What foods can you eat while fasting on Mahashivratri?

Rajgiri Puri, Kuttu Puru, Kele ki Sabzi and Paneer Vatana.

Mahashivratri, one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals, is celebrated by devotees observing a fast, which begins at Brahma mahurat (2 hours before sunrise), post a bath and meditation, and is broken during the last three hours of the 24-hour day.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, sabudana or tapioca pearls, fruits, occupy centre stage. Alu ki sabzi, singhade ke atte (waterchesnut) ki puri, lauki ki sabzi, potato raita, sabudana khichdi, sabudana vada, dry fruits milkshake, are some of the typical foods that comprise a Mahashivratri fasting thali.

Milk items abound during a fast, as it is believed Lord Shiva was a huge lover of dairy. Desserts include sabudana or makhana kheer and fruit shrikhand.

Sabudana vada.

Sabudana is a food liberally eaten during fasting across India and appears on plates in several forms during Mahashivratri, too. While many prepare savoury dishes from sabudana or tapioca pearls, ranging from khichdi to tikkis and raita.

Variations are common nowadays and one can even indulge in a buckwheat or kuttu atta cheela, with vegetables or puris.

At Khandani Rajdhani, Farali pattice, sabudana vadas, samo rice and tomato dal, Rajgira puri, are some of the dishes on offer, for those fasting.

Samo rice and tomato dal.

Maharaj Bhawar Singh, corporate chef at Khandani Rajdhani, adds, “Both Rajgira (amaranth) and kuttu (buckwheat) are nutritious grains, rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Using these grains to make puris ensures that fasting individuals get essential nutrients and these are also easy to digest, which is beneficial during fasting when the digestive system is more sensitive.”

Fasting foods apart, devotees, offer Lord Shiva’s favourite food to him as Prasad. In Orissa. Chuda ghas, made of coarsely ground poha or flattened rice, ghee and grated coconut, is offered as prasad to Lord Mahadev. It is also believed that thandai mixed with bhaang, should be offered to Lord Shiva, as that appeases him.