Price rise hits sale of temple prasad

BHUBANESWAR: The sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities has affected the preparation and sale of cooked prasad in different city temples during the holy month of Kartik.
While Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allowed devotees to take parcels of cooked prasad from Lingaraj and Ananta Basudev temples, the sevayats in the shrines who prepare the offering said its sale has gone down substantially. Many smaller temples in the city that used to sell cooked prasad during the pre-Covid period have stopped serving it because of pandemic restrictions and soaring prices of essential food items.
This development has forced devotees to make compromises in observing rituals and festivals during Kartik.
“It had been a practice to take mahaprasad on auspicious occasions and festivals. I am really sad that on Ekadasi of the holy Kartik month today I cannot get mahaprasad as it was not available in the temple and we have to pre-order for at least 10 people,” said Tilottama Satpathy, a septuagenarian who observes Kartik brata. During this month, widows observe Radha Damodar Puja and eat only once a day.
On special occasions, more than 10,000 people used to take mahaparasad in the Ananta Basudev and Lingaraj temples, while this month the number has reduced to less than 1,000.
“We have been trying not to shift the burden of price rise on customers but for how long can we bear the loss? Earlier we used to cook over 1,000 meals on special days, but today I prepared food for only 200 people. During Kartik, we do maximum business but for the last two years due to Covid the sale has gone down by over 80 per cent. There is no enthusiasm among people for celebrating festivals and the soaring prices have taken away the festive sheen,” said Gunanidhi Mahasupakar, a prominent prasad seller who owns a chullah in the Anant Basudev Temple here.
During pre-Covid period, mahaprasad for one person used to cost Rs 50, including rice, dal, besara, mahura and khata, but now one needs to pay at least Rs 100 for a plate of mahaprasad containing these items.
“We use lots of vegetables in our curries and all the food items are made in pure ghee. But the prices of all the raw materials like rice and dal have increased by Rs 20 per kg. The prices of vegetables have almost doubled or even tripled than what they were a few months ago. If we increase the prices of mahaprasad accordingly, there will be no takers,” said Narayan Panda, another priest in the Ananta Basudev Temple.
The Iskcon temple in Nayapalli that used to be a major attraction for cooked prasad in the city has not yet resumed its services.

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