Happy Janamashtami to all ! A very special day ….
Janmashtami is a very special day for me, I feel lucky to celebrate this special day with my loved ones, there is always a festive mood in the house to prepare for the Janmashtami puja celebrations. My kids look forward for the Janmashtami celebrations.
People in Delhi celebrate Janmashtami with great vigour and passion. They pay homage to Lord Krishna with full enthusiasm. We all use to visit temples in the evenings where lord Krishna and all other gods and goddess were dressed up so beautifully. Lots of lights in and around the temples and the magical aura made the mood of the day too lively.
At the crack of the dawn, people start preparing for the main Puja, they decorate their temples at home and visit temples, still remember the long queue to get the glimpse of the BAL GOPAL ( little Krishna) idol and to rock him in the cradle. Every Janmashtami I miss the purchasing on this day with my mom of different puja items like fruits, flowers, incense sticks, candles and diyas are purchase. My mom makes the ‘prasad’ and sweets for the Lord at home. Few of the popular delicacies that can be made on this occasion are sheera, churma, kheer, pedha, murukku, singhare ki puri, gopalkala etc. These are first offered to Lord at midnight and then eaten by the family members. We use to clean our Puja room for the evening prayers, decorate it with lots of flowers and then wash the lord with milk and honey and dress him up with new clothes.
In western India, mainly mumbai the celebrations of Janmashtami are in the form of DAHI HANDI celebrations, this is mainly performing the famous lord Krishna act of stealing the makkan from the matkas suspended from the ceilings. This is also celebrated in the twin cities of Mathura - Vrindavan, Dwarka along with Mumbai. In mumbai young men in groups perform this ritual and are seen in full passion yelling ’Ala re ala, Govinda
ala’ during the ceremony. It generally takes place on the second day of Janmashtami. An earthen pot containing a mixture of milk, dry fruits, ghee is hung around 20-30 feet high in the air with the help of a rope. Silver coins are hung along with the rope,which are later distributed as prize to the winners. Enthusiastic young men, form a human pyramid by standing one on top of the other, trying to break the pot. Onlookers throw water on the young men in order to prevent them from breaking the pot. Breaking of the pot is followed by prize distribution. Devotees believe that the broken pieces of earthen pot will keep away mice and negative powers from their homes.
The Janmashtami of Mathura and Vrindavan, the places where Lord Krishna had spent his childhood, are famous all over the world. Devotees from across the world come to these pious places to celebrate Janmasthami. On this auspicious occasion, temples and homes are beautifully decorated and illuminated. Night long prayers are offered and religious hymns are sung in temples. The priests chant holy mantras and bath the idol with Panchamrit which comprises of Gangajal (water from the holy Ganges River), milk, ghee (clarified butter), curd, and honey pouring all these from a conch shell. After this bath the idol of the infant Krishna (also known as Balmukund) is placed in a cradle. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over Northern India.
The temples especially in Vrindavan witness an extravagant and colourful celebration on this occasion. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Radha.
Source: http://www.festivalsofindia.in/janmashtami/
Sweet Churma Recipe (Janmashtami Special)
This recipe is not for people who are fasting on the occasion of Janmashtami but this is an evergreen prasad recipe we use to make at our home on all such festive occasions…..
Ingredients –
- Atta (Wheat Flour) – 1 cup
- Sooji/Rava (Semolina) – ½ cup
- Powdered Sugar – 1 cup
- Rosted dry fruits – ½ cup
- Makhana (Puffed Kernel of Gorgon Nut or Fox Nut (not Lotus seed)) - ½ cup
- Tarbooj ke beej (Watermelon seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Method –
Take 1 tablespoon ghee in a kadai, roast both makhana and tarbooj seeds till little brown. Take them out in a plate, now to the same kadai add 2 tablespoon ghee and put atta and sooji both to the kadai, mix well with a spatula and keep stirring on low flame for about 10-15 minutes. The colour of the mixed sooji and atta should change to little brown ( tip is you should keep stirring on low flame and reach one shade darker than you want your churma to look because on adding the powdered sugar the colour will become little lighter).
Add dry fruits of your choice to it along with the makhana and tarbooj seeds and fry for about 5 -7 minutes more on low flame. Switch of the flame and let it to cool for 7 minutes, remove the kadai from the burner. Now after 7 minute or so add powdered sugar to your
churma and mix well. Mix till sugar properly mixed with the churma.
Sweet churma is ready. This can be used as a Prasad anytime, since I was not fasting on this occasion, I made this sweet churma for Janmashtami puja celebrations….
Enjoy!!!!!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Anamika
The best thing about your recipes is that “personal touch”. I love all your recipes. They are simple and easy to make.You cut out the fuss and share recipes which are perfect for everyday cooking.The recipes are authentic- a testament to simple ingredients producing sublime tastes. And your literature is amazing.The way you present the recipes, the photographs impress me.
Regards and Thanks
Kalpana…
Hey thanks a ton Kaplana, I am honoured
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