Prasada

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Prasāda (Sanskrit pronunciation: [pɽɐsaːdɐ], Sanskrit: प्रसाद), prasadam or prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most often Prasada is vegetarian food especially cooked for devotees after praise and thanksgiving to a god. Mahaprasada (also called bhandarā),^[1] is the consecrated food offered to the deity in a Hindu temple which is then distributed and partaken by all the devotees regardless of any orientation.^[2][3][4]

Prasada is closely linked to the term naivedya, also spelt naivedhya, naibedya or naived(h)yam. The food offered to the deity is called naivedya, while the sacred food sanctified and returned by the deity as a blessing is called prasada.^{[citation needed]}