Here’s why Lucknow’s Mankameshwar temple has banned prasad from market | Lucknow News – Times of India

LUCKNOW: Amid the row over Tirupati Prasadam, Lucknow’s Mankameshwar Temple has banned offering prasad bought from the market to the deity. Devotees have been asked to offer homemade sweets or dry fruits as prasad.
Head priest of the temple, Mahant Divya Giri, said, “There is always some adulteration in food products. Therefore, to ensure purity in the ‘Garbhagriha’ of the temple, we have banned the parsad from outside (market).Devotees can bring homemade prasad or offer dry fruits and fruits to the deity. It is also good for the health of the people to eat prasad cooked at home with purity.”
Mahant Giri described the distribution of alleged adulterated prasad in the Tirupati temple as an “unpardonable crime”.
She said, “The people responsible for this should not be given any punishment less than death. In view of it, we have requested devotees to ensure that the prasad they offer does not contain any non-vegetarian ingredients.”
The row erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients and animal fat were used in Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
The YSRCP retaliated by accusing Naidu of levelling allegations for political gains. Naidu has also announced a Special Investigation Te am to probe into the matter.
“There can be no bigger blow to Sanatan Dharma than serving non-vegetarian food as prasad in a temple. Admini strators of all Hindu temples will have to make joint efforts to provide vegetarian prasad,” Giri said.
“Although directive is causing some inconvenience to the people, it is insignificant before the sanctity of the temple,” she added.
Devotees have also started following the instruction.
Ashutosh Kumar Srivastava, a teacher from Alambagh who visited the temple on Monday, said, “My father told me in the m orning after hearing about the ban. So, I told my wife to prepare prasad at home. She made laddus which I have offered to the deity.”
Renu Sonker (48), who had come to the temple along with her daughter Ameesha, said, “It i s a good decision as we cannot trust anything that is available in the market because there is adulteration in everything.”