Puri: In a good news for the devotees of Lord Jagannath, they will soon get Mahaprasad free of cost at the Srimandir in Odisha's Puri. Informing about it, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that each devotee will receive a portion of the sacred offering.

It is estimated that around 1 to 2.5 lakh devotees will be served Mahaprasad, daily. Discussions have been held with various donors to ensure the smooth distribution of the free prasad, he said.

Minister Harichandan emphasized that arrangements are being made to ensure that every devotee receives Mahaprasad without any disruption once the distribution process begins.

The free distribution of Mahaprasad was implemented when Suresh Mahapatra was the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration. In response to growing public support, the temple administration had decided to expand the free Mahaprasad distribution on a larger scale. The 2018-19 budget had allocated Rs 1.5 crore for this initiative.

However, the free distribution of Mahaprasad was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet resumed.