A local paan shop in Ayodhya – called Chaurasiya Paan Bhandar – which has been sending 40 of its special paan for the bhog offering – a practice of sanctifying food by paying homage to deities of God, is now going to be supplying the sweet morsel in large numbers for the inauguration of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. The shop, which sends out the special paan each morning, will be delivering 551 of this variety as a way of dedicating it to the presiding deities. Stuffed with a mixture of candied cherries, choona, gulkand, satna chutney, cloves, fennel seeds, karaunda, gari, candied fennel and cardamom seeds, is wrapped using a betel leaf and pierced with a whole candied cherry.
The third-generation family business located near the Hanumangarhi temple, is currently operated by Rinku Cahurasiya, who has been supplying the post-meal digestive in the service of Ram lalla – or Lord Ram’s child form, for over 100 years now. Each day, the special paan is delivered to the temple before 11:00 in the morning, where the bhog offering is made after the aarti and the meal is concluded with the special paan. The family-owned business started by Rinku’s paternal grandmother, was taken over by him after his father decided to retire from the service.
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The deity, which is said to be worshipped in the form of Ram’s five-year-old form, is offered sweet paan due to the association of children being fed sweet things. The paan shop, which started off by sending 16 of their special paan offering to the temple’s bhog, moved on to sell 20 and eventually 40 of these each day.