Mahaprasad made from organic rice to be offered to deities at Puri Jagannath temple

Bhubaneswar: Soon, organically produced rice will be used for the preparation of Mahaprasad at the Jagannath temple at Odisha’s Puri town.

This was revealed by Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department Principal Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, who is also the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), today.

“Soon, organic rice will be used for preparation of Mahaprasad at Jagannath temple. Organically produced rice is more suitable for Mahaprasad than the rice grown through the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides,” said Padhee at the ongoing three-day Krushi Odisha-2025 event in the capital city here.     

The state government is committed to promote organic farming in Odisha, he added.

Notably, the Suar and Mahasuar servitors of Jagannath temple are allowed to cook Mahaprasad, which is popularly known as Abadha, at the shrine kitchen.

The servitors prepare the Mahaprasad which includes rice, dal, mixed curry, varieties of cakes and other delicacies by using the traditional ovens.  

The temple delicacies are cooked in earthen pots with the help of firewood.