seva param dharm

We try to donate for prasad at Iskcon on the last day of pitr paksha. Following the donation, you are also welcome to serve on your own. 
Of the few tens of donors , only a handful usually turn up to serve. Prasad time being between 6 and 8 pm, we reached the temple by 5:30pm. We had a lovely darshan in the temple and then came down to the prasad area.
They have a dedicated shed where the entire prasad arrangements are done. From utensils to tables to mats for people to sit, water and soap to wash the utensils after eating prasad to drinking water. Everything is maintained and managed in that dedicated area.
We got all the huge utensils filled with prasad - rice , sambhar , khichdi and sweet. They are carried in trolleys as they are very heavy. The utensils were taken out. Everything was arranged properly as the queue had already started building up by 5:45pm.
At 6, there was a small prayer for the prasad and then the sevadars started distributing. Long mats were rolled out on the floor for devotees to sit and relish the prasad.
Devotees took their plates filled with prasad , took a place on the mats to savour the simple yet delicious prasad then washed their plates and spoons and kept them back in a basket. The sevadars would collect the washed utensils and take them back to the prasad area to be re-used.
Once the prasad was over, the area was sealed for entry. The place was thoroughly washed, utensils stacked back in their respective trays, mats rolled and everything was put back for the next day.

I do not have any pictures to share, the thought never came to mind. But it was a fulfilling experience.

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