Ahe Nila Shaila.
We all begin our days chanting these lines. We are fascinated with Lord Jagannath and every single day we invoke his blessings. His culture is not only popular in Odisha but is widespread globally.
Thousands of devotees come to Jagannath temple every day to catch a glimpse of the Lord and receive his blessings. As we walk into the temple, we breathe in joy. Sometimes we also smell the sweet fragrance of the pious Mahaprasad in the air. If you have noticed that the offerings in other well-known temples of India are called Prasad, in Puri it is called Mahaprasad.
The kitchen in Jagannath Temple Puri is said to be one of the largest kitchens in India. Priests cook different varieties of Mahaprasad ranging from curries, rice, and even delectable sweet dishes.
Today we bring you some interesting facts about Jagannath Mahaprasad.
Mahaprashad Distribution
Temple’s priests are in charge of serving the Mahaprasad on time. They serve the Mahaprasad to the deities six times a day.
Types of Mahaprasad
Mahaprashad contains the devotion, love and soul of the devotees and the Lord receives his meals at their designated hours following certain rituals.
The first category is the Sankudi Mahaprasad which consists of plain mixed rice, ghee rice, some assorted vegetables, saga bhaja, green vegetables and khatta.
The Sukhila Mahaprasad consists of delectable sweet dishes that every Odia relishes with pure joy. This category comprises Laddus, traditional cakes made up of wheat; gajas etc. Before it reaches the devotees, Maa Bimala, a form of Shakti, gets the offerings.
Then we have Nirmalya, an offering given to a person on his deathbed. There is a common belief that by pouring a drop of nirmalya and basil, their soul will find eternal peace and be free of all sins.
Gopala Vallabha Bhog:
This is the very first meal of the day. Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra receive seven different uncooked foods in the form of puffed rice, butter, milk, and coconut sweets. It is served at 8:30 a.m. in the morning.
Sakala Dhupa:
It is the second course of the meal offered to the deities at 10 a.m. in the morning. It consists of 17 different cooked items such as rice and enduri pitha.
Pithas are always on the list of our favorite dishes. With Lord’s blessings in them, the taste becomes magical!
Bhoga Mandapa:
The serving time of this bhoga is around 11 a.m. The choice of food items in this one varies depending upon the individual demands and payment requirements. The meal is served a few feet away from the Lord’s throne. The 56 bhogs are varied items like Dahi Pakhal, Khichedi, Ladu, Gaja, Khaja, Khuruma, Mathapuli, Kakara, etc.
Lord Jagannath gets to eat a delectable Odia meal and relishes the variety joyously.
Madhyanha Dhupa:
This Mahaprasad meal consists of about 36 items comprising delectable sweets and traditional cakes and served around 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the noon.
Sandhya Dhupa:
This is an offering made to deities during the evenings after arti, around 7 p.m. It consists of water rice, variety of curries, and some freshly prepared popular Odia desserts like Arisa Pitha, Mudua and Rasa Vali.
Bada Simhara:
The last meal of the day given to the Lord is at 11:15 p.m.The priests drape the idols with pata cloth and puts garlands on them. The items served to them in this meal include Sarapuli pitha, kanji, Suar pitha etc.
The Mahaprasad is given to the devotees on banana leaves. It is said that eating them on banana leaves is highly sacred, and we get the exact taste of the dishes, which is usually lost when eating them on the plates.
Inside the Kitchen
While Jagannath temple experiences a huge rush of devotees daily, the temple kitchen is one of those places that are not open to the public. Every day the sewayats enter the kitchen after their bath wearing clean white clothes. Maintaining strict discipline in cooking the Mahaprasad is of utmost priority for the temple authorities. The chefs are required to refrain from chewing betel or taking any intoxicating substance while cooking.
Important Instructions to Follow
Mahaprasad carries the Lord’s blessings in them. So we know that there are emotions and several peoples’ unbreakable faith attached to it. The devotees believe that eating the Mahaprasad will fill not only empty stomachs but will also provide nourishment to their souls.
There are rules and regulations one needs to follow while distributing and consuming Mahaprasad:
1. Mahaprasad cannot be eaten on plastic or thermocol plates but only on banana leaves.
2. Mahaprasad does not differentiate on the basis of caste, creed or gender. Every person irrespectively is allowed to consume Mahaprasad.
3. Eating with spoons is discouraged.
4. Mahaprasad should always be consumed sitting on the floor.
So when are you planning to visit the Puri Jagannath temple and fulfill your soul by consuming the Lord’s Mahaprasad ?
Ahe Nila Shaila.
We all begin our days chanting these lines. We are fascinated with Lord Jagannath and every single day we invoke his blessings. His culture is not only popular in Odisha but is widespread globally.
Thousands of devotees come to Jagannath temple every day to catch a glimpse of the Lord and receive his blessings. As we walk into the temple, we breathe in joy. Sometimes we also smell the sweet fragrance of the pious Mahaprasad in the air. If you have noticed that the offerings in other well-known temples of India are called Prasad, in Puri it is called Mahaprasad.
The kitchen in Jagannath Temple Puri is said to be one of the largest kitchens in India. Priests cook different varieties of Mahaprasad ranging from curries, rice, and even delectable sweet dishes.
Today we bring you some interesting facts about Jagannath Mahaprasad.
Mahaprashad Distribution
Temple’s priests are in charge of serving the Mahaprasad on time. They serve the Mahaprasad to the deities six times a day.
Types of Mahaprasad
Mahaprashad contains the devotion, love and soul of the devotees and the Lord receives his meals at their designated hours following certain rituals.
The first category is the Sankudi Mahaprasad which consists of plain mixed rice, ghee rice, some assorted vegetables, saga bhaja, green vegetables and khatta.
The Sukhila Mahaprasad consists of delectable sweet dishes that every Odia relishes with pure joy. This category comprises Laddus, traditional cakes made up of wheat; gajas etc. Before it reaches the devotees, Maa Bimala, a form of Shakti, gets the offerings.
Then we have Nirmalya, an offering given to a person on his deathbed. There is a common belief that by pouring a drop of nirmalya and basil, their soul will find eternal peace and be free of all sins.
Gopala Vallabha Bhog:
This is the very first meal of the day. Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra receive seven different uncooked foods in the form of puffed rice, butter, milk, and coconut sweets. It is served at 8:30 a.m. in the morning.
Sakala Dhupa:
It is the second course of the meal offered to the deities at 10 a.m. in the morning. It consists of 17 different cooked items such as rice and enduri pitha.
Pithas are always on the list of our favorite dishes. With Lord’s blessings in them, the taste becomes magical!
Bhoga Mandapa:
The serving time of this bhoga is around 11 a.m. The choice of food items in this one varies depending upon the individual demands and payment requirements. The meal is served a few feet away from the Lord’s throne. The 56 bhogs are varied items like Dahi Pakhal, Khichedi, Ladu, Gaja, Khaja, Khuruma, Mathapuli, Kakara, etc.
Lord Jagannath gets to eat a delectable Odia meal and relishes the variety joyously.
Madhyanha Dhupa:
This Mahaprasad meal consists of about 36 items comprising delectable sweets and traditional cakes and served around 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the noon.
Sandhya Dhupa:
This is an offering made to deities during the evenings after arti, around 7 p.m. It consists of water rice, variety of curries, and some freshly prepared popular Odia desserts like Arisa Pitha, Mudua and Rasa Vali.
Bada Simhara:
The last meal of the day given to the Lord is at 11:15 p.m.The priests drape the idols with pata cloth and puts garlands on them. The items served to them in this meal include Sarapuli pitha, kanji, Suar pitha etc.
The Mahaprasad is given to the devotees on banana leaves. It is said that eating them on banana leaves is highly sacred, and we get the exact taste of the dishes, which is usually lost when eating them on the plates.
Inside the Kitchen
While Jagannath temple experiences a huge rush of devotees daily, the temple kitchen is one of those places that are not open to the public. Every day the sewayats enter the kitchen after their bath wearing clean white clothes. Maintaining strict discipline in cooking the Mahaprasad is of utmost priority for the temple authorities. The chefs are required to refrain from chewing betel or taking any intoxicating substance while cooking.
Important Instructions to Follow
Mahaprasad carries the Lord’s blessings in them. So we know that there are emotions and several peoples’ unbreakable faith attached to it. The devotees believe that eating the Mahaprasad will fill not only empty stomachs but will also provide nourishment to their souls.
There are rules and regulations one needs to follow while distributing and consuming Mahaprasad:
1. Mahaprasad cannot be eaten on plastic or thermocol plates but only on banana leaves.
2. Mahaprasad does not differentiate on the basis of caste, creed or gender. Every person irrespectively is allowed to consume Mahaprasad.
3. Eating with spoons is discouraged.
4. Mahaprasad should always be consumed sitting on the floor.
So when are you planning to visit the Puri Jagannath temple and fulfill your soul by consuming the Lord’s Mahaprasad ?
