Prasad is a Hindu religious offering which is also known as Prasada or Prasadam. Prasad is typically vegetarian food prepared for devotees, showing gratitude to God. Maha Prasada (also known as Bhandar) is the consecrated food offered to the deity in a Hindu temple, which is then distributed and consumed by all devotees.
Prasada is closely associated with the term, Naivedya. The food offered to God is referred to as Naivedya, whereas the sacred food sanctified and returned to God as a blessing is referred to as Prasada. Prasada also means gift or grace.
Attendees are expected to consume the prasada as a holy offering. Cooked food, fruits, and confectionery sweets may be included in the offerings. Vegetarian food is usually served and distributed to devotees who visit the temple. The vegetarian option may occasionally exclude prohibited items such as garlic, onion, mushrooms, and so on. Non-vegetarian food is prohibited in some temples. Hindu goddesses such as Chandi and Kali, as well as Hindu gods such as Bhairava and Mahakala, are offered sacrifices of animals such as roosters, goats, fish, and buffalo that are slaughtered within the temple grounds. After the sacrifice, the meat is distributed as prasad.
Food offerings are a part of the service to a Hindu deity in many Hindu traditions, but they are not universal. The icon (murti) is revered as a living entity to whom food, fruits, and betelnut are offered, among other things. Temples typically have stricter worship routines that include multiple Naivedya offerings per day. Most temples only allow trained and experienced Pujaris to prepare the Naivedya. Prasada is considered Naivedya offered directly to the deity with the deity having “enjoyed” it. This can be thought of as a symbolic rather than literal offering.
Food offerings in home shrines are less complicated than in Hindu temples. Before eating, it is customary to mix the prasad back into the remaining food. Tasting or eating the Naivedya food before offering it to God is strictly prohibited. The food is first presented to a deity, after which specific prayers and rituals are performed. Following that, the food is considered to have been blessed by God and has become the sanctified parsad.
Prasada is created in the material sense by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the god. A devotee may make a material offering such as flowers, fruits, or sweets. The deity then ‘enjoys’ or ‘tastes’ a small portion of the offering. This now-divinely invested substance is known as prasad, and it is given to the devotee to be consumed, worn, and so on. It could be the same material that was initially offered, or it could be material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees.
Compiled By: Nikita Gautam
Photos Credit: wikipedia, indiadivine.org
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