oldchakra.com

[HOME] [Printer-Friendly] [E-Mail This Link] 

I have noticed quite a few times in the Deity and common kitchen that food and drinks brought in packets, tins, bottles, and other types of containers are put straight away in the fridge’s, freezers, or storerooms straight from the shops and then used when cooking prasadam without the packets, tins, bottles, or other containers being washed first. I have seen pujaris in temples handling all types of product containers while cooking, using original containers at times without thinking that they may have been handled by smokers, meat eaters, alcohol drinkers, and God knows what.

If all ingredients are transferred into clean temple kitchen food containers, then it is ok as long as the containers are kept clean at all times. It is very good that pujaris have a shower before cooking prasadam and wash their hands a few times while cooking, but I wonder how many wash all original product containers before handling them while cooking or wash their hands every time they have handled these different containers while cooking. Outer cleanliness is just as important as inner cleanliness, and this applies here as well in order to maintain a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness in cooking prasadam.

I make it a point at home to wash the original packets, tins, bottles, and other types of food and drink containers containing food and drink bought from the shops before putting them in the fridge or storing cupboards and also wash them before using, and in this way when I am cooking prasadam I am handling all clean food and drink containers and there is no chance of foreign bodies contaminating the prasadam. I generally buy food only in types of containers that I know can be washed before storing them; otherwise, I transfer straight into home food containers.

I hope others follow my example when cooking prasadam at home or in the temples in order to maintain a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness.

Your servant,
Ravi

© CHAKRA 9 September 2002