Vinayaka Chavithi, also known as Ganesh Chaturthi, is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals across India, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. This festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and prosperity.
One of the most important rituals during Vinayaka Chavithi is the preparation of prasadam (holy offerings), which is later distributed among devotees as a blessing from the deity. These offerings are made with devotion and are said to please Lord Ganesha, especially his favorite – modak.
🙏 Importance of Prasadam in Vinayaka Chavithi
Prasadam is not just food; it is a spiritual offering. Each dish has symbolic importance and is made with love, purity, and traditional ingredients. Lord Ganesha is believed to be fond of sweets, particularly modak, undrallu, laddu, and payasam. The prasadam usually consists of a mix of sweet and savory dishes.
🌾 Traditional Vinayaka Chavithi Prasadam Recipes
Here is a list of popular prasadam recipes prepared during the festival:
1. Undrallu (Steamed Rice Balls)
Ingredients: Rice flour, salt, water, ghee
Recipe:
Boil water with salt and a spoon of ghee.
Slowly add rice flour and stir without lumps.
Let it cool, knead, and shape into small balls.
Steam them for 10-15 minutes.
🔔 Significance: It is considered the most important prasadam, especially in Andhra and Telangana homes.
2. Modak (Kudumulu)
Ingredients: Rice flour, coconut, jaggery, cardamom
Recipe:
Prepare sweet filling with grated coconut, jaggery, and cardamom.
Make dough using rice flour and warm water.
Fill the dough with coconut-jaggery mixture and shape like modaks.
Steam until cooked.
🍯 Significance: Modak is Lord Ganesha’s favorite sweet, traditionally offered in sets of 21.
3. Chalimidi
Ingredients: Rice flour, jaggery/sugar, ghee, cardamom
Recipe:
Mix rice flour with powdered jaggery or sugar.
Add ghee and a touch of cardamom.
Serve fresh as a sweet prasadam.
✨ Tip: You can also prepare a wet version using coconut milk or cow milk.
4. Pala Undrallu (Milk Undrallu)
Ingredients: Rice flour balls, milk, jaggery, cardamom
Recipe:
Cook undrallu balls.
In a separate pan, boil milk and jaggery.
Add the cooked undrallu and simmer.
Add cardamom and serve.
🥣 Significance: This sweet variant is both nutritious and delicious.
5. Panchakajjaya (Dry Sweet Mixture)
Ingredients: Grated coconut, jaggery, roasted chana dal, sesame seeds, ghee
Recipe:
Dry roast chana dal and sesame seeds.
Mix with coconut, jaggery, and ghee.
🌰 Regional Names: Known as Panchakajjaya in Karnataka and Panchakhadya in Maharashtra.
6. Payasam / Kheer
Popular types: Rice Payasam, Sabudana Payasam, Semiya Payasam
Common ingredients: Milk, sugar/jaggery, dry fruits, cardamom
Recipe:
Boil milk and add your choice of rice or vermicelli.
Add sugar or jaggery, cardamom, and dry fruits.
Simmer and serve.
🧡 Perfect for: Offering as naivedyam and sharing with family.
7. Nuvvula Laddu (Sesame Laddu)
Ingredients: Sesame seeds, jaggery, ghee
Recipe:
Dry roast sesame seeds.
Melt jaggery in a pan, mix with sesame.
Roll into small laddus while warm.
🌿 Health Benefit: Rich in iron and good for immunity.
8. Kudumulu (Savory or Sweet Rice Dumplings)
Can be prepared either with coconut-jaggery filling or plain with spices.
Steamed and served hot with ghee.
9. Daddojanam (Curd Rice)
A simple and cooling offering made from rice, curd, and tempered with mustard seeds, green chili, curry leaves.
📜 Vinayaka Chavithi Naivedyam Thali
A traditional Naivedyam thali (prasadam plate) includes:
Undrallu
Modak
Chalimidi
Pala Undrallu
Banana or fruits
Panchakajjaya
Payasam
Daddojanam
Offer everything with betel leaves, betel nuts, and flowers as part of the pooja.
🛒 Buy Vinayaka Chavithi Prasadam Items Online
Don’t have time to cook everything? You can now buy ready-to-eat prasadam and pooja kits online from:
MeenakshiRecipe.com – Traditional Andhra sweets, undrallu mix, laddu
Amazon / Flipkart – Dry mixes, coconut powder, ghee
Local Stores – Order sweets and prasadam packs for the festival
🙋♂️ FAQs on Vinayaka Chavithi Prasadam
Q1: Can we use sugar instead of jaggery?
Yes, but jaggery is traditionally preferred for its purity and health benefits.
Q2: How many prasadam items should be prepared?
Ideally 5, 9, or 21 items – odd numbers are considered auspicious.
Q3: Can we prepare prasadam a day before?
Yes, dry items like laddu, chalimidi can be prepared in advance, but items like undrallu and payasam are best made fresh.
🎉 Conclusion
Preparing Vinayaka Chavithi prasadam is not just about food – it’s a devotional act that brings family together, fills the home with divine aroma, and invokes blessings from Lord Ganesha. Whether you prepare all the items or a few, do it with devotion, and enjoy the festive spirit with love, sweets, and tradition.
Happy Vinayaka Chavithi! 🙏