The administration of the Jagannath Puri temple in Odisha has mandated the exclusive use of Omfed ghee, produced by the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited, in all religious ceremonies and offerings.
Odisha’s government minister, Prithviraj Harichandan, clarified the decision, stating, “We had informed about this earlier. The purity of the ingredients used for preparing prasad and diyas will be upheld.”
He emphasized the temple’s commitment to ensuring that only Omfed ghee is used for all purposes. The temple administration has already started the necessary steps to implement this directive.
This decision comes in the wake of a recent controversy surrounding the use of ghee with animal fat at the renowned Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, had accused the previous administration of using ghee made from animal fat instead of pure ghee in the preparation of the famous Tirumala Laddus. These allegations were met with strong objections from Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, which refuted the claims.
In response to these concerns and to ensure the sanctity of its own offerings, the Odisha government has also launched an investigation into the quality of the prasad being served at the Jagannath Puri temple.
