Odisha to conduct regular checks to ensure quality of Jagannath temple mahaprasad

Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the temple administration and government have decided to take steps to ensure the quality of the mahaprasad

Bhubaneswar: Amid the row over adulteration in laddus at Tirupati temple, the Odisha government and Shri Jagannath Temple Administration on Friday decided to set up a mechanism to regularly carry out quality checks of mahaprasad and the ghee used in its preparation.

Mahaprasad is a sacred food offered to Lord Jagannath and his siblings at the 12th century temple everyday (X/JagannathaDhaam)

Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Friday said that after the Tirupati controversy, the temple administration and Odisha government have decided to take steps to ensure the quality of the mahaprasad.

Mahaprasad is a sacred food offered to Lord Jagannath and his siblings at the 12th century temple everyday and consists of a variety of dishes, including rice preparations, lentils, vegetable curries, sweet treats, and cakes prepared using earthen pots and firewood. Once offered to Lord Jagannath and Goddess Bimala Devi, it becomes mahaprasad.

Harichandan said all the raw materials for the mahaprasad including the Omfed ghee will undergo a quality check before going to the temple’s kitchen and again after mahaprasad is prepared.

“Food inspectors will be appointed so that the allegations which are coming up at other temples are not reported from Puri Jagannath temple. The government is aware and taking appropriate steps. There is no impurity in Lord Jagannath’s mahaprasad and it will never happen,” he said.