Bhubaneswar, Nov. 19: Temples have emerged as a parallel hotel industry in the capital. At least 10,000 people have lunch at the 50 major and around 1,500 minor temples each day.

A lot of people prefer temple food over restaurants as it is cheaper and healthier because it’s cooked with less spices and oil.

“I am a vegetarian and eating at temples is the best bet for me. The food, apart from being delicious and healthy, is reasonably priced,” said Rohit Gupta, a 26-year-old software engineer, who hails from Ahmedabad and has been staying in Bhubaneswar for the past two years.

Temples in the capital have a huge following not just among the religiously inclined, but also gastronomes. The reason is that the food is cooked in clay pots over firewood and balanced with spices that lend it an authentic flavour and undiluted taste. Older, historical temples such as Lingaraj, Ananta Basudev, Bhubaneswari and a few other shrines in the Old Town area are always choc-a-bloc with devotees who come to offer prayers and partake of the food served there.

Due to this increasing popularity, temple kitchens are being considered a threat to restaurants. The food is available between 12.30pm and 3.30pm in most temples. One has to make the payment first, get a coupon and give it to the person serving the food. A regular lunch costs between Rs 30 and Rs 50 and a special meal between Rs 80 and Rs 130.

And temple food does not necessarily mean just vegetables and herbs. Even non-vegetarian meals are served at a few temples. Priced between Rs 80 and Rs 140, they are served because of a belief that certain deities like non-vegetarian food.

Vegetarian or not, the price of meals in temples is comparatively less than that of restaurants or roadside dhabas that charge anything between Rs 40 and Rs 250. However, despite the cheaper rates temples have a huge margin of profit as, unlike commercial eating joints, they do not pay value-added tax (VAT).

“There is no provision regarding collection of tax from temple kitchens. It is a religious affair and imposing taxes on temple food would hurt sentiments of the people,” said a government official, who did not wish to be named.

The Chandeswar Mahadev temple near Rajiv Bhavan is a classic example of shrines affecting the restaurant business. A dhaba set up nearby closed down even before opening its doors to the people. “The owner was forced to shift to another place because he felt threatened by the presence of the temple where hundreds of people eat everyday,” said Sanjib Kumar, a local resident.

President of Kali temple trust Bhajamohan Sahoo said: “Around 200 to 250 people come here for lunch everyday. The number doubles on special occasions like engagements, thread ceremonies, birthdays and pujas.”

The Biseswar temple on the Utkal University campus is a huge hit among students, teaching staff and even outsiders. “Most of us prefer a healthy, appetising lunch at the temple to the predictable food served at our canteens,” said Kishore, a student. The crowd at this temple is more on Mondays and Thursdays since people prefer simple, vegetarian food on those days, said a priest here.

Sukant Das, like hundreds of other employees at the state secretariat, is a fan of temple food, more so because it is lighter on the pocket. “The prices of vegetables have skyrocketed but temple food is still affordable,” said Das.

Even health-conscious people prefer temple food. Biduprabha Mohapatra, 43, a homemaker, who underwent a gall bladder surgery in May, said: “My doctor had advised me to cut down on spicy and oily food. I tried temple food and liked it. So, these days whenever I don’t feel like cooking, I get food from the temple.”