Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Posted by Mala at 2:00:00 AM No comments

Wishing all my Blog Readers a very very Happy, Spiritually Inclined , NAVARATHRI!!!!! May all the 9 days be filled with lot of prayers, chantings and shlokas!!!...and ofcourse, lot of neivedhyams, cooked from  my blog!!!



In Sri Sadhguru's  (Isha Yoga) wisdom words, "As the Sun moves southward in the Earth's sky, it is time to celebrate Divine Feminine."

Navarathri is commencing today...in Sanskrit, it means, Nine nights. All over India this festival is celebrated with great pomp and splendour.You see lot of colours everywhere......women dressed in bright clothes and fine jewellery......relaxing and enjoying the Dhaandia.....visiting each other's house for taking and giving  the Thamboolam..... the names may be different....In Bengal, while she is Kaali, in Karnataka, she is Chamundi, in the North, she is Maatadhi, Ambe or Sheethala and last but not the least...... in Tamilnadu, she is Ambal., Shakthi or Maariamman.
 Devi is worshipped in the form of Durga for the first three days,when she is aggressive and fierce,  then in the form of Lakshmi for the next three days, when she showers all materialistic benefits, , and the last three days, in the form of Saraswati, who gives us knowledge and enlightens us.  The 9th day is the Saraswati Pooja and the 10th day, is the Vijayadasami, when it is the Victory over evil for good....for virtues....for justice...
Navarathri during September - October is called Sharadiya navarathri, since it commences with the Sharad Ritu, the Winter.
 These days, people talk of Womens' Lib and freedom of women etc...but even those days, Shakthi...The Divine Goddess....was mainly worrshipped during these 9 days, so much importance was given to her.... and all her shlokas, like Soundarya Lahari, Durga Sapthashathi,  and Lalitha Sahasranamam  are  being chanted during these days. Let us also offer whatever prayers we can, to Her and also  offer these Neivedhyams (Offerings)   and pray to Her to shower her auspicious and benevolent blessings on all of us, and also  safeguard us from evil.

                                                DAY - 1 (Goddess is called Durga)




Ingredients for the Payasam
Channa dhal - 1/4 cup, soaked in hot water for 1 hour
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsps
Broken Cashews - 6-7

To grind
Fresh grated coconut - 3 tsps
Rice- 1 tsp, soaked for 1/2 hour

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Sweets; Neivedhyams for Festivals
Prep time: 20 mts; Cooking time: 15 mts;

Yields 4 cups of Payasam


Channa dhal and rice soaked in hot water


Jaggery soaked in hot water and mashed well.


Impurities removed by straining


Rice and coconut ready to be ground


The ground paste, on top of which cardamom powder is added


The pressure cooked channa dhal put inside a pan, with some water and set to boil.


Keeping the flames on low, add the ground paste, constantly stirring, so that the rice and coconut will not get stuck to the bottom of the pan


After the paste mixes well, the cleaned jaggery is added.


Now, one cup of boiled milk is added.


Cashews getting golden colour in ghee, to adorn the payasam.


Normally all jaggery sweets are the favourites of Devi.  May Goddess Durga , who was specialy created to annihilate (  to do संहारम)   the Rakshas (Demon)  Mahishasura, accept our offerings and bestow her blessings on us!!








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