Nivedhanam

In Hinduism, nivedhanam, a sanskrit word meaning supplication, is food offered to a deity as part of a worship ritual. The deity is informed that one has prepared, and is going to eat, the food and the deity is requested to bestow his grace upon the food. Once offered as nivedhanam, the food is called prasada, or "god's gift". The offerings may include cooked food, sugar cones, and fruits. Mostly, vegetarian food alone is offered to the deity and later distributed to the devotees who are present in the temple. Great care is taken when food is cooked for the deity. For some tribal-gods like Kali, animals, such as goats or roosters are slaughtered in the temple precincts and offered. Many orthodox Hindus offer cooked food or some fruits to a picture or idol of a deity before they eat it.