New Delhi: It's called Chhappan Bhog, 56 food dishes loved by Lord Krishna. And they are all spread out as offering at the Jagannath Temple in Hauz Khas. The Saturday evening aarti is in progress. A group of priests are chanting hymns. Devotees stand reverentially in attendance with folded hands, some with eyes closed. Outside on the terrace, the sounds of mridang, jhaanj and bells ring loud and clear.
The setting is perfect for an intersection of food and faith - where every morsel nourishes the body, purifies the soul. And that is what the latest edition of Times Passion Temple Food Trail is all about.
Raj Jain, CEO, Times Group, put the concept of food trail in perspective. He said that the role of a newspaper is not just to "talk politics" but also help everyone "understand our heritage and culture". The temple food trail was born out of this idea to provide a platform where everyone could do so, he said.
Renowned food historian Pushpesh Pant, who's involved with the initiative as an Experience Architect for the participants, explained the concept of chhappan bhog or mahaprasad.
He said that the concept came from the simple mathematical calculation of seven days a week and eight prahars, a three-hour period. He dwelt at length on the 17th chapter of Gita where food is discussed in detail. Pant said that the prasad is satvik in nature with no chillies, potatoes, tomatoes, onion or garlic. "The prasad is for everyone," Pant said referring to its egalitarian character.
Some items on the Chhappan bhog list are: dahi bara, peeta, khachudi, khaja, puri, dalma, khua, moog dali and papudi.
The participants in the temple food trail also visit temples in Mathura, Vrindavan, Jaipur and Nathdwara. "In Mathura too, the prasad is called 56 bhog but has a predominance of the madhur ras. The emphasis there is on sweets," Pant said. He also pointed out that the nature of the offering changes with the geography of the land.
Ravindernath Pradhan, secretary, Sri Nilachal Seva Sangh, spoke at length about the challenges in organizing the event. "The preparation for the chhappan bhog started around 3am and was over only by 7pm. In all, it took about 16 hours," he said. A six member team came especially from Jagannath Temple, Puri to prepare the mahaprasad. "Satvik bhojan guides us our mind and body in the right direction," said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, a senior member of the team.
Akrita Kalra, who's participating in trail, said that the evening felt like "the discovery of a whole new world. "Even looking at the varieties of offering before the Lord was a feast for the eyes. One got a sense of fulfillment just by looking at it," said Kalra, an education counselor by profession.
Another participant Smita Dugar said that listening to Pushpesh Pant on food was like hearing a voice right out of a history book. "I am a pure vegetarian and being a food consultant as well, I wanted to learn about temple food, its origins and history. Mr Pant puts everything in perspective," said Dugar.
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