According to the Skanda
Purana, Lord Jagannath redeems the devotees
by permitting them to partake his Mahaprasad,to
have his darshan and worship Him by rituals
and offering gifts. Mahaprasad is treated
here as 'Anna Brahma'. The temple kitchen
has got the capacity to cook for a lakh of
devotees on a day. Mahaprasad is cooked only
in earthern pots and on hearths. The steam-cooked
food is offered to Lord Jagannath first and
then to Goddess Bimala after which it becomes
Mahaprasad. This Mahaprasad is freely partaken
by people of all castes and creeds without
any discrimination. The items offered include
cooked rice, dal, vegetable curry, sweet-dishes,
cakes etc. Dry confectionaries are prepared
of sugar, jaggery, wheat flour, ghee, milk
etc. When the steam-cooked food is carried
to Lord in slings of earthern pots no flavour
comes up from the food but when the same is
carried back to the sale point after being
offered to the Lord a delicious smell spells
along in the breeze to the pleasant surprise
of the devotees. Now the food is blessed.
Mahaprasad consolidates human bond, sanctifies
sacraments and grooms the departing soul for
its journey upwards. Mahaprasads are sold
in Anand Bazar or the PleasureMart of the
temple which is situated on the northeastern
corner of the outer enclosure of the temple.
Most of the residents in and around puri depend
upon this Mahaprasad to entertain their guests
during social functions such as thread ceremony
and weddings.
The tourists prefer
to carry a particular type of dry Mahaprasad
known as" Khaja" (made of maida,sugar
and ghee) which stays fresh for days together.
