By Tanisha Salwan
As per Hindu legends, Lord Shiva loves bhang, milk and milk-based desserts. Thandai, kand-mool and dhatura are also offered.
Legends say that Vishnu loves to have food yellow in colour. Yellow laddoos especially made up of yellow lentils with jaggery are offered to the god.
Goddess of knowledge and intelligence, Saraswati loves fresh fruits. Curd, ber, khichdi, poha and boondi-sev are also offered to the goddess.
Lord Ganesh loves to have modaks and laddoos. Modaks are light rice dumplings that have stuffing of jaggery and coconut.
God Shani loves black-coloured foods. Black sesame seeds and jaggery laddoos and khichdi made up of black lentils are offered to the deity.
While Vaishnavas and Shaivas believe that Goddess Durga is a vegetarian, Shaktas regards her as a non-vegetarian. At some places animal sacrifice or ‘bali’ and fish is offered to the goddess while moong dal khichdi, dal, kheer are also offered.
Goddess of fortune, Lakshmi loves milk and rice-based dishes like kheer and pancakes. Besides, sweets like peda, malpua, fruits are also loved by the goddess.
God of wealth and treasurer of the gods, Kubera’s favourite offerings include yellow custard, laddoos, kheer etc.
Incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Krishna is fond of milk, butter, butter milk, mishri and ladoos. He is offered a prashad of mishri and makhan.
Hanuman loves to have red-coloured foods like masoor dal, jaggery, boondi, moti-choor laddoo and besan laddoo.