Ayodhya: In response to the recent scandal involving the adulteration of laddu prasad at the Tirupati Balaji Temple, significant voices from religious communities across India, including Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura, have called for stringent measures to ensure the purity of temple offerings.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, expressed his concerns on Thursday, demanding a thorough investigation into the ingredients used in prasad across the nation. His concerns are primarily focused on the purity of oil and ghee available in the market, amid allegations that animal fat was found in the ghee used at the Tirupati temple. Acharya Das strongly advocates for all prasad to be prepared under direct temple supervision to avoid any such future controversies.
In Vrindavan, a shift back to ancient practices was seen as the Dharma Raksha Sangh announced a decision to offer natural items like fruits, flowers, panchmeva, cardamom seeds, and sugar candy as temple offerings instead of commercially prepared sweets. This move, endorsed by RSS national president Saurabh Gaur, is seen as a step towards restoring traditional devotional practices while ensuring the purity of offerings.
Furthermore, temples in Mathura have embraced a similar approach following a unanimous decision at a meeting chaired by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Krishnananda Maharaj. The traditional offerings are now encouraged to circumvent the risks associated with market-bought prasad.
The Alop Shankari Devi Temple, a renowned Shaktipeeth, has also implemented a ban on externally sourced sweet prasad. Yamuna Puri Maharaj outlined plans to produce and sell pure prasad on temple premises after necessary renovations, ensuring devotees receive uncontaminated offerings.
In Prayagraj, Shiv Murat Mishra, the chief priest of the Lalita Devi temple, reiterated similar sentiments. Following a decisive temple management meeting, it was agreed that only fruits, dry fruits, and other natural items would be accepted as offerings to the deity, moving away from commercially sourced sweets until their purity can be confirmed.
These developments mark a significant shift in how religious offerings are managed across some of India’s most revered temples, indicating a collective move towards ensuring the sanctity and purity of prasad amidst growing concerns over food adulteration in religious offerings.
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