The most popular ritual during Janmashtami is 'annakut' for which devotees prepare 56 different delicacies to offer to Lord Krishna on his birthday.
The ritual display of this food before an idol of the Lord is known as 'annakut' (mountain of food). This, however, should not be confused with the festival of Annakut celebrated a day after Diwali by Krishna devotees everywhere.
The delicacies of annakut are considered holy, so much so that even a glimpse of the food carries with it blessings for the supplicant. But sceptics frequently ask, "Why waste so much food on a mere ritual? No one knows whether or not Lord Krishna eats from any of the delicacies offered to him?"
But the Lord does eat and from every delicacy offered by every devotee, says Prahlad Jani, the 82-year-old fakir popularly known as 'Mataji'.
"Not a single grain goes waste," Mataji said. "The Lord indeed savours the metaphysical essence of every delicacy offered by devotees." Mataji has lived without food or water for the past half century.
His yogic powers were recently tested and found to be true by a team comprising scientists from the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), doctors from Ahmedabad's Sterling Hospital and personnel of SRISTI.
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