QUES ANSW DIVINE 06-2022-06 Dear friends,
These are information compiled as QA by me in1998’s-2014’s and stored in my computer. They are posted by very learnt members. BEING COMPILATION THERE MAYBE ERRORS. Sincerely, R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, dated 12-06-2022 Q1 Is it correct that the kitchen at PuriJagannath temple is the largest in the world? What are its interesting detailsof the same ? A1 Yes. It is the largest kitchen in the world. Only cooksare allowed entry inside the kitchen. There are 32 rooms in the kitchen complex, 752 stoves and nineearthen pots. The length of the kitchen is 150 feet. Its breadth is 100feet and the kitchen ceiling is 20 feet high. It consists of 250earthen ovens and 500 cooks, called Mahasuras and 300 helping hands orassistants. The food prepared here is consideredmahaprasad and it can feed any number of people and they go up to millionsduring festivals and other auspicious occasions. The food here is very tasty except for a few occasions. Do you know why? The Goddess who supervises thekitchen loses interest when her husband, the presiding deity of this temple,falls sick every year or travels to another temple-an yearly ritual. Q2 Is there any occasion the food prepare become notdelicious ? What is its reason? How it is disposed? A2 When the food being prepared displeases the Goddess, sheensures that a DOG APPEARS HERE OR A SHADOW OF A DOGIS SEEN. This is the signal forthe food to be BURIED and a new course to be cooked. Q3 What are the other specialities of thefood prepared in Jagannath temple? A3Jagannatha or the Lord of the Universe, is served by oneof the biggest kitchens in the world. No onions or garlic are used in the preparations. The kitchen is prohibited territory for everyoneexcept the cooks. It is located at the south east of the compound calledSrimandi. Water for preparing the food is drawnfrom two wells called Ganga and Yamuna. The cooks and their assistants thenstart preparing 56 different offerings known as Mahaprasad or Abhada forLord Jagannath,which are served to the Lord six times a day. The food cooked here includes sevendifferent types of rice, four types of pulses, nine types of vegetables anddifferent sweets. Fine molasses, instead of sugar, is used for preparingsweets. Apart from onion and garlic, other vegetables likepotatoes, tomatoes and cauliflower are also not used. Every meal that is prepared has its own name such asJagannath Ballabh, ladu, mathapuli and sarapuli. Q4 What are the different types ofofferings in the jagannath temple? A4 The offering to Jagannatha starts in the morning and itis called the Gopala Vallabha Bhoga. This is a seven course breakfast - Khua, Lahuni,sweetened coconut grating, coconut water, and popcorn sweetened with sugarknown as khai and curd and ripe bananas. When Jagannatha gets hungry again at 10 a.m., he getsSakala Dhupa. This generally consists of13 items including Enduri cake and Mantha puli. His next repast is called Bada Sankhudi Bhoga consisting ofPakhala with dahi and Kanji payas. The offerings are made in the bhog mandapaabout 200 feet away from the Ratna Vedi. This is called Chatra Bhog and thiswas first introduced by Shankaracharyain the 8th century to help pilgrims share the temple food. The Madhyanha dhupa come at noon and the Sandhya doopa isat night. This is at 8 p.m. The last offering to the Lord is called the BadaSimhara Bhoga There are three types of hearths-Anna Chuli, Ahia Chuli andPitha Chuli. All varieties of dal and curry are cooked in Ahia Chuli. The pithachuli are made of cement and there are ten such structures in the kitchen. Q5 What are the specialities of the cooking inJagannath temple? A5 The fire in the kitchen is known asVaishnava Agni and it is never put out. It is believed that Mahalakshmi herself cooks When LordJagganatha falls sick before the Ratha Yatra, Mahalakshmi cannot cook with fullattention. Therefore, the food is less tasty. Similarly, when Jagannath goes to the Gundicha Temple every year, sheloses her zeal for cooking and the food does not taste so good. When the food is bad or does not taste good or if she isdispleased with the preparations, a dog appears and this signals that the foodshould be buried and new cooking should begin. Of all the 56 varieties of Naivedhyas, the most awaited is Koto Bhoga orAbada. Generally, this is offered at noon or around 1 p.m. Q6 Where are in temples we have largekitchens like Jagannatha temple? A6 Well, there are other temples toowhich have a huge kitchen. TheBalaji or Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupathi, thekitchen in Guruvayoor, thekitchen at Mantralaya, Udupi and several other temples. However none of these can match the variety and of course the legend and menu of Jagannatha.Care to try the dishes. All the above QAs are based on a forward byesteemed member Sri Saikrishnan fom Chappan Blog On 7-2-2013. Q7 We all have heard reciting Rudram Chamakam . Where dothese manthras appear? What is theeffect of reciting Rudram chamakam? A7 SREERUDRAM (SatRudreeyam) and CHAMAKAM(Vasordara) aretwo great precious Vedamanthras. These two great precious VEDAMANTRAS occupy a centralposition in the KRISHNA YAJURVEDA THAITHREEYA SAMHITHA. The SAMHITHA has seven KAANDAS or chapters. SreeRudram andChamakam are enshrined in the fourth KAANDA. 1. They provide expiation for even the gravest ofsins(PATHAKAS). 2. They ward away sorrows and dangers. 3. They ensure fulfillment of prayers and ABHEESHTAS. The QA is based on Sri Rudraikadasinee Mahayajna – ACommentary by Sri. T.P. Sreeraman appared as a forward in the USB Group. Q8 What are the Rules for having snanam in Punyanadhis (sacred rivers) A8 Thefollowing are some of the important rules 1. Do not put your leg first. Pray and do aachamanam before entering the river 2 Men should have a dip with Panchakacham and women withMadisar 3. Do Sankalpam treating sacred ash as theertham 3. Do not apply soap. After scrubbing with bare hands, havea dip again 4. Do Devarishi Tharpanam Q9 What are the General rules for snanam: ? A9 Some of theimportant general rules are given below 1. No snanam before3 AM or after 6 PM 2.No snanam after Pithrukarma (I have heard afterpithrukarma a must on the first day) 3. Brahmachari should do one snanam, Grihasthas 2 snanamsand Sanyasis 3 snanams The QAS on bath are based on a posting by esteemedmember Sri Shivasanakara rao in 12-2012 Q10 How many Ekadasis are there ? A10 There are 24 Ekadashis in a year and the names of theseare as follows:- (starting from Chaitra month). Chaitra-Kaamada, Varootini, Vaishaakha-Mohini, Aparaa, Jyeshta-Nirjala, Yogini, Aashaadha-SaayaNi, Kaamika, Shraavana-Putradaa, Ajaa, Bhaadrapada-Parivartini, Indiraa, Aashvayuja-Paashaankushaa, Ramaa, Kaarteeka-Prabhodhini, Utpatti, Maargashira-MOkshadaa, Saphalaa, Pushya-Putradaa, Shat tilaa, Maagha-Jayaa(Bhishma), Vijayaa, Phaalguna-Aamalakee and PaapamOchani. Q11 What isupavasam? A11 It is an age old practice to fast (upavasam) as aspiritual discipline. Upavasa literally means living near (Him). Ekadashi and fasting are considered synonymous. It is meanteither as an expiation of sins or for gaining self control.With self control,it is easier to direct the mind towards God. Q12Which purana talk of the significance of Ekadasi’ A12 The significanceof Ekaadashi is mentioned in the'Padma Purana'. The Qas on Ekadasi are based on a posting by esteemed member Sri Shivasankara Rao in the USBgroup on 22-12-2012 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1514970252.1954421.1655014902343%40mail.yahoo.com.
