Ganesha - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on Ganesha at Lokmat Times

New Delhi/Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Aug 30 : It is that time of the year when big pandals are erected and grand idols of Ganesha are installed while people gear up to welcome into their homes 'Bappa', the elephant God during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.The 10-day annual festival, which marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with much fervour across western and southern India. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on September 2 and Visarjan will take place on September 12.As no festival is complete without scrumptious food and delectable sweets, for Ganesh Chaturthi too devotees prepare a variety of lip-smacking delicacies to offer to the benevolent God.The savouries prepared during this 10-day long extravaganza vary from one region to another.People in Maharashtra who celebrate the festival on a much grander scale are known for preparing elaborate meals and offerings for the occasion. "We prepare a new bhog everyday. On the fifth day of the festival a total of 51 dishes are prepared," says Shweta Patil who hails from the state.While Maharashtrians stick to traditional recipes, North Indian offerings are slightly different. Nidhi Sidhana, who hails from Punjab says, "Apart from modak, we offer lassi, pakora, and no-onion, no-garlic chola bhatura to lord Ganesha."Monica Bachchan who is married into a south Indian family believes that anything that is less spicy and easy to digest can be offered to Ganesh. "The offerings need not necessarily be sweet. Even foods which are bland can be offered to the God," she says.As dishes differ across regions, we enlist top 10 traditional foods that are offered to Ganesh during the festival.ModakGiven the fondness of Ganesh for modaks, this comes as no surprise. It is the most popular delicacy that is offered to him across regions. Made from flour, jaggery and coconut, modaks are available at every sweet shops and one can buy varieties of these humble dumpling. "On Ganesh Chaturthi, we focus on modak. We prepare a variety of modaks including chocolate, kesar, kaju, motichoor and khoya modak," says Ramesh Sharma, Haldirams.SheeraIt is another common offering that is prepared to please the God on this festival. Made from semolina and sugar it is typically prepared in two flavours- banana and pineapple.Puran PoliA traditional Maharashtrian dish, puran poli is flat bread stuffed with lentils and jaggery which is commonly offered to the God in the state.Motichoor LaddooAnother favourite sweet of Ganesh, Motichoor Laddoo is a popular offering with many shops stocking the delicious sweet. "Besides, modak we prepare motichoor laddoo for the festival," says Vikas Madan, Sant Sweets.Shirkhand PuriThe delectable combo consists of crispy puri made from refined flour and a sweet dish prepared from strained yoghurt topped with nuts.Sabudana VadaThis festive treat is a deep fried snack prepared with sabudana and potatoes along with spices and roasted peanuts.Kothimbir VadiAnother Maharashtrian savoury, kothimbir vadi is crisp fritter made from gram flour, coriander and spices. This is also a favourite offering among devotees.SatoriOne of the most popular delicacies Satori is offered to Ganesha in Maharashtra. It is made up of khoya, clarified butter, gram flour, and milk.Rava PongalMade with dollop of ghee, semolina, yellow split gram and delicious topping, this south Indian snack is offered to Ganesh as bhog.PayasamAnother south Indian delicacy, payasam is a kheer made from rice cooked in milk, jaggery, coconut and garnished with lots of dry fruits. This traditional sweet is a hit among devotees from southern part of India.The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is indeed a gastronomical delight with new delicacies prepared every day. However, it is the zeal and the love of devotees for the lord Ganesh which makes this festival popular across the country.( With inputs from ANI )

Ganesha, NewsFOLLOW

Ganesha, Latest News

Sankashti Chaturthi is a significant festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, lovingly known as Ganpati Bappa in Maharashtra, observed with ... ...

Three persons were allegedly stabbed following a fight that broke out during a Lord Ganesha idol procession ahead of ... ...

As the season transitions, rain clouds begin their journey back home, the sun takes its time to rise in ... ...

In a bid to create awareness regarding traffic rules and regulations and inspire people to follow it, Rajkot Traffic Police has deployed two police officers, donned as Lord Ganpati, for offering sweets to the people riding their two-wheelers wearing ...

At a time when the entire nation is rejoicing in the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi, a Kanpur based teacher showcased his collection of 700 different kinds of Lord Ganesh idols. ...

With the entire nation immersed in the bhakti of Ganesha, B-town celebrities too took to their social media to extend wishes to their fans. ...

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday extended their greetings to the citizens of the country on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. ...

It is that time of the year when big pandals are erected and grand idols of Ganesha are installed while people gear up to welcome into their homes 'Bappa', the elephant God during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. ...