Puri temple mahaprasad revives Odisha's indigenous rice varieties

Puri's Jagannath Temple is giving Odisha's indigenous rice varieties a new lease of life. Its demand for chemical-free traditional paddy for Mahaprasad is encouraging farmers to grow Kalajeera, Govindabhoga and other native grains. The state's Amruta Anna Yojana has mandated supplying such rice to the temple kitchen, creating a new market for varieties that were disappearing from fields.