Bhubaneswar, June 17: At a time when most people live their lives online, can the Lord be left far behind? No, He cannot be and several websites are out to prove that.
Websites, both national and regional, are offering mahaprasad, the food offered to Lord Jagannath and His siblings, online. Devotees who cannot make it to the temple in Puri can get the mahaprasad delivered to their homes.
And with rath yatra knocking at the doors, websites are feeling the rush of advance booking.
According to popular belief, the mahaprasad consolidates human bond, sanctifies sacraments and grooms the departing soul for its journey towards heaven. As a result, the demand for mahaprasad across the country is high.
Shakti Prasad Palo started shrikhetra.com to meet the demand for mahaprasad and make handicraft products from Puri available across the country.
His products include the dried mahaprasad - khaja and dry rice known as Nirmalya. Commenting on the authenticity of the prasad, Palo said it was procured from Anand Bazar, which is the market area inside the temple.
"We started the website around three months ago and we have been receiving orders from places such as Assam, New Delhi, Maharashtra and Bengal," Palo said.
The portal has received several orders for rath yatra from Jagannath temple committees in other states. "There is always a demand for the prasad that is offered during the chariot festival. So, pre-orders are quite high," said the 39-year-old, who is also a social activist.
The portals have not limited their inventories to just the Lord's food. Holy books and handicraft products popular in Puri such as stone utensils and bamboo crafts are also available online.
Several other websites such as onlineprasad.com and prasadseva.com also offer similar services.
"I ordered the prasad last week. The delivery was not on time, but the wait is always worth it when it comes to the prasad. The quantity was satisfactory as well," said Neerajraj Pal, who ordered from onlineprasad.com.
In 2013, the Puri temple administration had decided to start online services from its official website, but the project failed to take off.
"We felt that it would hamper the temple's sanctity. So, we halted the initiative," Laxmidhar Pujapanda, the temple's public relations officer, said. He also warned against being duped by fake prasad that are sometimes made available online.
"The prasad might not be the original and instead they could be procured from outside shops that sells dry confectioneries. Such instances are a hindrance to the holiness of the food offered to the Trinity," he added.
