A glowing tribute to Nature’s bounty

It is that time of the year when Goa’s favourite deity is set to pay his devotees a visit. In celebrating Him, the Hindus of the state touch base with an ancient fecundity ritual, one that sees them venerate Lord Ganesha with the very produce of nature that He blessed them with. Food, thus, is one of the hallmarks of Ganesh Chaturthi, and is replete with associated fertility symbolisms.In the prelude to the festival, Lord Ganesha’s parentsLord Shiva and Goddess Parvatiare worshipped a day before. Folklore paints a picture of Parvati pregnant with Lord Ganesha, yet another allusion to fertility. “In Goa, the day is referred to as tay and involves womenfolk observing a fast. In Hindu priest and other such households, the hartalika puja is perfomed,” noted Goan folklorist Jayanti Naik, says.Intriguing food symbolisms are seen right from this day. To begin with, the fasting diet includes only fruits and milk. Naik says the women eat nothing that is cultivated with a plough. “This is the tradition pan-India,” she adds, while explaining that the plough is perceived to be a symbol of masculinity.Lord Ganesha is born on the following day, called chavat, marking the beginning of Ganesh Chaturthi. “The birth of the benevolent god marks the most important day of the celebrations,” says artist and culture enthusiast Naguesh Sardesai. And, understandably, food is cooked in plenty.Goddess Parvati or Gauri, who symbolises the Mother Goddess, is given a special nourishing diet to satisfy her ‘duvalle’ or cravings. It comprises varan, a preparation from at least five leafy vegetables, and moni patolleo. While patolleo are elongated rice dumplings of sorts with a sweet filling, those offered to Gauri have no filling and are therefore called moni.“The food offered to Parvati is bland,” says Naguesh, adding that salt is added only to the food offered to Lord Mahadev and Lord Ganesha.The rest of the cuisine covers a plethora of Ganesha’s favourites, including moongache gathi, khatkhate, ambadayache uddad methi, etc. “Sweet dishes comprise stuffed patolleo, modakswhich may be fashioned from stuffings of chunna (coconut and jaggery) or punna (chana dal and jaggery)and neureos,” says publisher and food writer Sapna Sardesai. A payasam is also prepared. “To the payasam, five grains of tender rice grains taken from new sheaves, are added,” Sardesai explains.“The tender grains are significant of the new harvest,” says Naik, adding that this offering of the first sheaves is a thanksgiving for God’s bounty. Explaining the fertility symbolism behind the neureos, Naik says, “Neureos form the female symbol, which is why no matter how many are prepared, it is compulsory to prepare at least one modakthe male symbol.”The following day, pancham, which concludes one-and-a-half days of festivities and sees a majority of Goan Hindu households immersing their respective idols, has a greater variety of preparations in addition to those prepared on the main day. Only the leafy vegetable preparation is excluded.“In addition to gravy prepations like moongache gathi (prepared from sprouted moong) and ros, dry vegetarian dishes are also cooked on this day. For instance, bhendyachi bhaji is made from the local, seven-ridged ladyfingers and ghosalyachi bhaji is made from ridge gourd. A green chilli or bitter gourd raita is also prepared. Deep-fried potato kaapa and ambadayache uddad methi, a tangy gravy made from hogplums, more or less completes the spread,” says Sardesai. Both Naik and Sardesai make special mention of heet a local version of idlis made in a casing of jackfruit leaves. “While it is common belief that idlis are a south Indian preparation, Goa has always had its version of it,” Naik says. Traditionally, heet is dipped in coconut milk sweetened with jaggery before it is consumed.In the evening, after the concluding puja, or uttar puja, is held, two large laddoos of lhayo (puffed rice) are made with jaggery, roasted chana dal, cashew nuts and coconut. One laddoo is offered to Lord Ganesha as a send-off food, and the other to the person who takes the idol for immersion. The puffed rice is, once again, a symbol of prosperity.Thus, the entire celebration, right from the decoration to the food, pays glowing tribute to Nature’s abundance and diversity.