Organic way to celebrate Navratri

As Navratri is celebrated across India, Aim for Seva takes an initiative to promote the ‘Spirit of the Earth’ that encourages sustainable lifestyle practices. On this special occasion, the prasadam should be more special for the evenings and the organisation has a healthy, organic way of enhancing the celebration.

“We have tried a couple of prasadams with organic rice, not with the polished varieties. Basically, it’s a curation of nine recipes for nine days, with red rice, green-coloured rice, poha and many more”, according to the team of Spirit of the Earth. A delicious but healthy naivedyam (prasadam), an offering to God, has been designed to enhance devotional meditation in addition to the regular routine of golu, sundal and Carnatic music.

Keeping the focus on the spiritual enhancement and sacred offerings, ‘Spirit of the Earth’ comes up with a recipe ebook, titled Nine Naivedyams for Navaratri with Organic Heritage Rice. The booklet is a compilation of nine sweet and savoury recipes using organic heritage rice. The recipe booklet featuring nine heritage grains and preparations — Thooyamalli, Ghansal, Mapillai Champa, Garudan Champa, Arcot Kitchili Champa, Poongkar, Illupai Poo Champa and Val Sivappu — is particularly helpful for ladies.  A few of the grains that Spirit of the Earth retails, serves to create all time favourite naivedyams — like pongal, kesari, thayir sadam, puliyogare etc — with heritage grains.

Naivedyam should always be shared with family, friends and strangers, according to the scriptures. “Food plays a crucial role in all religious events; Navratri is one of them. People are so used to making naivedyams with white polished rice — this initiative by Spirit of the Earth is to tell them that all time favourite dishes like puliyogare, kesari, payasam, tayiir sadam, chakkarai pongal can also be made with organic heritage grains. Cooking heritage grains is easy and requires little effort. By opting for an organic heritage grain, you will be serving a healthy naivedyam for your guests during Navratri,” says Sheela Balaji, chairperson and managing trustee of AIM for Seva while talking on the purpose for the upcoming navratri initiative.