For devotees of Guru Raghavendra Swamy Mutt eating food in the Prasadalaya in Mantralayam, the abode of Madhwa saint and theologian Sri Raghavendra Swamy, is as auspicious as paying obeisance to the Brindavana of the Swamy.
Food is served in the afternoon and at night daily. Rice, sambar, sweet along with pappu (a thick culinary delight made of Toor dal) and curd rice is served for lunch.
For dinner, puliyogare rice, pongal or bisi bele bath are served.
After paying obeisance to the Brindavana and offering prayers at the Manchalamma Temple, adjacent to the Sri Raghavendra Swamy mutt, devotees from far and near make a beeline to the Prasadalaya to satiate their hunger. The devotees consider partaking of food in the Prasadalaya as prasada from Sri Raghavendra Swamy himself.
It is estimated that more than 25,000 devotees have their food everyday in the afternoon and at night.
On Thursday, which is an auspicious day for the Mutt, and during festivals the number of pilgrims visiting the Prasadalaya would be around 40,000.
Each day at least 10 quintals of rice, three quintals of toor dal, one quintal of sugar, and 250 liters of milk are used in the kitchen.
On Thursdays and important festival days, a minimum of 25 quintals of rice, 10 quintals of toor dal, three quintals of sugar and 1000 liters of milk are used.
Devotion marks everything that is done at the Prasadalaya. More than 60 volunteers toil over 18 hours every day to clean utensils and cook delicious food for the devotees.
Apart from preparing regular food for serving in the Prasadalaya, ‘Parimala Prasada’, a sweet burfi, is made and sold to devotees at a highly subsidized rate.
There are two halls in the Guru Raghavendra Swamy Mutt Prasadalaya with a combined capacity to feed at least 3000 devotees at a time. One of the features of the Prasadalaya is that the same quality food is served to all devotees irrespective of their status and everyone is treated equally without any discrimination.
The Prasadalaya also serves food daily to at least 500 students from schools in Mantralayam and neighboring villages.