food and the body
Why is food offered to God before eating?
What the tradition says
Food is first offered to the deity, an act called bhog or naivedya. Once it has been offered, it becomes prasad, which is seen as blessed and is then shared and eaten. The custom expresses gratitude, the sense that food is a gift rather than something taken for granted, and devotion before the meal.
The idea behind it
The offering turns an ordinary act, eating, into something sacred. The deity is felt to accept the food and return it as grace, so the meal becomes a shared exchange rather than simple consumption. Sharing prasad afterward also draws people together.
In everyday life
At temples and festivals, prasad is given out to everyone present. At home, many families offer food briefly before eating, especially on special days. For communities abroad, receiving temple prasad is often a strong link back to the tradition.