Prasad on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
200px, ''Naivedya'' offered to Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur, India">Mayapur.html" ;"title="Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur, India
Prasāda (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद), prasad or prasadam is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most often ''Prasada'' is vegetarian food especially cooked for devotees after praise and thanksgiving to a god. ''Mahaprasada'' (also called ''bhandarā''),Pashaura Singh, Louis E. Fenech, 2014
The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies
/ref> is the consecrated food offered to the deity in a
Eating India: Exploring the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices
Subhakanta Behera, 2002
Construction of an identity discourse: Oriya literature and the Jagannath lovers (1866–1936)
pp. 140–177.Susan Pattinson, 2011
The Final Journey: Complete Hospice Care for the Departing Vaishnavas
pp. 220. ''Prasada'' is closely linked to the term ''naivedya'', also spelt ''naivedhya'', ''naibedya'' or naived(h)yam. The food offered to the deity is called ''naivedya'', while the sacred food sanctified and returned by the deity as a blessing is called ''prasada''.
The ''prasada'' is to be consumed by attendees as a holy offering. The offerings may include cooked food, 
Non-vegetarian is prohibited in some of the temples. Offering of food items forms part of the '' upachara'' or services to a Hindu deity in many Hindu traditions but is not universal. The ''
This can be considered to be a symbolic rather than a literal offering.
Tasting during preparation or eating the ''naivedya'' food before offering it to the god is strictly forbidden.
In its material sense, ''prasada'' is created by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the god. For example, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets. The deity then 'enjoys' or tastes a bit of the offering. This now-divinely invested substance is called ''prasada'' and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered or material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees. In many temples, several kinds of ''prasada'' (e.g., nuts, sweets) are distributed to the devotees.
Offering food and subsequently receiving ''prasada'' is central to the practice of '' puja.'' Any food that is offered either physically to the image of the god or silently in prayer is considered ''prasada''.
In Sikhism, karah parshad is served to the congregation after prayer and reading of scripture. Parshad represents the same values as langar in that it is served indiscriminately.
Kurukshetra Prasadam (Channa laddu) in
/ref>
The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies
/ref> is the consecrated food offered to the deity in a
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...
which is then distributed and partaken by all the devotees regardless of any orientation.Chitrita Banerji, 2010Eating India: Exploring the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices
Subhakanta Behera, 2002
Construction of an identity discourse: Oriya literature and the Jagannath lovers (1866–1936)
pp. 140–177.Susan Pattinson, 2011
The Final Journey: Complete Hospice Care for the Departing Vaishnavas
pp. 220. ''Prasada'' is closely linked to the term ''naivedya'', also spelt ''naivedhya'', ''naibedya'' or naived(h)yam. The food offered to the deity is called ''naivedya'', while the sacred food sanctified and returned by the deity as a blessing is called ''prasada''.
Etymology
''Prasāda'' is derived from the verb ''prasād'' which consists of the verb सद् (''sad'' - to sit, dwell) which is prefixed with प्र (''pra'' - before, afore, in front) and used as finite verb प्रसीदति (''prasīdati'' - dwells, presides, pleases or favours etc.). It denotes anything, typically food, that is first offered to adeity
A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
or saint and then distributed in His or Her name to their followers or others as a good sign.Natu, Bal, ''Glimpses of the God-Man, Meher Baba'', Sheriar Press, 1987
'Prasāda' is sometimes translated as gift or grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...
.
Practices
The ''prasada'' is to be consumed by attendees as a holy offering. The offerings may include cooked food, fruits
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
and confectionery sweets. Vegetarian food is usually offered and later distributed to the devotees who are present in the temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
. Sometimes this vegetarian offering will exclude prohibited items such as garlic, onion, mushroom, etc.
Non-vegetarian is prohibited in some of the temples. Offering of food items forms part of the '' upachara'' or services to a Hindu deity in many Hindu traditions but is not universal. The ''murti
In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...
'' (icon) is revered as a living entity who is offered food, fruits, and betelnut among others.
This can be considered to be a symbolic rather than a literal offering.
Tasting during preparation or eating the ''naivedya'' food before offering it to the god is strictly forbidden.
In its material sense, ''prasada'' is created by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the god. For example, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets. The deity then 'enjoys' or tastes a bit of the offering. This now-divinely invested substance is called ''prasada'' and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered or material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees. In many temples, several kinds of ''prasada'' (e.g., nuts, sweets) are distributed to the devotees.
Offering food and subsequently receiving ''prasada'' is central to the practice of '' puja.'' Any food that is offered either physically to the image of the god or silently in prayer is considered ''prasada''.
In Sikhism, karah parshad is served to the congregation after prayer and reading of scripture. Parshad represents the same values as langar in that it is served indiscriminately.
Kurukshetra Prasadam (Channa laddu) in 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra
The 48 kos parikrama is a parikrama (a circumbabulatory pilgrimage) of various ''Mahabharata''-related and other Vedic-era tirthas (Hindu sacred sites) around the Hindu holy city of Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana, India.
Associated ...
, Tirupati Laddu and Mathura peda in the Braj Parikrama are geo-specialty prasada.Chana laddoo to be ‘Kurukshetra prasadam’, The Tribune, 1 March 2020./ref>
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prasada Objects used in Hindu worship Puja (Hinduism) Sanskrit words and phrases Sikh practices Religious food and drink Food and drink in Hinduism Hindu cuisine Indian cuisine South Asian cuisine Vegetarian cuisine Vegetarian dishes of India