have no zeal to cook and so the food is tasteless. It is also said that if mother Laxmi is displeased with the preparations by the cooks, a dog will appear mysteriously on the temple grounds. If the dog is seen, all the food must be buried and prepared again. As no dog is allowed to enter the temple, this dog is said to be Kutama Chandi, a tantric goddess in charge of purification of food. Four types of c ooking are prepared in the kitchen of Srimandir. Those are Bhimapaka, Nalapaka, Souripaka and Gouripaka. The food in the temple kitchen is prepared in such a pure way and with deep devotion; great spiritual impact is felt, both by those who cook and those who eat. The temple kitchen of Lord Jagannath is considered to be the biggest hotel in the world, serving all without reservation or previous notice. Padmanabhan Famous Temples of India : Puri Jagannath Temple Kitchen A TO Z INDIA JULY 2022 PAGE 18 are arranged on top of each other, protected by jute ropes, and then the whole setup is placed on burning wood. Every time, things on the top are cooked first and the order remains the same till the bottom of the pot. Every day, 56 items are cooked and offered to Lord Jagannath as prasad, after which it becomes Mahaprasad (blessed food). Then, around 2-3 pm, visitors and devotees get to buy Mahapr asad at a place called Anand Bazar inside the campus. Mahaprasad is spectacular and a single piece of it is never wasted. It is believed that Mahalaxmi cooks in the kitchen Herself; all are felt to be Her servants. As she is not attentive to the cooking on the days when Lord Jagannath is said to be sick before Rath Yatra, the food is less tasty. During Ratha Yatra when Lord Jagannath is in Sri Gundic ha Temple, She is said to