When we look back at the many traditional Hindu festivals we've experienced since childhood, it is clear that food plays a big part in those memories. There is a certain level of respect and gratitude that has been passed on to us from our elders, and theirs before them, that we hold until this day. Respect for the role of food as it nourishes and sustains us, but it also plays a big role in bringing people together. Many festivals and religious gatherings have food at the heart of it whether it is sharing offerings, fasting or cooking a whole heap of food together with family.
This week, many Hindu households celebrated the festival of Navrati, a nine-day religious festival celebrating the divine Goddess and the victory of good over evil. In our house, this usually includes a special veneration and traditional folk dancing, and of course food. Many Hindu's will take this as a moment to fast, abstaining from whole grains and lentils, just as mum does for the nine days. On the eighth day, she will prepare something special for offering to the deity our family prays to, the Goddess who is our protector and has been venerated since ancestral times. This includes an offering made with rice, jaggery and ghee (image above). During many other festivals, like Navratri, certain foods and dishes are prepared that are offered in prayer and then later shared amongst the family. Sweet foods are linked to positive energy and so when making offerings or starting a new venture, something sweet will be offered in prayer and shared with loved ones to bring prosperity to the occasion.
Sometimes though, we serve more than simply a sweet dish. An offering could also include a range of sweet and savoury vegetarian dishes. A day after the biggest festival in the Hindu calendar, Diwali, many Hindu's celebrate Govardhan Puja. It is the worship of Lord Krishna and a reminder of the trust and protection devotees place upon God. One of the biggest parts of this celebration is the preparation of a vast range of food, made to be presented to Krishna. This will include everything from appetisers, lentil dishes and daal, a range of vegetable shaak (curries) and different kinds of flatbread from rotli (chappati) to puris. There will be snacks and condiments and of course dessert! If you visit a temple, you can feast your eyes on the stunning display of endless food offered on Gorvandhan Puja, which is called Annakut, meaning a mountain of food, named after the Gorvandhan, a mountain considered to be a significant place of worship for Krishna devotees. It really is a sight to behold!
For a religion that has a range of food at the centre of its celebrations and festivals, fasting and the abstinence of food is also practised regularly. The Hindu calendar is based on the phases of the moon, the lunar calendar and every 14 days a special fast is observed on the 11th day of the month, called Ekadasi. This day is thought to form a natural break from daily eating habits and allows us to take a break from food, a type of detox day. Fasting is also said to allow you to focus on spiritual wellbeing, taking the time to pray and meditate. Seen as a type of sacrifice, fasting is thought to bring good karma. As well as the Ekadasi fast, there are other fasts that are observed on certain days of the week, or that require you to withhold a certain food group such as salt. We won't forget the first time we fasted, it really did seem impossible but with a better understanding of it, we have become accustomed to the fortnightly break!
Our love for food is greatly intertwined with these moments that have had an impact on our upbringing. It's shaped how we value the role of food and also the way we enjoy sharing this passion with you.
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