Abadha Mahaprasad cooked with organic rice at Gundicha Temple in Puri

The Abadha Mahaprasad (Anna Bhog) offered to Lord Jagannath and His siblings during the nine-day annual sojourn will be prepared using organic rice, starting Monday (June 30).

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As the Gundicha Yatra enters its fourth day, devotees at the Adapa Mandapa will receive sanctified Mahaprasad made from organic (chemical-free) grains.

According to sources, in a first-of-its-kind initiative during the annual Rath Yatra festival, the Holy Trinity will be offered Mahaprasad prepared with organic rice starting today. As the festival enters its fourth day, the Adapa Mandapa—temporary resting place of the deities at Gundicha Temple—will see the distribution of this eco-conscious offering.

This special arrangement will continue for five consecutive days, during which all Anna Bhog (offerings) will be cooked exclusively with organic rice.

On the starting day alone, 80 quintals of organic rice were used to prepare Mahaprasad for the deities, with an additional 21 quintals cooked specifically for devotees.

The initiative has been carefully organised to ensure that Mahaprasad reaches devotees at an affordable and regulated price. According to the Suara Mahasuara Nijog secretary, the goal is to maintain both purity and accessibility.

The total quantity of the Mahaprasad, including 10,000 Baradi (ordered) Bhog and 40,000 meant for the general public, was prepared at the temple kitchens. The large-scale cooking operation reflects both the religious significance and the logistical precision required to serve such a vast number of pilgrims.

“The first Adapa Mahaprasad will be offered to the deities today. Hence, for the first time, organic rice was used to prepare the Kotha Bhog. Khechudi Bhog, Thali Bhog, and different types of Peetha (traditional Odia recipe, cake) were also prepared from the organic rice along with Mung (green grams) and Biri (black grams),” a Mahasuara Sevayat (servitor), Narayan Mahasuara, said.