It is that time of the year again when India is in the celebratory spirit of one festival after another. Post Teej and Raksha Bandhan, the festival of Janmashtami is upon. This year, Janmashtami will be celebrated on 26th August, 2024. Janamashtami commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eight incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and each year it is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and fanfare by Hindus around the world.
Also known as Gokulashtami, every year on Janamashtami, the devotees throng the temple to celebrate and worship Lord Krishna. The temples are decorated with beautiful lights and many devotees organise 'jhaankis' (structures depicting the legendary episode of Lord Krishna's birth). Lord Krishna is believed to love food. We've all heard countless stories of him indulging in makhan misri and know how he simply loved sweets, and thus, his devotees leave nothing to please their nanhe Gopal. While many people observe fasts (vrat) on the day, they also offer prasads and a 'chappan bhog' thali to the deity of Krishna. This thali includes 56 items of sweet and savoury dishes, including kheer, panchamrit, panjiri and halwa.
(Also Read: When Is Janmashtami 2022: Find Out Date, Timings And 5 Prasad Recipes)
One of the most importants prasads made on the day is Panjiri. A nutritional supplement made with wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee and is heavily laced with dried fruits and herbal gums or gond. Panjiri is a dry and sweet snack that is also made during the winter season to ward off cold and boost immunity.
While you can always make the usual panjiri for your prasad, here is another unique and delicious sweet that you can add. Panjiri ladoo is a quick, easy and yummy bite-sized sweet which are simply made by combining the cooked panjiri into balls. With makhana, nuts, semolina and coconut roasted together in ghee and combined, these ladoos make for a wholesome festive treat. You can include it in your bhog and distribute it amongst the devotees.
Find the recipe of panjiri ladoo here.
Try it at home on Janmashtami and let us know your experience in the comments section below.