Puri Rath Yatra 2025: All you need to know about the Mahaprasad

It's Jagannath Rath Yatra today. The Jagannath Puri Temple is known not only for the deities and age-old rituals but also for its Chhappan Bhog Mahaprasad, sacred offerings that are rooted in tradition and history. Among all the important rituals and customs at the Puri Jagannath Temple, what really catches the eye attention is the bhog, cooked in a special way and then offered as the Mahaprasad, which is later distributed to the devotees.

The Chhappan Bhog, meaning 56 unique dishes are offered to Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. But did you know that behind this Mahaprasad, there are interesting anecdotes? Let's find out below.

Anecdotes behind Jagannath Puri Mahaprasad

Not many would know Jagannath is one of the ten avatars of Lord Krishna The story says, when Krishna was young, he lifted the Govardhan mountain for seven days and seven nights to protect the villages from heavy rains sent by the rain god, Indra. While this act of saving the villagers, Krishna didn’t eat anything.

It is usually said that Krishna is believed to eat eight meals a day, with each meal boasting of different dishes. His foster mother, Yashoda, would prepare eight fresh dishes for each of his meals, and if you multiply those eight meals by the seven days Lord Krishna didn't consume food, you will get 56 dishes.

The people of Puri were touched by this humanitarian act of krishna, and out of reverence and respect, they promised that since Lord Krishna went without food for seven days to save his followers, they would, in return, offer him 56 dishes every single day. This is how Chappan bhog was created.

Legend also has it that the Brahmins and Sanyasis refused to take part in Mahaprasad due to its distribution to everyone regardless of caste. The story involves King Yayati and a Brahmin, who couldn't speak. Lord Jagannath instructed King Yayati in a dream to tell them to take part in the rituals and the preparation of Mahaprasad. After this the Brahmin took part in the preparation, and later eating the Mahaprasad, he got his voice back, proving the purity and power of the divine.

The specialty of Mahaprasad

After the food is offered to Lord Jagannath inside the grand Sri Mandir temple in Puri, it’s then offered again to Maa Bimala, the temple goddess. Only after she accepts, it becomes Mahaprasad, meaning great sacred offering. Later, the food is distributed among the devotees. Some of the main dishes of the Mahabhog are Makkhan mishri, Kheer rasgulla, Jeera ladoo, Jalebi, Rabri, mathri, malpua, Mohanbhog, Dudh ki sabzi, Meethe chawal, Bhujia, Saunf, Paan, Supari, Shikanji, Channa, Chaach, Roti, Almond milk, Ghee, Coconut water and more.

The cooking procedure too is very interesting. The food, prepared in the Puri Jagannath Temple kitchen, is cooked by placing the utensils, one atop the other, with fire just touching the vessel at the bottom. Even then, every dish is cooked perfectly.

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