India is blessed with spring , summer, monsoon, and winter for equal duration every year.
Indian festivals, along with their traditional customs and rituals, are entwined with health and eating healthy food, which is prepared with the ingredients available during that season. The food is called ‘prasadam’, which is first offered to the dieties on the day of the festival and then eaten by all. These festivals coincide with the change of season , the phase of the moon , transitioning of the sun from the south to the north or north to the south. During these changes, the human body, too, undergoes some changes and is susceptible to diseases. Eating the right foods helps the body transition the seasons and prevents one from getting sick.
Panakam , Ugadi Pachchadi , Kudumulu, etc. are some of the offerings to Hindu dieties during specific festivals. These are mostly prepared in the Telugu states of India. Every Telugu home prepares these. Similarly, every state or region in India has their own set of offerings that are offered to the dieties during festivals.
Ugadi Pachhadi :
Telugu New Year is celebrated as ‘Ugadi’ and the date coincides with the onset of Summer. The offering to God is prepared using ingredients with six different tastes. This is called ‘Ugadi Pachhadi’. The six flavors are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and spicy. The ingredients used are jaggery, salt, tamarind juice, neem flower, raw mango, and pepper powder. All these ingredients are mixed and taken as prasadam after offering to the dieties. The taste is delicious if prepared with the correct proportions. Each of these ingredients has its own health benefits.Raw mango and neem flower are available only during this season, and that makes the prasadam very special.
Panakam :
Panakam is a jaggery drink made as prasadam for the’Sri Rama Navami’ festival, which falls nine days after ‘Ugadi’. This, too, is a very delicious drink prepared with jaggery , water, pepper powder, holy basil leaves , cardamom, and a few drops of lemon juice ( optional). This drink is offered to Lord Rama , Sita , Lakshman, and Hanuman on this day. Again, all the ingredients help the body transition from winter to summer.
Kudumulu :
‘Vinayaka Chavithi’ is celebrated by worshipping ‘Lord Ganesha’ , the remover of Obstacles. ‘Kudumulu’ are prepared on this day and offered to the diety made with clay. ‘Kudumulu’ come in different varieties . Basically prepared with Rice powder and jaggery which are mixed well by adding water. The dough is shapped into balls and steamed. This festivals coincides with the onset of monsoons. Steamed food helps the body in transitioning from summer to the rainy season.
Nuvvula Laddu or Til Ke Laddu :
This is made with sesame seeds and jaggery, which are powdered and mixed well to form round balls. ‘Sankranti’ is a harvest festival that coincides with the Sun transitioning from south to north. This is the winter season in India. Seasame seeds generate heat in the body, and hence, when consumed, it keeps the body warm. Every home prepares these laddus and distributes to their neighbour’s.
Each part of India has its own recipes depending on the ingredients available in their region. These ingredients and the method of preparation have medicinal properties. In this post, I have mentioned just a few such recipes.
It is our responsibility to incorporate these customs into our lives and hand over these traditions and healthy food recipes to the next generations.