Unlike most Hindu festivals that may involve fasting as a form of austerity, Odisha’s Rath Yatra festival that takes place in Puri each year has one of the most favoured forms of celebration – food. The famous Jagganath Sri Mandir in Puri – which has been a place of pilgrimage, is famed for preparing an extravagant feast for its presiding deities of Lord Jagganath, Lord Baladev and Subhadra. The traditional delicacies – which span across a vast variety of vegetarian curries, sweets and breads, and six offerings at different meal hours are cooked over open wood fires in earthen pots.
With a whopping 240 active hearths burning in the temple kitchen has 600 cooks moving their way through the sumptuous chhappan bhog – or making 56 dishes, the food plays an integral role of instilling faith through feeding. The offerings, which kick off with the Gopala Vallabha Bhog at 8:30am, is followed by the Sakala Dhupa at 10:00am. Shortly after, the Bhoga Mandapa Bhog at 11:00am is succeeded by the Madhyanha Dhupa a little after noon. Evening offerings of the Sandhya Dhupa take place between 7:00pm and 8:00pm, concluding with the Bada Srungara Bhog at 11:00pm. Once offered, the feast is distributed amongst ardent devotees as spiritual remnants or mahaprasada.
Divided largely into five key groups – namely rice preparations, dal and curries, milk preparations, pitha-manda and sweet dishes, the boisterous festivities of the Rath Yatra creates an opportunity for attendees to relish some of the dishes listed below.
Rice
Sadha Anna
A simple preparation of boiled rice, the sadha anna usually accompanies other lentil or curried dishes.
Kanika Pulao
This fragrant sweet rice preparation is enriched with ghee, aromatic whole spices, cashew nuts, raisins and a pinch of turmeric for a golden hue.
Khechuri
What is also known as khichdi, the Odisha version uses plenty of fresh vegetables which are cooked along with yellow moong dal and rice.
Dahi Pakhala
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Believed to be among one of the top favourite preparations of the deities, the probiotic-rich delicacy soaks pre-cooked rice in buttermilk and tempered in a mustard oil chhaunk.
Thali Khechuri
Similar to the kanika, the thali khechuri is differentiated by the addition of lentils in the sweet preparation as well as spiced with nutmeg.
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Mitha Pakhala
A variation of the overnight-soaked cooked rice delicacy, is sweetened with sugar or jaggery in the water along with a touch of cumin powder.
Ghee Anna
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The simplistic delicacy of rice cooked in fragrant ghee is also relished with other savoury accompaniments.
Ada Pakhala
Made in two ways – one with the addition of ginger and salt to the water in which the rice soaks; or the Sugandhi/Subasa pakhala that is made aromatic with chopped ginger and cumin seeds.
Odia Pakhala
Made simply by fermenting cooked rice in water and adding some ghee, lemon and salt, the Odia pakhala uses no tempering and typically paired with pickle.
Pitha + Manda
Puri
Deep-fried, puffy discs made with a whole wheat dough, the puri is one of the staple breads which is offered to the deities.
Luchi
Think puris but made with maida and of a slightly chewy texture – the flatbread is paired alongside spicy curry or stew preparations.
Suara Pitha
A dish that involves immense skill in its preparation, this urad dal based preparation is offered to the deities with a sprinkling of crushed rock candy or mishri.
Dahi Bara
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An Odia street food delicacy of lentil fritters soaked in diluted buttermilk, the dahi bara is best enjoyed with a potato curry called alu dum.
Chadai Lada
A whole wheat flour based sweet preparation made richer with ghee and sugar, the chadai lada is a delicacy that is best enjoyed among an assortment of pithas.
Amalu
What is also popularly known as malpua, the Odia-style preparation replaces all-purpose flour and eggs with whole wheat flour.
Jhilli
Much like other Odia desserts that use chenna or milk solids liberally, the jhilli is a kind of fried doughnut that is soaked in sugar syrup.
Arisa Pitha
A crispy-soft pan-fried delicacy made using rice flour, the special dessert uses ingredients like cinnamon and sesame seeds to enhance flavour.
Manda
A rice flour dumpling stuffed with a mixture of coconut and jaggery, this variety of steamed pita is prepared especially during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.
Kanti
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What is also known as Chandrakanti pitha or mung kanti pitha, the kanti is made by steaming a lentil-based batter and deep frying the portions right after.
Rosapaik
A cake-like delicacy made with wheat flour and sugar, the rosapaik is often prepared in the temple kitchen even throughout the year as bhog offering.
Jhilli
Much like other Odia desserts that use chenna or milk solids liberally, the jhilli is a kind of fried doughnut that is soaked in sugar syrup.
Tripuri
Made using a combination of rice, wheat and arrowroot flour, the savoury pitha is deep-fried until it gets a crisp, moreish texture – thus extending its shelf life.
Bara
Similar in appearance to the South Indian medu vada, this lentil fritter also has a rice counterpart known as the chaula bara – often eaten soaked in buttermilk.
Dal & Curries
Besara
This traditional dish of vegetables cooked in a mustard paste is flavoured with the classic Odia spice blend of panch phutana that brings a distinct flavour.
Dalma
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A popular delicacy of toor dal cooked with vegetables from Odisha’s coastal cuisine offering, the preparation is enjoyed with cooked rice and a generous dollop of ghee.
Shaak
Made using a variety of leafy greens like spinach, leutia and koshala, the shaak is one of the many accompaniments that is relished with rice.
Dali – Biri, Muger, Chana
The three varieties of dal – namely urad, moong and chanaare cooked in three simple preparations and finished off with a basic tempering.
Baigini
A deep-fried eggplant fritter that is savoury and crisp on the outside, is served with a sprinkle of chaat masala as well as some muri (puffed rice).
Mitha Dali
The sweet variation of the savoury lentil staple, the mitha dali gets the addition of sugar to give it a different kind of flavour.
Khata
Derived from the dominant sour flavour of the condiment which uses a combination of elephant apple, raw mango and grapes – the khata also has a hint of sweetness from jaggery to it.
Raita
Fresh yoghurt mixed with grated radish, chopped cucumber and salt is a cooling dish that combats all the strong savoury flavours from the lentils and curries.
Goti Baigana Marichi Pani
Using small eggplants to be cooked in a simple coconut base flavoured with common spices like black pepper, fennel seeds and ginger, the mild tasting eggplant preparation is enjoyed with flatbreads or rice.
Mahura
Lush with an assortment of vegetables like pumpkin, arbi and sweet potatoes, this basic preparation cooked with coconut and mustard is relished with the sweet kanika pulao.
Potala Rasa
The gravy-style delicacy of pointed gourd or potol, is a staple in Bengali as well as Odia cuisines – known for its unique texture and vegetal flavour.