Sanatan Dharma 'symbols' part of 'mahaprasadam' for guests at Ram temple consecration

The 'mahaprasad' includes four 'laddoos', water from the sacred Saryu river in a small bottle, kalwa (sacred cotton red thread roll tied on the hands of the participants), supari (betel nuts) and akshat (unbroken rice).

'Prasadam' is an integral part of any religious event and the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Monday will be no exception.

What is, however, unique in the 'maha prasadam' to be given to the guests after the consecration ceremony is that instead of only 'laddoos' (a popular sweet at religious events), it will also include symbols of 'Sanatan Dharma'.

The 'mahaprasad' includes four 'laddoos' made of 'besan' (gram flour), water from the sacred Saryu river in a small bottle, kalwa (cotton red thread roll considered to be sacred and tied on the hands of the participants, usually by the priests in the rituals), supari (betel nuts) and akshat (unbroken rice).

These items would be distributed among the guests in a specially prepared packet after the ceremony is over. It is only for the guests, says Kamal Bhai Rawal, president of the Sant Sewa Samiti, Karnavati, Gujarat.

Kamal Bhai's organisation has been entrusted with the task of preparing the 'mahaprasadam'.

''We will be preparing 20 thousand packets of the mahaprasadam,'' he said while supervising the preparation in Ayodhya.

Rawal said that the idea behind including other items in the 'maha prasadam' besides the 'laddoos' was to make the recipients familiar with the symbols of the Sanatan Dharma. ''All these items symbolize sanatan dharma,'' he added.