Why different foods for different Indian festivals?

A festival is an excuse to feast. The numerous festivals of India are enriched with many mouth-watering sweets and lavish meals. Palatable items like barfi, mithai and pakoras are some of the preparations that one sees during most festivals. But each festival has a distinct set of delicacies. Holi sees a variation of dishes from region to region but thandai (a sweet, creamy milk drink) is common across. Janmashtami, celebrated with great pomp in places like Mathura and Vrindavan, with a variety of milk preparations flaked with almonds and saffron. West Bengal during Durgotsav sees an atmosphere skin to a carnival with Sandesh (a sweetmeat) giving the much needed sugar rush to those partaking in festivities.

There are numerous festivals in India and thus, followed by, many mouth-watering and jaw-dropping sweets and meals. Special dishes are prepared and also offered to the respective Gods and seasons play a very important role in celebrations of different festivals.

Diwali

India is a land of festivals. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated with fervor and gaiety. The festival is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, throughout the country to dispel darkness and light up their lives. The festival symbolizes unity in diversity as every state celebrates it in its own special way. The celebration of the four-day festival commences on Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdashi and concludes on Kartika Shudda Vijiya. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. people crave on these foods on that very special day.

Dussehra

Whenever we think of India we think as a land of festivals. Every festival in India epitomizes the social, cultural and religious aspirations of the people. Every festival brings with it a few days of happiness and joy in the life of the people. Navratri, or ‘The Festival of Nine Nights’, is celebrated during the first nine days of the Hindu month of Ashvin (September-October). The festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Goddess or Shakti and her nine forms. This season is considered to be an auspicious one as it is generally associated with the sowing of seeds. People sow seeds on the first day, consecrate the planets, watch the sprouting and worship Goddess Durga during this festival. The last three days are especially considered the most important.

Holi

Holi is the most colourful festival of the Hindus and falls on the Full moon day in the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu Calendar which is the month of March as per the Gregorian Calendar. This Holi festival has many elements of primitive and prolific rites and reveries that have defied civilization and prudery. During the three days of this festival, particularly the whole country, towns, cities and villages – go happy with merry makers, streets, parks and public places
are crowded with people, daubed in diverse colours, looking funny and ridiculous. Children and youngsters with each other in being original and use fast and sticky colours. It is all a mirthful abandon for them. These foods are more important like colors in the festival.

Sankranthi/ Pongal

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab
is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati’s not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil. These foods are prepared in almost every house on that special day.

The history of Pongal can be traced back to the Sangam Age, ie, 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. Pongal is an ancient festival of the Tamils and it is not known when exactly the Tamils began celebrating the festival, but some historians identify it with the Thai Un and Thai Niradal, believed to have been celebrated during the Sangam Age. Pongal, a traditional Tamilian food item that has found a place in the menu of Indian restaurants across the world, is perhaps the only dish to have lent its name. pongal is such a big day in the whole year for every hindu, they worship god with many different tasty foods.

Vinayaka Chavithi

One day Parvathi, wife of Lord Siva made a boy with turmeric & breathed life into it. She then asked the boy to guard the door till she took her bath. The boy was instructed not to allow anyone to enter. When Shiva came and tried to open the door, the boy objected to it. In a fit of anger Siva severed the boy’s head with his Trishul. When Parvathi came to know what had happened to the boy she began to weep. Seeing this, Siva’s heart melted and he promised to
put life back into the boy. After a massive search Shiva’s disciples could find the head of an elephant to fix on the boy’s body. From then on he was called Gajanan, the elephant-headed boy. From this day is celebrated as the birth of Lord Ganesha. The idol of the Lord is worshipped for 10 days and on the eleventh day it is immersed in a river or sea amidst a huge procession. every one looks for delicious sweet foods with many more varieties on that holy day.

Raksha Bandhan

In every sense Raksha Bandhan is a true Indian festival. Rakhi is all about human emotions; it’s a celebration of love and care among siblings. It portrays the true picture of our rich cultural heritage and traditions. With the passage of time it is the celebration styles and perspective that has become contemporary but the customs, traditions and rituals are the same till date. Still today also the rituals are followed with the same respect and enthusiasm. Throughout the
country the festival is known as Rakhi for Raksha Bandhan but owing to its varied legends and significance Raksha Bandhan is known by different names in different states of India, by different communities. Sweets and a variety of foods are considered as a way of expressing love to their brothers.

Janmashtami

Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura, India to Devaki and Vasudeva in the jail cell of the tyrant Kamsa. The place of His birth is known as Sri Krishna Janmasthan. He appeared with His brother Balarama in response to the demigods’ prayers for protection from the widespread influence of demonic administration on earth. Previously, the demigods and demons had been at war in the heavens. When the demons were defeated by the demigods, they decided to instead attack this planet earth. Thus, they invaded the earth by discreetly taking birth as princes in powerful royal families of the time. It is celebrated in huge crowds with different choices of foods, people express their foods as a symbol of celebrating unity. we can see how widely it is celebrated with varieties of foods on everyone’s plate.

conclusion

Living in India is a blessing to live our lives adding every flavour that exists within every corner of the globe. Festivals are celebrated to spread love, unity, culture, divinity, goodness, positivity and varieties of foods from every home. Festivals promote good health, happiness, wellness, healthy life and many more all on a special day. We can learn and saviour many ancient Indian scientific facts with every traditional way of preparing foods, adding ingredients, cooking dishes and sharing with every heart to make it a holy day in everyone’s life.