Dodhikarma - Yammm
Dodhikarma for Saraswati Puja
By Barnali Dutta January 29, 2015
The Saraswati puja is never finished without the traditional preparation of the distinctive sweet concoction known as Dodhikarma, which is offered to the Goddess in the morning on the day of immersion. While the priest conducts the religious services, delectable curd, popped rice, dairy delicacies, and juicy bananas are offered. Following their combination, these ingredients form the delicious "Dodhikarma," which is then given as the puja's Prasad.
In Bengal, Saraswati Puja is a very significant holiday, particularly for young people and academics. On this occasion, we get the opportunity to present our ideas, practise event management, and express ourselves to society for the first time. The cuckoo call that signals the beginning of the puja day until the cold sensation on one's palm upon receiving the dodhikarma, the entire duration holds a special place in our hearts, and we eagerly anticipate this day each year from the ages of 4 to 40, and possibly even longer for vibrant social networkers.
There is a special relation that Bengal enjoys with curd.
Dodhikarma - puja prasad
Dodhimangal - marraige ritual
Dodhichira - Chaitanya Danda Mahotsav
I am a believer in low fat breakfasts on working days and a bit of curd at the end of it for a fit and cool headed day. The curd helps in keeping the digestive track free of strenous gases thus relieving us of any discomfort that might hamper our activities throught the day. As the sayings of our forefathers go such breakfasts used to keep us calm and stable in simpler times. The tradition of applying curd tilaks on the forehead after having a spoonfull on auspicious days might have risen owing to this property of the curd.
4.5 stars based on 155 reviews Serving size: 2 tbsp | Calories per serving: 210
Prep time: 10 min 5 minutes | Total time: 15 min | Yield: 2 tbsp
Ingredients:
- Popped rice: 2 cups,
- Ripe banana, mashed: 1/4 cup
- Fresh cottage cheese sweets: 1/4 cup
- Sweet popped rice: 1/4 cup [optional]
- Shredded coconut: 1/4 cup [optional]
- Sweet curd: 1/4 cup
- Sweet basil leaves: 4
- Honey: 2 tsp
- Salt: one pinch
- Diced seasonal fruits or dry fruits, [optional]: 1/2
Directions:
- Mix popped rice [khoi খই], sweet popped rice [murki মুড়কি] optional, fresh Bengali sweet [sandesh], sweet curd [mishti doi], sweet basil leaves, ripe banana, coconut [optional] honey, one pinch salt and serve.
- Traditionally, you can add parched rice or puffed rice [muri মুড়ি] and washed beaten rice [chira চিড়া] with it. You can add seasonal fruits, sugar and honey for puja offering. This easy to make Bengali breakfast cereal recipe can challange any breakfast cereal bowl by its taste and healthy nutritious value.
দধিকরম্ব/দধিকর্মা Dadhikaramba/Dadhikarma
As a farewell offering before she travels, give the divine dessert known as dadhikaramba to Goddess Saraswati. Chipitak (flat rice), gur (molasses), sweet (sandesh), kadali (banana), and murki (sweet puffed rice) are the ingredients. While water is being sprayed on the dadhikarma preparation, the mantra below should be said three times.
"বং এতস্মৈ সোপকরণ মিষ্টান্ন দধিকরম্ব নৈবেদ্যায় নমঃ "
Bong, etasmai sopakarana mishtanya Dadhikramba Naivedya Namah
Dadhimangal, which is observed by both the prospective bride and groom on the wedding day before daybreak, involves giving them food during this ceremony—curd, sweets, and flattened rice—in order to keep them physically strong and ready for the rest of the day. They had to abstain from food the entire day and could only eat once the wedding rituals were finished, which was typically after dusk. During this ceremony, a dot mark or tilak is also applied to the foreheads of the bride and the groom using sandalwood paste and curd, which has a cooling effect that promotes feelings of serenity and relaxation.
In Bengal, it is very common for students to eat doi-chire and mark their foreheads with sandalwood and curd on test days as a way to keep their bodies and brains attentive and relaxed while lowering anxiety.
The Chida-dadhi Mahotsav - Dodhichira - Chaitanya Danda Mahotsav , also known as the Panihati Festival of Rice flakes, honours the deeds of Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami every year. This fascinating sport was played in Panihati, a city near to Calcutta, on the banks of the Ganges. The passage from Lila Chapter 6 by Caitanya-Antya Caritamrta, which is described below, provides a thorough account of this wonderful sport.
Naturally the foods that can cool the body was served since the chipped rice festival was held immediately before the monsoons, when it is extremely hot (45 to 50 C) and muggy (80 to 90% humidity). Along with sugar, bananas, milk sweets, and cakes, there was also cool yoghurt (dadhi) and rice flakes (chida). Every year, the Chida-dahi Mahotsava is observed to honour this lovely action. Danda Mahotsava is another name for this celebration (the Festival of Punishment). The thirteenth day of the bright moon in the month of Jyeshta is when it is observed (May-June). In Panihati, pilgrims continue to celebrate the Chida-dahi Festival.
The story is, Lord Nityananda was by nature very merciful and humorous. Being merciful, He spoke to Raghunatha dasa as follows. “You are just like a thief, for instead of coming near, youstay away at a distant place. Now that I have captured you, I shall punish you". "Create a festival and serve yoghurt and rice chips to all of My associates."
Raghunatha dasa was really happy to hear this. Raghunatha dasa despatched his own men to the village right away to buy a variety of foods and bring them back.
Raghunatha dasa brought chipped rice, yogurt, milk, sweetmeats, sugar, bananas and other eatables and placed them all around. All sorts of brahmanas and other gentlemen started to show up as soon as they heard that a celebration would be held. As a result, there were numerous persons.
Raghunatha Dasa planned to get more food from nearby villages as the crowd grew. He also had between 200 and 400 large, round earthen jars with him. A brahmana began soaking chipped rice in five or seven extra-large earthen pots that he also acquired in an effort to honour Lord Nityananda.
In one of the huge pots, the chipped rice was steeped in hot milk. Next yoghurt, sugar, and bananas were added to the remaining half of the rice flakes or chira. The second half was combined with condensed milk and chapa-kala, a unique variety of banana. Next came the addition of sugar, clarified butter, and camphor.
Every manner of knowledgeable intellectuals, brahmanas, and priests visited the celebration after learning about it. They were honoured, and Lord Nityananda Prabhu made them seat on the elevated platform alongside Him. Two earthen pots were provided to each person. Chipped rice with condensed milk was placed in one, and chipped rice with yoghurt in the other.
The rest of the crowd gathered around the podium in small groupings. There were too many people for anyone to count. Two earthen pots, one containing chipped rice soaked in yoghurt and the other containing chipped rice soaked in condensed milk, were given to each and every one of them.
When store owners from numerous other towns learned about the celebration, they travelled there to offer bananas, yoghurt, chipped rice, and sweetmeats. Raghunatha dasa bought all of the food they brought when they arrived. He paid them for their stuff, then fed them the same food again.
Moreover, chipped rice, yoghurt, and bananas were served to anyone who came to observe how these humorous events were occurring. There, seated together, people of different racial and religious backgrounds ate the same dish. Thus Bhakti movement used devotion to transform mediaeval Bengali society in this fairly straightforward way.