Thrissur’s Mahadeva Temple offers knowledgeable books as ‘prasad’

Visiting devotees are distributed textbooks, writing material and informative brochures as Prasad or, holy offering here.

Usually,
flowers, fruits or cooked dish are offered to the deity at temples and
it is returned the people as Prasad. But here apart from books,pens and
pencils, the Mahadeva Temple witnesses offerings like CDs and DVDs
being dispensed here as Prasadam.

“Knowledge is actual
Prasadam (holy offering). So in form of Prasadam (offering) we give
books and other informative literature to the devotees here in temple,”
said Taranath, the priest at the Mahadeva temple in Mazhuvanchery.

The temple is situated in the campus of National Heritage Centre (NHC) that functions under the Indian Institute
of Scientific Heritage
(IISH). It believes that social revolutions and eradication of the
superstitions are possible through spiritual knowledge with a rational
and scientific approach. It boasts of a well-equipped library.

Besides, photographs of various Hindu deities, gods and goddesses including spiritual leaders, noted scholars and public figures like Ramanujam, Dr. J. C. Bose, Dr. C. V. Raman, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam and others adorn the walls of the temple.

“This
is the only temple in India, especially in Kerala, where devotees are
being given informative books which upholds the Indian heritage as
Prasadam (offering). We believe that knowledge is best Prasadam
(offering) that, devotees are getting. Irrespective of caste and creed
anybody can come and worship God here,” said K. Haridas Pillai, Director, National Heritage Centre, Thrissur.

On
Vijayadashmi festival, Mahadeva Temple is visited by a lot of parents,
where the kids are initiated into the world of letters. It is an
auspicious occasion observed by almost all God-fearing Malayalaee
Hindu families when children aged 2 to 3 years are taught to write
basic alphabets.