What Should We Do The Left Over Food Offered To God?

It is food offered to God. You did the right thing by taking it home. If you leave it in temple the cleaners usually throw them in the garbage.

 

There is nothing right or wrong with such things. God will definitely understand.
If the food/Prasadam is getting wasted there is no point leaving it in the temple.
If we offer the same Prasadam to God at home we will have it. Then how is it wrong to take the leftover Prasadam to home from the temple?

 

When I was in India I used to distribute some sweets at Baba temple on Thursday.
I used to keep some sweets for home and distribute the remaining. Even people around me used to do that.

 

In India we used to feed leftover prasad to cows.I don't know what can be done as you are in US and won't be able to find cows just roaming around to be fed.

 

I would say it is OK to not waste it, to take it home and share it with others as prasad.

Here is an ancient famous story from southern India that may help you. It is somewhat of a reverse scenario, but I think it conveys the spirit of devotional offering.

Periazhwar (originally called Vishnuchittar) was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. He used to string and offer a garland to the Lord every day. As he was childless, he prayed for a child. One day, he found a girl child under a Tulasi plant in a garden inside the temple. He and his wife named the child as Kothai. She grew up as a devotee of Vishnu, imagining that she would marry him*.

Periyazhwar used to pick Thulasi leaves from his garden, weave them into a garland, and carefully set it in a basket before offering it to the Lord. One day, child that she was, Kodhai took the garland, adorned herself with it, looking in the mirror wondering whether she would be a suitable bride for the Lord**. Periyazhwar saw this. He chided her and then weaved another, fresh garland and offered that during his pooja. To his surprise, the garland fell down from the shoulders of the deity. He tried many times to put it back but didn't succeed. He got worried and prayed to God. He then heard a voice saying “Why didn’t you offer me the garland woven by Kodhai? Offer to me the garland touched by my devotee, Kothai. She is not a mere mortal. She is born for me”

Thenceforth, the girl Kothai was referred to as சூடிகொடுத்தசுடர்க்கொடி, (Tamil - Chudikodutha Sudarkodi - lady who wore and then gave her garland to Lord Vishnu).

The lesson here is of course that if an offering made from the heart, with devotion, then peripheral concerns are irrelevant. Even today, for the Tirupati Brahmotsavam festival, garlands offered to Andal at her temple in Srivilliputhur** in Tamil Nadu are sent to the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh for 'regifting'.

*This is a story in the bhakti tradition. Kothai's yearning signifies a desire of a devotee for union with the Lord. Kothai, also known as Aandal, is said to be an incarnation of Lakshmi.

**This is the temple depicted in the state emblem of Tamil Nadu.

The text above is adapted from here and here. I was a bit pressed for time!

 

My mom tells when you take prasad to temple and when you bring the vessel back home you should not bring empty vessel, some prasadam should be left. So, if you bring it back home it is right. The vessel should not be empty while bringing back home. If lot of food left also if it is going to be wasted in temple, its better to bring back home, you can consume or you can give it to neighbors also. Its noting wrong in bringing back, also note that you should bring back at little quantity, the vessel should not be brought empty to home. As per sastram there is nothing written rules for this.

 

India or abroad, the rule is simple. Dont waste the food.
And yes, even I was told by many that we are jot supposed to return home with empty vessel from temple.
Atleast a little bit of prasadam we should bring back home.

I did sai divya puja and distributed prasadam in temple. I took back some prasadam home n gave to family members.