Some Offerings

Bhagavan in the home of Shenoys at Banaman Lane, Girgaon, Mumbai in the 1930s

When Bhagavan Nityananda was in Vaikunt Ashram, now the Samadhi shrine, we used to cook various items and offer to Him.

In the 1920-30s, He often visited our home in Mumbai, till He finally settled in Ganeshpuri in the late 30s. When He visited our homes, at times we offered Him lunch. The picture of Bhagavan you see here was taken when He visited our home in Banaman Lane, Girgaon, Mumbai.

When He shifted to Ganeshpuri, we used to get to stay there for a few days. We carried all the groceries as there were no hotels or grocery shops then. Next to Bhimeshwar temple were rooms where visiting devotees were given to stay. Gangubai had her house behind the temple. She was a caretaker and gave us vessels and a stove from the store. Elders in my family used to cook and before they had their lunch or dinner served Him. My sisters, Kusum and Snehalata, were often honored to offer Him. When the food was ready, they waited for Him. He used to often go out for some work. As He returned, both ran with a bucket of water to wash His Feet. He used to stand near the Lord Krishna’s Temple. He allowed them to pour water on His Feet. While they poured, He rubbed one foot on the other to wash off the dirt. From there He used to go to His room. If He was wanting something to eat, He used to show some signs such as asking “Where are you?”. The girls ran to where the cooking was in progress. Immediately a large plate was served and the girls carried it to where He was sitting in front of His room on the steps. He preferred that the plate be handed over to Him. While He ate, the girls stood at a distance till He showed some signs that the plate be collected. They quietly collected the plate and went back to their elders. He ate very little and there was never a second serving. Any food that was left on the plate was accepted as His Prasad. When my after or uncles were around, the honor of serving Him went to them. Children had only the privilege to wash His Feet. Elsewhere, I have shared how divine the food tasted which He left.

We, being Konkani-speaking Gowd Saraswat Brahmin from Karnataka prepared a variety of dishes. Typical dishes that we offered were:

1. Sukke– Sukkein in Konkani means dry. It is a dry preparation that makes use of coconut, roasted red chilies, tamarind, and urad dal roasted in a little oil and ground to a coarse paste. Seasoned with mustard, or mustard and curry leaves.

2. Sagle– Sagle in Konkani literally means whole. That means dt the vegetable is kept intact with a couple of slits and without chopping into fine pieces. Coconut, roasted red chilies, tamarind roasted coriander seeds, and methi seeds are ground together to coarse paste. The masala is medium spicy. The seasoning is of mustard, or mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil.

3. Ghashi – It is usually a gravy of coconut, roasted red chilies, and tamarind ground to a smooth paste. Again this too is not very spicy and seasoned in coconut oil with mustard and curry leaves. Generally, pulses like moong, toor, and chana are used to make ghashi. Another method of making ghashi is by coarsely grinding teppal/ Triphal with the masala and drizzling coconut oil after boiling the ghashi. Jen avro/ kutch Val, tingalavro / navy beans or even Alsandya bee/black-eyed beans / chawli are used.

4. Koddel- a spicy preparation of coconut, roasted red chilies and tamarind. The quantity of coconut used is less in comparison to ghashi, sukkein, or Sagle. The masala is ground to a smooth paste and it is seasoned with lots of garlic in coconut oil. Koddel could be of fresh vegetables like magge or Mangalore cucumber, raw banana of Kulith/ horse gram or Alsandya bee/ black eyed beans or chawli.

6. Humman– a spicy gravy of coconut, roasted red chillies, and tamarind ground to a fine paste and which has to be boiled well. Drizzled with fresh coconut oil and asafoetida. ( hinga uddak) It is not seasoned. Once the oil and asafoetida water is drizzled it is kept tightly covered so that the masala gets infused. Potato and double beans are generally used to make humman.

7. Bendhi – this is a spicy gravy ground fine with less of coconut and more roasted red chilies and tamarind. Seasoning of a lot of garlic in coconut oil. Bendhi is generally made with pulses like black toor/kali tori, tingalavro /navy beans.

8. Ambatta– ambat can be made with or without the addition of cooked toor dal to the masala. Coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind are ground together to a smooth paste and any chopped vegetable of your choice can be used. It is seasoned with onions in coconut oil. Peas, cauliflower, ivy gourd/tendle, or even onion is used as the vegetable of choice.

9. Bhuthi– This is a preparation where onions are used in the seasoning along with mustard. Masala again is of coconut, roasted red chilies and tamarind ground to a coarse paste. Usually, bhuthi is made with ivy gourd/tendle, jeev kadgi/ a variety of raw jackfruit or onions themselves used both in seasoning and as the vegetable of choice.

10. Tamballi– this is a cold preparation. Coconut, roasted red chillies, and tamarind are ground to a very smooth paste and chopped onions are added as garnish. Drizzled with coconut oil. This preparation is not heated and thus not prepared in advance.

11. Bhaartha– This too is a cold preparation where the ground masala of coconut, roasted red chilies, ginger, and tamarind is not heated. The difference is in the addition of cooked and mashed vegetables like brinjal or ghosale/ ridge gourd to the masala and raw onions are added as garnish and drizzled with coconut oil.

12. Kismoori– This used to be traditionally made with either fried bitter gourd/karathe or sooran/yam. But of late, beans, spring onions and even carrot is used, the first two being shallow fried and the last eaten raw. Kismoori is of two types. One is with grated coconut, green chilies, and onions minced salt, and coconut oil. This is added to the fried karathe or sooran just before serving. The same is with the other vegetables too which need to be cooled before the garnish is added.

13. Kolambo-also known as Sambhar. Made from tur dal, an Indian lentil. Cooked tur dal with vegetables like beans, brinjal, potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. A ready-made sambhar powder is often used and seasoning is by using mustard seeds, curry leaves, and coconut oil. This Kolamba is often served with Idli, Meduvada, Khota (Idli batter is cooked in cups made from green jackfruit tree leaves), and Muddo (Idli batter cooked in a cylindrical cup made from leaves), and dosa.

14. Paanpolo– Dosa made from rice ground with coconut. This dosa is soft like a leaf and is therefore called Paanpola. It is served with coconut chutney. Other dosas are Mustipola, Surnali, Udid-Moogpola, etc.

15. Rice Sevai: Hot Sevai is made from rice and served with sweet syrup made from coconut milk and jaggery with a dash of cardamom powder.

Sweets offered were Karanji, Banana Halva, Biscuit Rot, Chirot, Churmoonda, etc.

These various items were prepared for Him with great love and care maintaining high-quality hygiene, and cleanliness, and using the best of ingredients. In most of the cases, He hardly ate anything, returning most of them as His Prasad.  

The second variety of Kismoori is coconut, roasted red chilies, ginger, and tamarind ground to a coarse paste. Finely chopped onions salt and coconut oil are mixed with the masala and this again is added to the karathe/bitter gourd or sooran /yam just before serving.

*The above recipe outline is from a post on GSB site