Know ten unique types of prasad offered in temples of India

New Delhi: In Hindu temples, prasad is offered by priests to devotees as holy offerings from the god or goddess, as the case may be. Normally in Hanuman temples on Tuesday, boondis are offered to the Lord, while on Mondays in Shiva temples across India, 'bel' leaves and milk are offered. Most of the Hindu temples offer Charanamrit, a concoction of milk and water considered sacred. Traditionally, it was served directly onto the right cupped palm, held over the left cupped palm and sipped from there.While this is the common Prasad offered at all the Hindu temples, there are some Prasads which are unique of its kind. Here is a list of ten different Prasads offered in major temples of India: : 1. Mata Vaishno Devi shrine The Prasad is enclosed in a packet which contains puffed rice, coconut, sugar balls, dry apple etc.It is to be bought from the shops located near the shrine. The prasad is also dispatched by speed post. 2. Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati Tirupati Ladoo is the Prasad of the Lord of Seven Hills, it is called so because of the preparation. The tradition of Tirupati laddoo is nearly 300 years old.About one tonne of besan flour, 10 tonnes of sugar, 700 kg of cashew nuts, 150 kg of cardamom, 300 to 500 litres of ghee, 500 kg of sugar candy and 540 kg of raisins are used daily to make the prasad.The Tirupati laddoos are not produced anywhere in the world and are very unique in terms of quality, reputation and other characteristics which go into its making.They have also got geographical rights. 3. Mahadeva Temple, Mazhuvanchery, Thrissur, Kerala Terming it as the most useful Prasad of the country, the temple offers CD, DVDs, textbooks to the people as they believe in imparting education.The Prasad is distributed at Lord Shiva Temple situated in the campus of National Heritage Centre at the village Mazhuvanchery, Thrissur. 4. Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, Palani, TN The prasad is the favorite among children as it is a fruit jam made of five fruits, sugar candy and jaggery.The prasad known as Panchamritham is offered at Lord Murugan temple located in the Palani hills, Tamil Nadu. Earlier it was made manually, but the Prasad is now manufactured mechanically. 5. Sree Krishna temple, Amablapuzha The Payasam is made of rice, milk and sugar. The preparation of the Prasad is handed over to the hands of traditional cooks over generations. The distinct taste of the Prasad is also unique in its own way. 6. Jagannath Temple, Puri The famous Jagannath temple in Puri is also renowned for distributing “Mahaprasad”, as popularly known in the temple. Dedicate to Lord Jagannath, the temple kitchen offers food to I lakh people daily, perhaps making it the largest kitchen in the world. Mahaprasad consists of a variety of 56 cooked and uncooked dishes. Prasad is offered to the deities first and then sold to devotees at Ananda Bazaar. 7. Azhagar Kovil, Madurai, TN Azhagar Kovil, popularly known as Alagar temple is situated 21 km from Madurai. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Kallazhagar temple distributes unique Dosas as Prasadam to the devotees. The grains offered by several devotees to the temple are prepared into crispy and tasty Dosa. The first one is offered to the lord and then after the prayer distributed to the devotees. Its one of the unique temple prasads of India. 8. Kamakhya Devi Temple, Guwahati Every year during the days of Ambubachi festival, which coincides with the seventh day of the Assamese month of Aahar, a 3 day fair is held at the Kamakhya temple. During these days the temple remains closed. On the 4th day the devotees flock at the temple complex to receive a unique and very holy Prasad which consists of a small piece of cloth supposedly moist with the menstrual fluid of the omnipotent Goddess Kamakhya. 9. Khabees Baba temple, Sandana, Sitapur District, UP Around 80 km from Lucknow, the Khabees Baba temple in Sitapur district has no idols or priests. Devotees offer liquor to two slipper-shaped structures on a raised platform in adulation to a clairvoyant saint living here 150 years ago. A portion of the liquor offered is collected and distributed as Prasad to the devotees. 10. Karni Mata Mandir, Bikaner, Rajasthan At the famous Karni Mata Mandir, the Prasad offered to the devotees is unique of its kind. The temple is also renowned for rats moving freely inside the temple complex. Prasad is offered first to the rats and then it is distributed among the devotees. It is believed that the Prasad laced with rat saliva brings good luck.