Its Ganesh Chaturthi once again and that time of the year when kitchens across India go into overdrive mode. After all Ganesha loves food. And so do we!
Ganesha loves kudumulu and undrallu. He eats plenty of them, his belly becomes wonderfully round, and when the Moon laughs at him, Ganesha curses the Moon. It was a story we have heard many times. “But when I spoke with an expert, she shared a version that completely changed the way I looked at this festival. Ganesha did not always have such a big belly,” says Jyothi Sri Pappu, founder, Nutreat.
Today, we usually shape and steam these offerings thoroughly. In the past, kudumulu was made using wet rice flour and jaggery, brought together with warm ghee. Undrallu were prepared from rice rava with saindhava lavanam—rock salt—and warm cow’s milk. They were soft, fresh and only partially cooked. Ganesha found everything so delicious that he ate and ate until his little stomach became completely round!
When Chandra, the Moon, saw Ganesha’s swollen belly, he laughed at him. Hurt by the ridicule, Ganesha cursed Chandra. Anyone who looked at the Moon on that particular night would become vulnerable to misunderstanding, false allegations or undeserved blame. Whether we hear this as mythology, symbolism or an oral tradition passed from one generation to another, it gives us something beautiful to think about: never laugh at another person’s appearance, and never mistake abundance or innocence for something worthy of ridicule.
Many families now prepare paala thalikalu and other sweets with either ingredient. It is however, believed that offerings to the devatas should be prepared with jaggery rather than refined sugar. Our scriptures and traditions do not teach us that devotion must always be measured through an elaborate maha naivedyam. When offered with a pure heart, even one small piece of jaggery can be greater than a table filled with complicated dishes.
For many families of West Godavari undrallu and paala thalikalu are essential Ganesh Chaturthi preparations. The complete naivedyam may contain nine different varieties. For a newly married woman celebrating the festival as a new bride, some families follow an even more elaborate custom: sixteen varieties of prasadam are prepared and offered to Ganesha.
The festive spread may include undrallu, paala thalikalu, chalimidi, vadapappu and panakam. Every preparation brings a different taste and texture to the offering.Undrallu bring the goodness of rice and lentils. Paala thalikalu offer the comfort of milk and grain. Chalimidi combines rice flour with jaggery. Vadapappu is fresh, soaked moong dal, while panakam is a refreshing drink made with jaggery and gentle spices.
But Ganesh Chaturthi prasadam need not always be elaborate. A family may offer soaked or softened poha mixed with bellam. Someone else may offer a homemade undrallu. Another person may have only fruit, a glass of milk or a small piece of jaggery. All are valuable when offered with devotion. “The more I listened to these stories, the more I understood that prasadam is closely connected to the agricultural life of each region. Where rice grows abundantly, people make undrallu, kudumulu and paala thalikalu. Where cattle are central to the household, Panchamrutam becomes important, with cow’s milk and ghee carrying a special place in the offering. Where jaggery, lentils, cucumbers or local greens are available, they find a place in the naivedyam,” says Pappu.
Our ancestors offered what grew around them. Their festival food was seasonal, local and deeply connected to the farmer, the cattle and the land. That may be why one family offers five items, another nine and another sixteen. The number and recipes may change from village to village, but the emotion remains the same. Ultimately, Ganesh Chaturthi is not a competition about who can prepare the largest number of dishes. Ganesha does not count the vessels on our table. He receives the love with which we cook, the gratitude with which we remember our farmers and animals, and the sincerity with which we place the food before him.
A grand maha naivedyam offered with devotion is beautiful. But so is one humble piece of bellam.Because prasadam is not about how much we offer. It is about how completely we offer our hearts.
Read the full story that first appeared in Elle Gourmet here:
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