Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day festival celebrated with sincerity, music, rituals, and good food offerings. Ganesha, the deity associated with the removal of obstacles, wisdom, and wealth, is known to like everything sweet, made of fruit, and wholesome sattvic food.
Each day of the festival can be made special and distinctive with a prasad that will show your devotion and love. Here is a 10-day prasad:
Day 1: Modak
Not at all surprising, modak has become the offering of choice for the festival as the steamed modaks (ukadiche modak), follows the traditional rice flour dough stuffed with coconut, jaggery, and ghee which are said to be the favorite offering by Lord Ganesha. They are offered to Bappa as the first food by the family welcoming Bappa home in love and tradition.
Day 2: Coconut Ladoo
Coconut ladoo represents purity and devotion, made with grated coconut with condensed milk or jaggery. These beauties would be perfect on the second day, which are quick to prepare, delicious and long-lasting up to a few days.
Day 3: Besan Ladoo
Besan ladoo is another melt-in-the-mouth offering to Ganeša. Made with simple roasted gram flour, ghee, and sugar. This rich and aromatic delicacy is sure to please Ganesha when offered during the auspicious rituals.
Day 4: Banana Sheera (Halwa)
Banana Sheera is a simple offering consisting of semolina (sooji), ripe banana, ghee, and sugar. Offered in traditional South Indian pujas (hindu ritual), it is thought to calm and please the gods.
Day 5: Puran Poli
Puran poli is a common item of Maharashtrian food, and it is a flatbread made of jaggery and chana dal. It is served with ghee, as prasad, or on days when special meals or occasions are celebrated.
Day 6: Motichoor Ladoo
Motichoor ladoo are small balls of boondi soaked in syrup, and they are usually found in the food offered to god in temples. They have a bright color which reminds us of heaven, and they are fun and tasty to eat.
Day 7: Sabudana Kheer
Sabudana kheer is especially suitable for fasting observers. Sabudana, or tapioca pearls, is light, delightful and mild. Serves as a sweet and comforting offering made with milk, sugar, and cardamom.
Day 8: Rice Payasam (Kheer)
Payasam or kheer is a South Indian dessert made with rice, jaggery, coconut milk or regular milk, and cardamom. Rice payasam is offered to Ganesha to bless worshippers with good health and happiness.
Day 9: Boondi or Panchamrit
A short but pious puja can consist of a simple offering of sweet boondi or panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar). Considered an offering of the five elements of life, panchamrit is a symbolic offering.
Day 10: Modak & Fruits
As we take leave of Bappa for the last time, we will offer modak once more together with fresh fruit, such as bananas, pomegranates, or guavas. This is symbolic of thanksgiving, and sweetness is always the best way to conclude a 10-day connection. It’s not important to think of prasad as simply sweets or food, it is the intention behind it. It’s a representation of love, purity, and surrender to Lord Ganesha. Lavished offering or home-made providing devotion to the Lord blesses one with wisdom, prosperity, and happiness.
By: Tarot Pooja Verma, Tarot Card Reader and Numerology Expert
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