Bhandara

(“storehouse”) A banquet given for large
numbers of people—either by special
invitation, restricted to certain classes of
people (such as ascetics), or open to the
general public. Sponsoring such a banquet is believed to generate considerable religious merit, but this is also a
conspicuous opportunity for both the
donor and attendees to enhance their
status. Issues of status are also marked
among the attendees. The most honored
guests confer status on the donor simply
by deigning to come, and accordingly
such guests will be treated differently
from the common lot. The rest of the
guests generally get no such special
treatment. They give status to the host
by eating the food he (or she) has had
prepared, but they get little in return
other than the meal itself, which is usually of poor quality since the food is prepared in large quantities.
Based on these considerations,
ascetics with sufficient resources of their
own will usually avoid such banquets
because of both the quality of the food
and the concerns over status. To eat at a
bhandara is not only to confer prestige
on the donor, but to lower one’s own
status by appearing as though one
needs to do this to survive. The main
exception is when one has been invited
as an honored guest, but even in these
cases it is not unusual for such guests to
eat little or nothing, thereby giving
status by their presence but losing none
through consumption.