Devotees visiting the Puri Shree Jagannath temple will soon avail of mahaprasad (Bhog) free of cost. Besides providing mahaprasad free of cost, the temple administration will also introduce a new crowd management system to ensure the devotees have a hassle-free darshan of the deities.
Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said: “A scheme has already been ready to introduce a free Mahaprasad scheme for devotees. As per the estimation, we have to spend ₹14-15 crore to distribute mahaprasad free of cost to devotees. However, we don’t want to burden the state exchequer. Many donors have come forward to support the scheme. They have already given their consent to help the state government on this issue.”
Harichandan said: “Once the free mahaprasad scheme is launched, the devotees coming to Puri will even return with some mahaprasad with them. They can distribute the mahaprasad to their relatives and even to neighbours.”
The sacred food comprises a variety of dishes, including cooked rice (polau, plain rice, fried rice), dals, vegetable curries, sweet treats and cakes. The number of dishes touches 56 kinds of food offered to the lord and his siblings. Besides the cooked food, sukhila (dry) mahaprasad is also prepared every day.
To ensure that devotees have a hassle-free darshan of the deities inside the shrine, Harichandan said, “We will soon come out with a new design to ensure that devotees don’t find any difficulties and have a convenient darshan of the deities. Under the new system, the devotees will enter directly from Sata Pahacha and exit through Ghanti Dwara. It will be implemented after the month of Kartika.”
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will install collapsible wooden ramps and barricades inside the shrine as per the plan. Separate queues will be introduced for elderly persons, women and dibyangas.
The month of Kartika, commencing from Monday is considered the holiest month in the Hindu calendar, and the temple witnesses a heavy rush of devotees during this month. Thousands of widows throng the temple and remain in Puri to have darshan of the deities.
