Ayodhya Ram Mandir head priest seeks ban on prasad prepared by external agencies

Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh have responded to the issue around the purported adulteration of Tirupati Temple laddus, calling for changes in the production and serving of “prasad.”The discussions around this matter have sparked a broader conversation about a potential ban on prasad to ensure the quality and authenticity of religious offerings.

Chief Priest Satyendra Das of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has called for a “complete ban” on prasad provided by other parties. He urged that “all prasad should be prepared under the supervision of temple priests” due to his worries about the cleanliness of the ghee used in temple offerings.

“The controversy over the alleged use of fat and meat in Tirupati Balaji’s prasad is escalating across the country,” Das noted, emphasising the need for stringent inspections of the quality of oil and ghee sold nationwide. He alleged that there was an international conspiracy to desecrate temples by mixing inappropriate substances in offerings.

The Dharma Raksha Sangh in Mathura declared its intention to return to the “ancient style” of “prasadam” recipes, substituting homemade sweets prepared with fruits, flowers, and other organic components for manufactured ones.

With the statement, “A consensus had been reached among religious leaders and organisations to return to traditional practises of offering and accepting pure, Satvik Prasadam,” Sangh national president Saurabh Gaur emphasised the need for fundamental improvements in the prasadam system. Some temples in Prayagraj’s “Sangam city,” such as Alop Shankari Devi, Bade Hanuman, and Mankameshwar, have prohibited followers from bringing sweets and processed goods as gifts.

Shiv Murat Mishra, the chief priest of the Lalita Devi Temple, said the management decided to request devotees to bring only coconuts, fruits, and dry fruits.

“Until the purity of the sweets is clear in the investigation, they will not be allowed to be offered in the temple,” said Mahant Shridharanand Brahmachari Ji Maharaj of the Mankameshwar Temple.

Devotees would not be permitted to bring sweets and prasad from outside, according to Yamuna Puri Maharaj, secretary of Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and major patron of the Alop Shankar Devi Temple.

Prasad for the Shri Bade Hanuman temple will be prepared by the temple management themselves once the corridor’s construction is finished, according to Mahant Balbir Giri Ji Maharaj, who is also the head of the Shrimath Baghambari Gaddi and patron of the Bade Hanuman temple on the Sangam coast.

The well-known Mankameshwar temple in Lucknow announced on Monday that visitors may present homemade “prasad,” or fruits, instead of purchases made by outsiders.

In addition, the temple management said that it was planning to carry out quality inspections and even build its own prasad manufacturing facilities in order to guarantee the purity of the prasad served on the premises.

Last week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made allegations that, during the previous administration, animal fat and inferior materials were utilized to prepare laddus at the Tirupati Temple.

In response, the YSRCP charged Naidu with leveling unfounded accusations in order to further his political agenda. This led to the establishment of a Special Investigation Team to look into the charges.

You might also be interested in – Jagan Reddy urges mass pooja to ‘cleanse’ Naidu’s Tirumala Laddu ‘sin’