Food and festivals are so interlinked that they have become synonymous with each other, especially during Diwali. Every festival has its own food speciality. Living in a cosmopolitan city has opened a wide arena and plethora of delicacies and savouries. Now we are beginning to understand what the importance of food in festivals is and why food is associated with certain festivals.
Our ancestors were far ahead in logical and scientific thinking as far as food was concerned. They were practising the policy of using seasonal and local produce. For e.g., consuming sesame seeds during the period of Makar Sankranti was important as it was harvested during that time when the climate was cool and calcium intake was low.
Desi Fried Food Scores Over Western Supplements
Sesame has a heat producing property and high amounts of calcium. When combined with jaggery, we could restore the iron content in our body. Similarly, we consume fried things during Holi and Diwali. The modern days junk food and sweets of multinationals are misleading you and make you feel guilty for consuming these delicacies and savouries and put-up hoardings which tell you to detoxify by using their health supplements. Eating one Chakli/ Gujiya/Karanji/Kheer cannot be harmful until you overeat. Cold climatic conditions tend to make your skin dry. The coconut in Karanji and the oil used in frying is beneficial at that time. In fact, gifting chocolates and biscuits is a more sinister thing as these two are laden with bad saturated fats and animal fats.
Why give away the revenue earned by these brands to foreign countries, Why not give revenue to Indian sweet shops? Many nutritionists like Rujuta Divekar advocate the use of homemade and traditional foods which actually are beneficial to us
Consume Satvik Bhojan During festival of lights
Let me be more precise. As per Nilamata Puran, one should not consume non- vegetarian food during Diwali. As per the scripture the book says.
पूजनीयो हरिदेर्वो ब्राह्मणा: सहुताशना: । वर्जनीयं तदा मांसं प्रयत्नादपि काश्यप॥ ४६१॥
Meaning non-vegetarian/meat should be avoided during Diwali time and indirectly it says to have Satvik Food at that time.
As per the 17th Chapter of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita (Mahabharat, Bhishma Parva Chapter 41) There are three types of food.
1) The food that increases your strength, happiness, health, and love and is juicy as well as constant and is liked by the person is Satvik food.
2) Pungent, sour, salty, hot, dry type and capable of making one sick, such food is Rajas food.
3) Stinking dry, leftover and not fresh, such food is Tamasic.
Nilamata Purana 481-432 advocates to have Satvik food during Diwali.
रक्तसूत्रेण रक्तेन चन्दनेन सितेन च ।
अलक्तकेन बीजेश्च’ कुडकुमेन सुगन्धिना ॥ ४३०॥
सम्पूज्य प्रतिमां रात्रौ द्वितीयेऽहनि पण्डित:।
स्नात्वा नदीजले पुण्ये प्रतिमां स्नापयेच्छुभाम् ॥४३१॥
This means eating vegetables, kheer, fruits, preparations of sugarcane, honey, grapes, pomegranate and kesar. So why do we give in to temptations and consume chocolates (tamasic food) on the occasion of Holi or Diwali. It is common knowledge in the public domain that some big chocolate brands add Emulsifier 442 which is an additive. Even Hindu Council of Australia observed that Emulsifier 442 contains animal fat. So, what satisfaction will it give if one eats tamasic food? You are then actually committing sin. And then why give away the revenue earned by these brands to foreign countries? Why not give revenue to Indian sweet shops? Many nutritionists like Rujuta Divekar advocate the use of homemade and traditional foods which actually are beneficial to us. Recently a chocolate of a very well-known brand was infested with worms. This could have happened because of a poor storage facility. So why make one susceptible to infections. Better to consume fresh and homemade food. Our Indian Mithai wallas sell sweets with a warning to consume their sweets within three days.
Our ancient texts right from Rig Vedas to Puranas have stressed the importance of food as per your nature, body composition and season. Our ancient scriptures have mentioned their importance and their efficacy
Rig Ved 1.46.6 says
या न :पीप॑रदश्विन् ज्य ोति॑ष्मती॒ तम॑स्ति॒र: ।
ताम॒स्मे रा॑साथा मिषं॑ ॥
This means “Oh Ashwini Kumars! You grant us those nutritious food grains which help us remove the darkness from our lives and illuminate it.” Here deep meaning is Ashwini Kumars are requested that they provide nourishing, satisfying and healthy food through Surya Dev. It should be pleasing and juicy (Satvik food). Those food grains also should provide strength and ability.
Be aware about misleading advertisements. This is a big scam by the multinationals to demean the glorious traditions and culture of ancient times and to establish their fake health industry standard at our cost
As per Mahabharata Van Parva Chapter 213, the skin and other body parts make it possible to create warmth inside our bodies with the help of various juices flowing from various glands creating warmness in the stomach to digest this food. It is known as Jathranal. This rises from the rectum and kidney area-Pakvash (a place for cooked food) to Amashay (a place for raw food). It rises from there to the navel, the central place. The nerves are spread all over the body and work through five vital organs and their senses and distribute food all over the body. Those who have won over their senses, their Sushumna nadi is active and their Sahastrar chakra is at its exact spot, they have reached and are one with Parmatma, Hence Satvik food is necessary.
Rig Veda 1.114.5
दि॒वो व॑रा॒हम॑रु॒षं क॑प॒र्दिनं॑ त्वे॒षं रू॒पं नम॑सा॒ नि ह्व॑यामहे । हस्ते॒ बिभ्र॑द्भेष॒जा वार्या॑णि॒ शर्म॒ वर्म॑ च्छ॒र्दिर॒स्मभ्यं॑ यंसत् ॥
Commentary by Sāyaṇa:
Ṛigveda-bhāṣya
One should have excellent food. Shrimad Bhagwat Gita 6.17 Commentary of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Maharaj explains that if a person is not moderate in eating and recreation, he faces various miseries that become an obstacle in his practice (sādhana). Similarly, if his mind is flickering and agitated because of various anxieties, it is also not possible for him to attain perfection in his practice (sādhana). Therefore, in a balanced manner, the practitioner should eat Satvik food that is easily digestible and nourishing.
Similarly in Shreemad Bhagwat Gita 3.8, commentary by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Maharaj ji, it is by the purity of food that one’s mind becomes purified. When the mind is purified, one attains a stable memory. When the memory is stable, all the knots of the heart are untied. The above statement is verified in Chandogya Upaniṣad (7.26.2):
āhāra-śuddhau sattva-śuddhiḥ / sattva-śuddhau dhruvā smṛtiḥ
smṛti-lambhe sarvagranthīnāṃ vipramokṣaḥ
As per Mahabharata Van Parva (Chapter 217-219), it is Vishvabhukh Agni which digests our food in the stomach.
In Padma Purana, it is said that during Bhai Dooj, brothers should visit their sisters and cherish food made from their hands, which is blessed with strength and nourishment. Also as per Brahma Vaivarta Purana, one who gives you food is also considered as Mother.
So be aware about the misleading advertisements. This is a big scam by the multinationals to demean the glorious traditions and culture of ancient times and to establish their fake health industry standard at our cost.
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