LPG Shortage: Bengaluru Banashankari Temple May Halt Free Annaprasadam Service

Bengaluru’s Banashankari Temple faces LPG shortage due to Iran-Israel conflict, forcing cuts in daily 'annaprasadam' service. Thousands of devotees may miss free meals if supply is not restored soon.

The impact of the ongoing Iran–Israel conflict is now being felt far beyond the Middle East, including in Bengaluru. A growing shortage of LPG cylinders, reportedly linked to disruptions caused by the conflict, is beginning to affect daily life in the city. Religious institutions that depend on commercial LPG for large-scale cooking are facing serious challenges. One of the worst-hit places is the famous Banashankari Temple, where the daily annaprasadam service for thousands of devotees could soon be disrupted due to the shortage of cooking gas.

Thousands Depend on Daily Annaprasadam

Every day, the Banashankari Temple serves annaprasadam to thousands of devotees. On a normal day, around 3,000 to 4,000 people receive the prasadam. On special days such as Tuesdays and Fridays, this number increases to between 4,000 and 5,000 devotees.

The temple kitchen prepares food three times a day for devotees in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Temple Requires One to Two Cylinders Daily

In the morning, dishes such as pongal, puliogare, and rice bath are prepared. Lunch usually consists of rice and sambar. Arrangements are also made for evening prasadam.

To cook such large quantities of food, the temple requires at least one to two commercial LPG cylinders every day. However, due to the recent drop in LPG supply, it has become increasingly difficult for the temple to keep the kitchen running.

Temple officials said they currently have only four commercial cylinders left. This stock is expected to last only until tomorrow evening.

Service May Be Suspended If Shortage Continues

If the supply does not improve, the temple authorities may be forced to temporarily stop the annaprasadam service from Friday.

The temple's Executive Officer, Krishnappa, told the media that they will continue serving prasadam only as long as the current stock of cylinders lasts.

Meanwhile, the temple has already begun reducing the quantity of prasadam prepared each day. Temple manager Devaraj said they are currently preparing only half the usual amount because of the cylinder shortage.

LPG Crisis Affecting Religious Institutions

The LPG shortage is no longer limited to hotels and paying guest accommodations. Religious institutions that provide free meals to thousands of people daily are now also being affected.

For temples like Banashankari, which feed thousands of devotees and needy people every day, the shortage is a direct blow to their services. Devotees and economically weaker individuals who depend on the temple for free meals may soon face difficulties.

People are now urging the government to step in quickly, resolve the supply issue, and arrange an alternative LPG supply for temples.

War Impact Reaches Bengaluru

It is striking that a conflict in the Middle East is having such a direct impact on a temple in Bengaluru. If the LPG supply does not return to normal soon, there is concern that several other temples in the city may also be forced to suspend their annaprasadam services.