For the first time, a 50kg cake laced with chocolate, vanilla and other creams was offered to Lord Jagannath at an Iskcon temple in Mayapur, Nadia, on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Christmas celebration.

The 6ft-long cake stuffed with dry fruits had been baked in front of the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra by four chefs of a Calcutta-based confectioner before it was offered as puja.

The cake had a topping of tulasi (basil) leaves since scriptures say offerings to Lord Jagannath should have the holy leaves on them, said a spokesperson for the Iskcon.

“After verifying that the cake and pastry were genuinely vegetarian, we allowed them to prepare and offer the cake before the Lord,” director of Iskcon, Mayapur, Madhava Gauranga Das said.