A long queue of devotees can be seen at the puja pandals to receive bhog, (Mahaprasad) considered as the testimony of the divinity of Maa Durga, during the four-days mega event of Durga Puja starting from Mahasaptami and going right up to Vijay Dashmi.
Most of the puja committees in the city organise the Durga Puja as per the Bangla tradition and bhog is one of the most important features of this traditional celebration, which adds the flavour of Bengal to the Puja. “We offer Khichri, Kheer and Poori to Maa Durga during the three days Saptami, Astami and Navmi and then the bhog is distributed among the devotees. Around 10,000 devotees get the blessings of Maa Durga in the form of bhog every year with largest crowd on Navmi,” said Munchun Roy, president of Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee.
It is said that the savor of the bhog (mahaprasad) takes the devotees closer to the divine. The khichri (bhog) tastes quite different from the one that is prepared at homes. Roy claimed that it was just the blessings of Maa Durga which brought the taste in the bhog as neither any special ingredient was added while preparing the bhog and nor any professional caterers were hired to prepare it. One additional feature which enhances the taste of the bhog is the utensil in which it is distributed either it be the donas (leaf bowls) or the kulhars (clay pots) they add a different flavour to the mahaprasad.
“The taste of the bhog is eternal and when provided in kulhars its taste enhances,” said Shantanu Pal, a devotee. In the form of bhog, the puja pandals of the city are offering the blessings of Maa Durga to the devotees with the holiness of taste and devotees are in no mood to miss this opportunity received once in a year.