Uncooked rice for puja, what to do with it?

[Jainarayan]

I received a small packet of blessed uncooked colored rice when I ordered some items from Rudra Centre. A little paper said to put it in a small bowl and put it on the altar near the yantra I ordered. Am I supposed to keep the rice forever or do something else with it? Inevitably ashes from incense or common household dust will fall on it; what to do then? I know you can't blow on it to blow off any foreign matter.

 

[Vinayaka]

It's transferred to a second bowl, or offered to the deity (scattered/tossed at His feet) in a lot of pujas. For example, in the dedication part, when you dedicate the puja to whichever God or Guru you're doing it to, you offer uncooked rice. It can also be used as a substitute for flowers. There are also other moments, but I can't remember. If it's in a second bowl, you can eat it (cook it first!), but if its within the mix of incense ash, flowers, etc, toss it to the composter.

 

[Jainarayan]

OK thanks. The instructions said to take it out of the pakage and put it in a small bowl, which I did. Even if it's got any ashes in it (none I can see so far, no flowers, etc.) I could rinse it and cook it in vegetable broth with some more rice. I didn't know uncooked rice could be used in place of flowers.

 

[Vinayaka]

I may have misunderstood ... did it say that the rice was prasadam already, in 'blessed' rice? If is coloured, I'd be hesitant o ever cook it. Some of the colours they use nowadays are harsh chemicals.

 

[Jainarayan]

That's a good point about the coloring. I know there's a big hub-bub about the colors used for Holi being chemical based, not the traditional vegetable-based. I have to read the paper, but my assumption is that it was sent as prasadam. Everything that comes from Rudra Center is blessed and energized, so I assume that means offered as prasadam also. Well, having been on the altar offered to Vishnu, I suppose it's prasadam now. We remove flowers that are dying, and don't leave stale food, so I suppose this should be disposed of in a respectful manner.

 

[atanu]

That's a good point about the coloring. I know there's a big hub-bub about the colors used for Holi being chemical based, not the traditional vegetable-based. I have to read the paper, but my assumption is that it was sent as prasadam. Everything that comes from Rudra Center is blessed and energized, so I assume that means offered as prasadam also. Well, having been on the altar offered to Vishnu, I suppose it's prasadam now. We remove flowers that are dying, and don't leave stale food, so I suppose this should be disposed of in a respectful manner.

Methods vary. Rudra centre should be able to guide. They must have a phone number?

My understanding is below.

If already you have offered the rice to the yantram, you can either mix prasad with other food, cook and eat and/or distribute. The colour should be of turmeric. If under doubt you can dispose the prasad in flowing river/water. You cannot keep rice indefinitely, even if covered in a bottle. So, consume or dispose of the present rice (prasad) and you can then offer some rice or some dry food daily, if not inconvenient.

 

[Jainarayan]

Yes, I could ask them. The rice is red, green & yellow.