Page 23 - OPIHI (English)

nAthdwArA 9

a grinding room for grinding grains in Nathdwara, where Gopäla has
(it’s still done with a big wooden come, we see that this is true.
mill, powered by bulls). Then there’s Even the street dogs here are fat.
a room where the ingredients for the I’ve traveled all over—in India,
Lord’s meals are assembled before Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma—and
they are prepared and offered, and never have I seen street dogs look
a room where offered food is kept so well fed. Here even the dogs get
just before it’s distributed. plenty of prasädam—lucky dogs.

Prasädam is available all through
no one goes hungry
the day, and in countless varieties—
The prasädam from the Deity is different kinds at different times.
distributed profusely. A portion of After the midday räja-bhoga offering
the prasädam goes to the sevakas you can get a leaf-cup full of tasty
and temple workers, many of whom vegetables for only one rupee (less
sell it. Right after the early-morning than the cost of the ingredients
maìgala-ärati you’ll find püjärés
standing just outside the temple,
holding steel plates bearing clay
cups full of different kinds of liquid
milk sweets. Later in the morning,
püjärés go around to hotels and
dharmaçäläs with covered baskets
full of varieties of prasädam to sell
to pilgrims.

Apart from the püjärés, in the bazaar
outside the temple you’ll find shops
where you can buy prasädam, and
pushcarts selling prasädam, and
people sitting on the street selling
prasädam.

In Caitanya-caritämåta we find
that the Deity Gopäla, the same
Deity known as Çrénäthajé, told A pilgrim relishes a nutritious,
Mädhavendra Puré, “In My village, spiritually uplifting meal of
no one goes hungry.” Now, here
Çrénäthajé’s prasädam.