Panchamrita

Panchamrita

Panchamrita

Mixture of few foods used in Hindus and Jain worship

Panchamrita (Sanskrit: पञ्चामृत, lit. 'five Amṛtas') is a mixture of five foods used in Hindu as well as Jain worship and puja and Abhiṣeka[1] It is often used as an offering during pooja post which it is distributed as prasad.[2]

The ingredients of panchamrita: (clockwise from bottom) milk, curd, sugar (or jaggery), honey and ghee

There are regional variations in the ingredients used.[3] In Nepal and North India, usually honey(मधु), sugar(शर्करा), cow milk(दुग्ध), curd(दधि) and ghee(घृत) are used as the main ingredients.[4]

In Tamil Nadu, Panchamritam (Tamil: பஞ்சாமிர்தம்) is a mixture of banana, ghee, honey, jaggery and cardamom. In addition, other substances like seedless dates and sugar candies are added.[5] Keralites may also include tender coconut. Some recipes also include grapes.[6]

Palani Dhandayuthapani temple located in Tamil Nadu is popular for its unique panchamirtham which uses Virupatchi hill bananas grown in the surrounding Palani hills.[7] It received its unique Geographical indication in 2019 from the Government of India.[8]

References

  1. [1]
    For definition of पञ्चामृत (IAST: pañcāmṛta ) as "the collection of five sweet things used in worshipping deities" see: Apte 1965, p. 578,
  2. [2]
    "Happy Mahashivratri 2018: Importance Of Panchamrit And How To Make It At Home". NDTV.com. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  3. [3]
    Karigoudar, Ishwaran (1977). A populistic community and modernization in India. ISBN 9004047905. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  4. [4]
    Delamaine, James (1826). "Of the Sra'wacs or Jains". Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 1 (2): 413–438. doi:10.1017/S095047370000029X. ISSN 0950-4737. JSTOR 25581717.
  5. [5]
    "Only Official Website of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, Palani - Facilities: Panchamirtham". Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  6. [6]
    Nair, K.K. (26 March 2003). Sages Through Ages, Proof of divinity given. ISBN 9781418446895. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  7. [7]
    "Palani temple to double panchamritam production". The Economic Times. Palani, India. 6 October 2009.
  8. [8]
    "'Panchamirtham' of Palani temple gets GI tag". The Hindu. 14 August 2019.
  • Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965), The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary (Fourth revised and enlarged ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, ISBN 81-208-0567-4


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