Kashi Vishwanath temple to offer devotees 'prasad' made from millets

Lucknow: Joining the Centre’s efforts to promote millets, the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi will now offer devotees ‘prasad’ made from millets.

The ‘laddu prasad’ at the temple will now be known as ‘Sri Anna prasad’, a senior official said here on Sunday.

Recently, Prime Minister Modi termed millets ”Sri Anna”, which means ”the best among all the foodgrains”.

The decision to introduce ‘Sri Anna prasad’ was taken on the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh government, the official said.

Women self-help groups associated with the National Rural Livelihood Mission prepare ‘prasad’ for the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Now, they will be engaged in the preparation of ‘Sri Anna prasadam’, said Chief Development Officer, Varanasi, Himanshu Nagpal.

The price of the ‘prasad’ remains unchanged. Special care has been taken to ensure its quality, he said.

A self-help group president Sunita Jaiswal said the ‘Sri Anna prasad’ is made from millets, jaggery, sesame seeds, cashew, almond, pure ghee and ‘khoya’.

Currently, packets containing 100 and 200 grams of laddus are available for sale at the temple, she said.