry yeast, coconut milk, and sugar.
Another sought after prasad is Aravana Payasam, which is a kind of kheer made from red rice, jaggery, and coconut. It is a unique prasad offered in this temple.
Vaishno Devi Temple’s Prasad
Vaishno Devi temple, situated in Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, is on the wish list of Hindu devotees from across the world. They visit this famed religious site where the Mother Goddess or Mata Vaishno Devi is said to fulfill their wishes. offers prasad to all devotees in “bhaint” (gift) in two small eco-friendly jute bags. The first bag contains puffed rice, dried apples, dry coconut, and elaichi (cardamom) seeds. The second one has mishri and a silver coin with deities embossed on it.
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