Vadapappu, Bellam panakam is a offering made to Lord Rama on his birthday i.e Sri Rama Navami festival celebrated by Hindus on Chaitra Navami, a Spring Hindu festival. This festival holds great importance for the people of the Hindu religion as it indicates the removal of bad powers and entrance of divine power on the earth.
I have some beautiful memories associated with this festival in my childhood. Most of the times our Annual examinations would have been completed and we would be cheering happily for the summer and holidays that we could get to spend in grandma’s home(ammamma) .. but we would first celebrate this festival at home by attending the Kalyanam ceremony of Goddess Sri Seetha devi and Lord Shri Rama 🙏🏻 at the temple in our hometown and then go to grandma’s home. I still have those avid memories where we would be standing under the hot sun and having fun with the cousins standing in the queue and coming back to have this divine offering as sacred food vadapappu, bellam panakam, chakkara pongali.
SCIENCE BEHIND THIS REFRESHING DRINK
Panakam – a simple and divine refreshing drink made of Jaggery, dry ginger powder, cardamom, pepper and few holy basil leaves. This is an ancient practice to aid the sunstroke in Harsh summers of India, specially in southern regions. A scientific reason why we intake Panakam, was used as an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to cure with sudden sunstroke where the humidity and excessive sweating saps the body fluids and salts.
As Jaggery in its purest form is loaded with electrolytes and raw carbohydrates, is a perfect antidote for dehydration. While buttermilk is the everyday solution to beat the heat in most south Indian homes, panakam gives you an instant sweet and tangy boost With a sugar rush keeping you calm and cool for long time.
Grated jaggery (gud), dry ginger (sonth or sonti), black peppercorns and cardamom go into the making panakam recipe. According to Indian ancient medicine, Ayurveda, panakam (also called panaka or panagam) balances the three doshas: vata, kapha and pitta during the hot summer days. Health benefits of panakam are not to be underrated. It provides instant relief from the harsh sun, cools the body, revives appetite and gives a rejuvenating feeling on consumption. It is known that Dry ginger has astringent properties which helps in healing gastric related issues. Vadapappu panakam when consumed together help in digestion. I am sharing vadapappu recipe in the card below including how to make bellam panakam.
SIGNIFICANCE OF RAMA NAVAMI
Sri Rama Navami festival celebrated by Hindus on Chaitra Navami, a Spring Hindu festival. Ram Navami is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Rama, the descent of god Vishnu as Rama avatar, through his birth to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya. He was born during Treta Yuga out of four cyclic Yugas described in religious books.
Lord Rama is considered the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu and it is believed that worshipping him on this day indicates the removal of bad powers and entrance of divine power on the earth.
Do Checkout these traditional Telangana recipes here
BELLAM PANAKAM
Ingredients
Bellam Panakam
- 1 cup Jaggery
- 1 tsp Dry ginger powder
- 1 Cardamom
- ¼ tsp Pepper powder
- 5 Tulsi leaves / Holy Basil leaves
Vadapappu
- 1 cup Moong dal / Split green gram dal
- 2 tbsp Raw mango peeled and grated
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp Red chilli powder
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Making of Bellam Panakam
- Soak the chopped jaggery in water and once it's completely melted add the dry ginger powder, crushed cardamom, pepper powder, Tulsi leaves and give a nice stir and serve.
Making Vadapappu
- Soak the Moong dal in water for one hour.
- Strain the moong dal, add in grated raw mango, salt, red chilli powder and serve along with Panakam.
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