What We Love About Vinayaka Chavithi

The start of the festive season in India is about to begin with Vinayaka Chavithi. After two years of low-key celebrations, this year is even more special. Celebrated across the country, Ganesh Chaturthi, as it is also known, is not only celebrated at homes, with family and friends, but also as a colourful, flavoursome community festival. The colour of the festival glow comes from the beautifully crafted idols with art-work right from the minimalist to the intrinsically ornate. The radiance of the eyes touches everyone who sees them.

Then there's the decorations to house Ganpati Bappa. These are planned (sometimes) months in advance- be it at home or at special places within the community - the themes ranging from the traditional to the contemporary.

The flavour comes from the meticulously planned naivedya offered right from the day of the stapana to the visarjan.Subba Rao CH has been associated with the Khairatabad Ganesh for several decades now. This is one of the most famous in Telangana. He reminded us of 2019 when the Khairatabad Ganesh idol was almost 60 feet (the tallest in the country that year) and then talks about how even though communities worship Ganpati Bappa, there is a celebration happening in several homes with the decorations, the pujas and the sweets as part of naivedya.

Mitesh Lohiya, Director, Sales and Marketing, Gold Drop, says, “The story of Bal Ganesh and his love for Modaks is one that will always be told in every household, every year. And yet it never grows old.It’s a story etched in all our hearts.”  

Even though modaks are known by several names and varied preparations, the lightly steamed modaks filled with coconut and sweet jaggery are all-time favourites. 

There’s even the deep fried Mulik made in Konkan with an outer coating of rava and stuffed with banana that aren’t shaped like the traditional modak. In Kerala, Uppu kozhukatthai is the salty steamed version with urad dal and spices.    

Here in Telangana,there are specialities. Steamed rice flour dumplings called Vundrallu and a mixture of rice flour and jaggery called chalividi are part of the naivedya along with soaked moong called vadapappu.    

Shops in every locality across the country come up with their unique version of Modak each year - chocolate, different flavoured mawa from kesar, nutmeg, almonds, cashew, orange peel…and yet, with every Vinayaka Chavithi, there will be a new one…

Mitesh adds his heartfelt wishes from Gold Drop and admits looking forward to finding the most surprising version of Modak in Telangana this year.