Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: Flavourful Varieties Of Chappan Bhog From The Temple Kitchen

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The entire Jagannath rath yatra festival is a huge collective effort where grandeur, aesthetics, flavours, colours, and compassion collaborate together to produce the baffling cultural extravaganza that ever took place on earth.

The world-famous 'Puri Rath Yatra goes on for a 9 day stretch where the lords Jagannath, Balabhadra and are led in large colourful chariots to the Gundhicha temple, and return to Shri Mandir after resting there for 9 days.

With Rath Yatra the celebrations reach the peak, and thousands of devotees draw the chariots to seek the blessings of Lord Puri Jagannath.

During the daily puja rituals, a set of 56 dishes known as chappan bhog are offered to the deities that taste divine and flavourful. Bhog is offered to Lord Jagannath first, then offered to Balabhadra, and lastly to Goddess Subhadra and finally to Ma Bimala in Shri Mandir.

Remains are offered as Mahaprasad. The Mahaprasad, if consumed with devotion, and faith, as per the Skanda Purana, eliminates the past karmas of the devotees and confers them moksha.

Chappan Bhog: Chappan Bhog is cooked for minimum one lakh people each day. The temple Kitchen is the largest kitchen in the world that cooks for 1 lakh people every day. Prasad is cooked only in clay pots using wood and fire. There are 240 fireplaces and 600 cooks who cook varieties of Chappan Bhog.

From the homagni, the fire for lighting the food is taken. Any number of people can eat from the same pot as the prasad of Jagannath purifies the pot no matter how many eat from it. It also remains hot for an unbelievably long time and does not get spoilt. This Bhog is for the consumption of everyone, from all creeds and castes.

No one is favoured over the other during the distribution. Everyone is treated as equal.

Dalma:

It is prepared by mixing of dals and vegetables and does not require oil to prepare it. It is a well liked dish that is offered to Jagannat during the yatra. Upon special request by the former president APJ Abdul Kalam, it was included in the Presidential menu. Mahura is a vegetable-based dish that is healthy and flavourful. It is one of the most popular prasads offered at the Yatra.

Rasabali:

Rasabali is a deep fried pressed cottage cheese variety. It is made in several different ways but the one prepared at Jagannath temple is the best variety ever.

Poda Pitha:

Essentially made of rice, pitha is a sweet dish that is prepared in different ways. We have Manda Pitha, enduri pita, Arisa pitha and Chakuli pitha for example. Lord Jagannath is known for his sweet tooth and he especially loves Poda Pitha which is a baked dish made of rice flour, coconut, black gram, jaggery and cardamom

Chenna poda:

This is a popularly sold sweet in the sweet shops around the temple. It is extensively prepared and cooked for long hours. Made of cottage cheese and caramelised sugar. cardamom powder, rice flour, nuts and ghee, this dish is a must eat one and to be never missed even by chance. It is the endless hours of cookin that lends the velvety texture to the dish.,

Malpua:

This is served as a morning breakfast to Lord Jagannath. Made of rice flour, milk, sugar, fennel seeds and cardamom, This slurpy dish is a crowd pulling mass favourite in the temple of Jagannath. this mouth-watering dish is served as the morning food to Lord Jagannath at the Puri Temple.

Knichdi:

This Khichdi is served with curd and papad. Prepared as one of the chappan bhog, it is made of rice, lentils, coconut, sugar, and cinnamon.

Khaja:

This is another delicacy that is prepared using refined wheat flour with sugar that is layered into a dough and lightly fried in oil to make Khaja.

You can add dry fruit or other stuffing or can do without it. It is not only regarded as a famous sweet of Odisha but it is also one amongst the varieties of Chappan bhog that is offered to the deity.

Santula:

This is a curry that can be either fried or boiled . It is prepared from potato, brinjal, papaya, and tomato. Seasoned with ghee, panch phoran, and green chilli it gets a celestial flavour and is served with chapatis or rice. It is the most divine tasting stir fry that you have ever tasted anywhere.