What is Scorch?

Simply put scorch is the discolouration caused by heat.

It can also mean- raging everything in sight.

Hindu Tradition

The above photo is taken in a religious place.

If you notice in the above image, charcoal is burnt in a portable goldsmith’s furnace (Brazier).

Brazier is a metal container in which charcoal is burnt.

The metal container is a coal cooking stove made up of iron.

It’s known by the name ‘Kumpati’ or ‘Kummati adupu’ in South India.

Charcoal is used as a medium to cook food.

As modernisation set in, this practice is limited to temples and religious places.

One can come across this practice still in the villages.

“Whatever you do, make it an offering to me – the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your sufferings” Lord Krishna (Bhagavad Gita) 

Naivedhya 

It’s common practice in Hindu Dharma to offer food to deities during rituals or pooja at home or in temples.

The offerings include samples of cooked food (vegetarian), or fruits or jaggery/sugarcane, honey or milk.

Tasting or eating the food before offering it to God is strictly prohibited.

Food prepared by using charcoal or wood is offered as NAIVEDHYA to God. Naivedhya is an expression of Gratitude.

Thanksgiving to God.

Offering Naivedhya is the last step in puja (‘Puja’ is an act of worship)

Naivedhya offered while chanting slokas along with the rituals.

Once the prayer is over, the food is considered as having been blessed by God and officially is sanctified as Prasad.

Does God eat the offerings?

If God starts eating the offerings, people may stop offering!

Jokes apart let us try to reason it.

We know that food sustains all the living creatures in this world.

Whether God eats the food or not… is not the question but the real question is whether you offered food with love and devotion expressing your gratitude to God (for the food he offered to you to live in this world).

My friend, Lord doesn’t need our food.

Prasad or Prasadam

So the food that is first offered to God is Naivedhya which becomes Prasad afterwards since it’s received from God.

When Naivedhya is partaken as Prasad, it’s said we benefit from the energy of the deity in it.

Prasad carries the vibes of God’s grace.

Prasad is consumed by the attending devotees as a holy offering.

Prasad can’t be thrown away or wasted.

Thank you for visiting my site and taking your time to read.

Take care, my friend.

Namaste 🙏🙏🙏

Philosophy Through Photography

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This post is part of

Ragtag Daily Prompt- SCORCH

Becky.B’s PAST SQUARES (Bright Squares) photo challenge