Author

Jyotirmayee Dash, Sarita Das*

Abstract

Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, India, is world famous for its incredible food culture and rituals. Lord Jagannath, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, is worshiped with his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra. The specialty of this temple is that the lords are treated as humans and offered all natural things. All the daily and seasonal rituals are followed in an anthropogenic manner. According to temple rites, six types of Dhupa (sacred food offered to the lord) are carried out daily in Jagannath temple, Puri. The cuisine and the rituals are often considered mystic, and many things remain unexplored. In this present study, the different plants and their products, i.e., leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and rhizome, including modified, underground stems, are used for making that delicious cuisine are listed along with their possible nutraceutical benefits, which include 69 species, belonging to 61 genera and 36 families. This study also provides knowledge regarding the traditional nutritional dishes of Jagannath temple, the use of different plant parts as food, and their potential health benefits. Our findings and analysis presented in this article may be helpful in understanding the scientific rational of the botanicals used in ritualistic practices

Doi Number 10.61289/jibs2025.12.02.0292

Keywords Ethnobotany, Divine food, Jagannath temple, Nutraceutical, Sacred dishes