Importance and significance of neivedyam:         The word neivedyam means offering. When a neivedyam is performed in a pooja, it means the deity is offered something to eat which is a token of our love and gratitude towards the Lord Almighty. Neivedyam could include fruits, rice (maha neivedyam), ghee and so on.

Relation with pooja:
        When a pooja is performed we tend to get emotionally linked with the Lord himself. We feel his presence and so the deity is given a bath (abhishekam), the clothes (vasthram) are changed, prayers and praises are chanted through the mode of floral offerings (archana) and finally the Lord is offered something to eat (neivedyam). When we do so we feel that the Lord has partaken of our offering and the remaining becomes prasadam, which is distributed.

Effects of neivedyam/ prasadam on Mental health:
       When we take prasadam the body and mind feel healthy because we strongly believe that the neivedyam has been partaken of by the Lord. The food is thus purified by His divine touch. Hence when we consume it, it has a therapeutic effect on the mind and body which emerges due to faith.

Physical health:
       The mental well being contributes to physical health. Most of the diseases are related to the mind (psychosomatic) and hence when the mind enjoys peace and happiness it reflects on one's physical health.

Spiritual Health:
       In the process of offering all the food that we eat as neivedyam, we get mentally, physically and spiritually purified and can attain the goal of being one with the Cosmos (Moksha).

Neivedhyams for Festivals & Poojas