Devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath temple can once again receive laddu-peda prasad, now being prepared by the Bela Papad Group and Mahalaxmi Traders. On Friday night, the counters of these two organizations were re-established within the temple premises. This move marks the revival of a tradition that had been in place for the past five years, with both organizations previously supplying Mahaprasadam at the temple.
The Temple Trust CEO explained that this decision was made in response to the financial losses faced by the organizations and disruptions in the Prasad supply. However, the laddu-peda sold at these counters will no longer be labeled as “Mahaprasadam,” but rather as sweets.
For five years, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust had entrusted two organizations with the responsibility of preparing Mahaprasadam (laddu-peda) for devotees. Mahalaxmi Traders, led by Ashok Kumar Seth, and the Bela Papad Self Help Group, headed by Sunita Agarwal, were the main organizations involved. Together, they produced approximately 1,000 kilograms of Mahaprasadam daily.
Both organizations had converted their homes into small-scale production units, employing 40-50 men and women per shift to prepare the prasad. This initiative provided a livelihood to around 100 people. However, on October 10, the Kashi Vishwanath Nyas suddenly revoked the permission for these organizations to provide Prasad.
On the occasion of Vijay Dashami, a new prasad counter was introduced in the temple premises. The new prasad, known as Tandul Mahaprasad, is now prepared by Gujarat’s Banas Dairy, a part of the Amul company. The company is selling 200-gram laddus for Rs 120, and this has become the officially recognized prasad of the temple.
The decision to replace the original suppliers with Amul led to protests from the two local organizations. They met with CEO Vishwabhushan Mishra and Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, highlighting the financial losses incurred due to the sudden change. Both organizations had invested significantly in raw materials, which were rendered useless by the decision. Moreover, the shift left many women who depended on this work unemployed.
After these discussions, the temple officials allowed Bela Papad Group and Mahalaxmi Traders to set up counters once again in the temple premises. However, a key condition was imposed: the laddu-peda they sell would not be promoted or referred to as Mahaprasad. Instead, they would be sold as regular sweets, without any direct encouragement for devotees to purchase them as temple prasad.
Despite this change, devotees eagerly returned to the counters, buying the laddu-peda as soon as the stalls were re-established. Various types of prasad could be seen on sale at different counters throughout the temple, though no vendor is required to pay a fee to sell their offerings.
CEO Vishwabhushan Mishra emphasized that the authorized prasad of the temple is now Tandul Mahaprasad, prepared by Amul. The Amul counter has been granted a prime location outside the temple gate, within the corridor, ensuring that only Tandul Mahaprasad holds the official status of temple prasad. Meanwhile, the local organizations can continue to sell their products under the label of sweets.
