Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated as Vinayaka Chavithi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with great devotion and enthusiasm. The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god known as the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. Traditionally, homes are decorated with vibrant rangolis and garlands. The celebrations begin with the installation of clay idols of Lord Ganesha in homes and public spaces and invoking the presence of Ganesha in the idols through pranapratishtha ritual. Devotees offer prayers, flowers, and sweets, especially modaks, which is known to be Ganesha's favourite sweet, made with coconut and jaggery.
The celebrations in Andhra Pradesh are grand, and in Hyderabad, Vizag, and other cities, you will find massive idols of Ganesha covered in gourds, chocolates, and more year after year. This year in Vishakapatnam, a 75-foot-tall Ganesha idol made from jaggery can be seen in Sri Nagar of Gajuwaka. That is not all. The food offerings made to Lord Ganesha during this festival are an array of traditional Andhra delights. Beyond the beloved modakas, most of the delicacies are rice-based and made with coconut and jaggery. While the preparations for these delicious offerings begin two days in advance, they can be tasted or distributed as prasadam only on the chavithi day after the prayers and offerings are made to Ganesha idol. Some of the traditional delights are:
Pacchi Chalimidi
Pachi chalimidi is a traditional Andhra sweet made with rice flour, sugar, and ghee, and it requires no cooking. The name "Pachi" means raw in Telugu, referring to the fact that this dish is made without heating. It is called 'thambittu' in Kannada and is a popular offering during this festival. To prepare it, rice flour is cleaned, dried, and mixed with grated coconut, powdered sugar, and cardamom. Ghee is added to form a soft, mouldable dough, which is then shaped into balls or laddoos. Chalimidi is one of the prominent offerings on the platter for Vinayaka Chavithi.
Chimmili
Chimmili is also known as nuvvula undalu in Telugu. It is a traditional South Indian sweet made from sesame seeds and jaggery. It’s a simple laddoo, rich in nutritional value that is known to include calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, making it especially nutritious. The sesame seeds are roasted and then crushed, mixed with jaggery, and shaped into small balls. This laddoo is commonly prepared during Vinayaka Chavithi and is a popular choice for fasting days due to its wholesome ingredients. It's not only quick to make but also stores well for up to two weeks, making it a convenient and healthy treat.
Panakam
Panakam is a traditional sweet and spicy drink commonly prepared during the Vinayaka Chavithi festival. It’s especially popular in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where it is served as panaka as an offering (naivedyam) to Lord Ganesha. Made with water, jaggery, dry ginger powder, black pepper, and cardamom. While panakam has a refreshing and cooling effect and is simple to prepare, its blend of sweetness and spice provides relief from the heat while also being served in temples and homes during this festival in South India.
Rava Undrallu
Unlike most sweet offerings, rava undrallu is a savoury offering made to Lord Ganesha on Chavithi. The laddoos are made by cooking roasted rice rava with a tempering of chana dal, mustard, jeera, etc. in ghee and oil. They are converted into doughs and shaped into bite-size balls and then steamed. Semolina and other kinds of rava cannot be included in this recipe except for rice rava. Fragrant rices like Basmati or Jeeraga Samba are the most suitable varieties for this dish. Also, it is best to prepare the rava at home for this dish, especially if you have a stone mill.
Bellam Kudumulu
Bellam Kudumulu, also known as Teepi Kudumulu, is believed to be Lord Ganesha's favourite sweets and therefore made as an offering on Vinayaka Chavithi. It is a traditional sweet dish from Andhra Pradesh that includes three main ingredients like soaked chana dal, rice flour, and jaggery. To make it, rice flour is cooked with jaggery and soaked chana dal to form a soft, gooey mixture. This mixture is then kneaded by adding ghee as required to make a small dough, which is later shaped into small flattened discs, roundels, or lumps and steamed.
Daddojanam
Daddojanam is temple-style curd rice prepared in a traditional South Indian manner with mashed rice and yoghurt as prasadam in temples. It's a simple and comforting dish with minimal ingredients where cooked rice is mixed with milk and allowed to rest before adding whisked curd and salt. A tempering of red and green chillies, ginger, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin, and curry leaves is then added for flavour. It's served as an offering to the idol and can also be enjoyed as a light meal, especially with leftover rice.
Misri Paramannam
Mishri Paramannam is a traditional South Indian sweet dish that is made with rice, milk, and Mishri, which is rock sugar, also known as patika bellam, which is a healthier alternative to refined sugar, especially for young children. The rice is slow-cooked in milk for a creamy texture and sweetened with melted jaggery. The dish is flavoured with cardamom and garnished with fried cashews and raisins, making it a rich and flavourful dessert.
Bellam Palathalikalu
The name, 'bellam palathikalu', translates to "jaggery milk noodles," with "pala" meaning milk and "thalikalu" referring to rice flour noodles. These noodles are made from rice flour and shaped either by hand or using a muruku press. They are cooked in thickened milk, sweetened with jaggery, and flavoured with cardamom. The dish is garnished with fried cashews and offered as naivedyam or prasadam on Vinayaka Chavithi. The preparation requires careful attention to dough consistency and milk-jaggery combination to avoid curdling.
Poornam Boorelu
Poornam boorelu are deep-fried sweet treats that feature a sweet filling made of chana dal (split chickpeas) and jaggery, which is coated in a rice and urad dal batter before frying. The batter is similar to dosa batter, made by soaking and grinding urad dal and rice. The filling is prepared by cooking and mashing chana dal, mixing it with jaggery, and shaping it into balls. These balls are dipped in the batter and fried until golden. Poornam Boorelu is offered as prasadam during Vinayaka Chavithi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Pulihora
Pulihora is a popular South Indian rice dish that means 'tangy rice'. It is often served as prasadam in temples or houses during Chavithi. Cooked rice is combined with a tangy tamarind-based spice mix. The tamarind paste is flavoured with turmeric, salt, and jaggery, then thickened and mixed with rice. A freshly ground spice powder made from coriander seeds, mustard seeds, pepper, and sesame seeds is added for extra flavour. For the finishing touch, a tempering of fried peanuts, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, and green chillies is mixed into the rice, creating a tangy, flavourful dish.
These offerings, naivedyams, and rituals continue for up to 10 days, depending on family customs. During this period, public celebrations feature cultural performances, music, and dance, fostering a sense of unity among the participants. The festival reaches its peak with the Ganesh Visarjan, the immersion of the Ganesha idol in water bodies like rivers, lakes, or seas. In Andhra Pradesh, large processions lead the idols to the water with singing, dancing, and chanting of "Ganapati Bappa Morya." This final act symbolises the return of Ganesha to his heavenly abode, and it is believed to remove negativity and obstacles from devotees' lives.