I hesitate to attend the functions as I can not get Prasadam there. What to do?

I hesitate to attend the functions as I can not get Prasadam there. What to do?

You can be selective in attending the marriages.  If the marriage is that of non devotees, you may attend, have milk or fruits there and return.  In case, you are forced to eat there (Vegetarian food) to avoid any split in relations/ friendship, you may request them to serve only the dishes that have no onion or garlic. They will definitely cooperate. 

Before eating, you should clean that food first.

CASE-1:

If you are unable to  refuse, before taking the food, recite “Hare Krishna Maha Manthra” three times (or) “OM SHREE VISHNU”  eight times and then pray “Oh, My dear Krishna.  I am unable to offer this food to you and I am forced to take this food from outside today. Please forgive the offences and karma involved in that food and accept my offering of fruits within mind”

CASE-2:

When they give you the invitation, try to explain them that you are following the rules recommended for you that you should take only the food after offering to Krishna. Politely tell them that you will attend the marriage, bless the couples and remain there till the marriage is over and do all possible helps, but, you should be allowed to take only the fruits and milk there.  Tell them that this is not to insult others, but, to avoid deviating from the regular practice.  Most of the people will understand your genuine point and cooperate with you.  Then, attend the marriage, be cordial, speak to everybody and gently come back.  Problem solved.

CASE-3:

If it is your family marriage, you can prepare food as per the recommendations and offer to Lord and then serve the visitors of your marriage.

In the large functions/ celebrations in some of our temples in which hundreds of the devotees attend, our temples employ cooks to cook the food.  They instruct the cooks to prepare food according to the rules, WITHOUT TASTING THEM.  That food is then offered to Lord and then served to the visiting devotees.  I myself have seen that in a temple. You too can follow this.

You too can employ Brahmin cooks for your marriage.  They know how to prepare food without tasting and neatly. Just tell about your practices to them.  They will cook the delicious foods properly.  Then, take some quantity of every dish and keep them in front of the pictures of Krishna, your guru and/ or acharya in the marriage hall.  Recite the Prasadam offering manthra three times, keep it for 8-10 minutes and then, mix with the whole food and then serve.

Nice.  Isn’t it? If possible, you can even request your temple to arrange for temple cooks to cook in your marriage.

If possible, you can even conduct your marriage as per our temple customs.  In ISKCON, there are many purohits who conduct the devotee marriages perfectly.  They travel all the cities to perform the devotee marriages as a service to the vaishnavas.  You can engage them.

CASE-4:

If your wife and children call you to dine out together, take them to your nearby ISKCON temples.  If you pay some thing, the temple will prepare delicious dishes for you and serve.  In some centres, they have restaurants also.

CASE - 5:

If they are particular about taking something in hotel, take them to a decent hotel and order for milk or fruit mix or good milk sweets without grain ingredients. Mostly, the wife and children will not pressurize you in this matter.

However, you must avoid taking food in a place where meat is also cooked and served, and onion and garlic is used.