A Modern Bite of Faith

Welcome to the world of prasads and places of worship, where traditional rituals meet a trendy twist. India has always been a master at mixing old and new. We WhatsApp darshan photos, chant mantras on fitness apps, and now, apparently, twirl noodles as prasad. Some places of worship in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Kolkata serve snacks as prasad.

This does not mean that the traditional prasads are replaced. The delicious laddoos, pedas, and modaks are still very much part of major festivals. In the chilly climes of Himachal Pradesh, some small shrines hand out steaming hot momos as prasad during winter months — practical and popular. Down south, the Alagar temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, offers a staple Indian dosa as prasad. In Kerala, the Chemmoth Sree Subramaniya Swami temple has earned its name of “Munch Murugan Temple’’ due to its Munch Chocolate bars that are served as prasad. At the ancient Kal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain, believed to be around 6,000 years old, prasad comes with a surprising twist — liquor. Following tantric traditions, devotees offer bottles of alcohol to Lord Shiva’s fierce form, where it’s blessed and sometimes even "sipped" by the deity. The idea is simple: Offer something that people relate to—and sometimes, that's a cheesy noodle plate over a ghee-dripping laddoo that will have devotees flocking to the temples.

Traditional prasad has nourished millions of faithful hearts for centuries. Some places of worship in Delhi, Kolkata, and some remote villages of Himachal Pradesh serve unique prasad. Convenience has played somewhat of a role here. Making ladoos for mass gatherings is no easy feat. It demands time, labour, and lots of ghee! On the other hand, a batch of noodles or a basket of momos can be whipped up faster and served hot with minimal fuss. It also depends on what is available locally.

Pandit Rakesh Mishra from Delhi adds, “Young people these days run on coffee and noodles. If they find familiarity in their prasad, maybe they'll find the temple too!” Food for thought – bow before the deity and then line-up for a bamboo steamer full of momos. Holy dumplings!

Unique Holy Food

Riya Sharma (22) a student who recently visited a temple in Kolkata was blessed with an unexpected prasad. “I came expecting a peda, but got a plate of noodles,” Riya says. India is deeply rooted in culture and tradition, it’s hard to strike a balance between honouring age-old rituals and embracing modern tastes.

The sweet, round laddoos that we pop into our mouths have a much older medicinal beginning. During the Vedic period, they were not so much seen as sweets but as Ayurvedic energy balls! Ancient Ayurvedic practitioners would roll medicinal herbs, seeds, and nuts together with ghee and jaggery into small balls to make them easy to carry and consume. These early laddoos were like the ancient world's protein bars — packed with nutrition, strength, and healing properties.

Over time, many temple kitchens, especially in the south, began using these balls in religious rituals. Since offering to gods have to be pure, sweet and homemade— what we now recognise as boondi laddoos, besan laddoos and coconut laddoos, etc. “For us, prasad must be pure, simple, and sattvic,” says Kamla Desai, a frequent visitor to Mumbai’s famous Siddhi-vinayak temple.

For the faithful prasad bears the spiritual essence of God. Anu Kulkarni, a home maker, aptly puts it: “Prasad is ultimately about intent. It’s the love and gratitude behind the offering that makes it sacred. Whether it’s a peda, an apple, or a momo, it’s the act of offering that matters most.”

For now, most places of worship seem to be striking a careful balance, with momos steaming beside laddoos, but with a healthy respect for the roots of their rituals.

Faith doesn’t come in what we eat or how we dress or how we look. It comes from what we have to offer from our hearts, how pure our intentions are, It’s about sharing, gratitude, and connection. Whether it’s a sweet peda or a bowl of noodles, the soul of the offering remains unchanged.