South Indian food is now being served at the Annakshetra of Mahakal Temple in Ujjain. The initiative began on Tuesday, with the temple administration announcing that devotees will now be served South Indian dishes as prasad every Tuesday and Friday.
The Mahakal Temple administration claims this is the first time a temple Annakshetra in Madhya Pradesh is serving South Indian cuisine as prasad. The initiative has been introduced with the idea of promoting “unity in diversity.”
Idli, Sambar and Pongal on Tuesdays; Payasam on Fridays
Deputy Administrator Simmi Yadav said devotees will be served sambar, idli, steamed rice, seasonal vegetables and pongal on Tuesdays.
On Fridays, the prasad menu will include pulihora, payasam, rasam, steamed rice and seasonal vegetables.
Until now, devotees at the Annakshetra were served dal, rice, roti, vegetables and sweets.
South Indian prasad was served to devotees in the Mahakal temple’s Annakshetra on Tuesday
Food packets distributed during major festivals
Administrator Pratham Kaushik said the Annakshetra, located at the temple’s smart parking facility, is operated by the Mahakal Temple Management Committee. It began functioning on September 5, 2023.
The facility can accommodate 370 devotees at a time. It remains open from 11:30 am to 9 pm.
The Annakshetra is temporarily closed between 5 pm and 6 pm for cleaning and food preparation. During major festivals, food packets are also prepared and distributed to devotees.
350 kg flour used every day
The Mahakal Temple Annakshetra is equipped with modern machines for preparing prasad.
On a daily basis, the facility uses approximately:
- 350 kg flour
- 60 kg pulses
- 125 kg rice
- 250 kg vegetables
- 15 kg cooking oil
For preparing kheer, the kitchen uses around 125 kg milk, 20 kg sugar, 500 grams of dry fruits and 8 kg rice flour.
For halwa, around 15 kg semolina, 20 kg sugar, 1 kg dry fruits and 10 kg pure ghee are used.
