Pavagadh Mahakali temple rationalizes LPG use ahead of Chaitra Navratri

Vadodara: Ahead of the Chaitra Navratri beginning on Thursday, the management of the Mahakali Temple at Pavagadh is taking measures to ensure that a disruption of LPG supply does not affect its kitchen and preparation of prasad. It has scaled down the food items it serves devotees and is preparing to account for an LPG shortage in the preparation of prasad.

The temple, which is among the Shakti Pithas, witnesses a heavy rush during Chaitra Navratri. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple during these nine days and are offered ‘sukhdi' as prasad. The temple management begins preparing sukhdi in advance to cater to the heavy rush. The temple trust, district administration and police are on their toes to handle the crowd during these days.

The temple has decided to provide only two food items to devotees from its kitchen due to the LPG shortage.

"We used to provide dal, rice, roti and one vegetable. Now we will be providing only two of these. We have to adapt to the situation," said Ashok Pandya, a trustee.

Pandya said there was no immediate shortage of cylinders, but they are taking pre-emptive steps. "We have also made preparations to use alternative fuels like wood to make prasad, but that can make the process very slow," he added.

Each sukhdi packet given to devotees weighs around 141g. Sources said the average number of daily visitors during Chaitra Navratri can be around one lakh or even more.

Pandya said they distribute around 20,000 or more packets of prasad every day. "We will continue to do so as the preparation of prasad has not been affected so far," he said.

Pipadvadi Vaav Temple popular temple in Tarsali area of Vadodara too will be using only firewood to prepare ‘prasad' for the thousands of devotees during Chaitra Navratri. "We used both gas and firewood for preparing prasad for the devotees every year. This time, getting bottled gas is difficult so we will be preparing 25 big furnaces on which food will be cooked using firewood," said Rakesh Patel, popularly called Bhagyabhai, head of the trust that organises the annual ‘bhandara' at this temple during Chaitra Navratri.

"Nearly one lakh people are served a full meal as ‘prasad' during Chaitra Navratri. This time, we plan to reduce a few food items or order them from outside. The work on making furnaces has already begun. The gas shortage has had its impact but we are trying to manage and we plan to offer prasad to every single devotee," Bhagyabhai told TOI.