Today is “Anant Chaturdashi†commonly called as “Nopiâ€. This is usually celebrated on ‘Bhadrapada shukla Chaturdashi’ which comes on the 11th day after ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’. There are two significances to this day.
First one, the Ganesha idol brought home at Vinayak Chaturthi is immersed in water on this day, only in those houses where Ganesha festival is celebrated for 11 days and in “Sarvajanika(public) Ganeshasâ€.
Second one,it is celebrated as “Nopiâ€. This festival is usually celebrated at temples. There are few people who celebrate this festival at home, this is done at home only if it is celebrated from generations. At our native, this festival is celebrated only in temple. Here is how it is celebrated in our native at “Veer Vithal MaTh(temple)â€.
People gather in the temple, perform the pooja to the temple. They take two empty ‘Kalshas’,a copper Vessel with mango leaves and coconut on top of it, in palanquin to “flowing waterâ€. They take bath in water and fill the kalashas with water and perform pooja to the kalashas. Then they bring the palanquin back to temple in procession. There the Kalashas are taken inside the temple and pooja is performed after decorating the Kalashas. Then the Prasad(prasadam) of panchakajjaya is distributed. 14 namaskars, similar to ‘Surya namaskara’, are performed. Lunch is served on banana leaves.
In the night again pooja is performed and Ananth Chaturdashi story is told to the people by the priest.
Most of the people prepare a dish called “alvatthi” – Colocasia leaves and chana cooked in coconut masala, but this dish is not prepared at our temple. One of the dishes usually (but not always) prepared for lunch at the temples is “Kesribhath†or “Kesari bhath”. In Bangalore, people call ‘Sheera/Sanja’ as Kesribhath, but we call ‘Kesri’-with kesar/saffron(or orange colored), ‘bhath’-rice, to a dish prepared with rice and orange in color. Kesribhath is also called “Kesar bhath” or “Keshar bhath” or “Sakhar bhath”.
Ingredients:
Rice(Preferably Basmati rice) 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 2 tbl spns
Raisins(dry grapes) 2 tbl spns
Cashews 1 tbl spn
Cloves 2-3
Orange color a pinch or saffron strands 7-8
Cardamom powder ½ tea spn
Method:
Heat 1 tbl spn of ghee and fry raisins, cloves and cashew for 2-3 mins. Add rice and fry for 5-6mins. Add water and cook till rice is completely done.
Now add sugar and remaining ghee. Add saffron strands diluted in 1 tbl spn warm milk or orange color. Mix well(mix gently) and cook for around 5mins. Add cardamom powder.
Serves : 3
Preparation time : 20mins
Note : Add sugar only after cooking the rice completely. Last time when I prepared it, I added sugar when the rice was 3/4 th cooked, thinking it would cook completely after adding sugar. But though I cooked for a long time, the rice still remained uncooked.
Hi Shilpa…You reminded me of the devasthan jewan, which i missed this year. Nopi is celebrated on a grand scale in Wadala Math in Mumbai. More than 10,000 devotees visit every year. The prasad which is served is alvatti, dudh pak and kesar bath along with the normal food. Thanks for posting the kesarbhath recipe.
Hi Shilpa,
Thanks for ur write up on nopi. kesaribhath looks yummy…
Nice of you to write about Nopi – we call it ‘Anatha Vrata’. Kesar Bath looks great ….
Nice traditional write up, I have no clue about all these!! But I know Kesari bhath which looks yummy up there!! Thanks..
I did post some ideas for kids lunch boxes back in your post with request , I will leave some more as I get them in my head including Indian 😀
Oh yes, I too have done it once, Shilpa. I too cooked the rice about 75% thinking that the grains would remain intact like that and the rest of the cooking would happen with the sugar. It didn’t. Eating uncooked rice wasn’t a pleasure. 🙁
Hey shilpha, that was the nice one about nopi…Really recalled my memories….Nice work …First time i have visited ur site and found it really good…
Shilpa,here u have kesri bath and I have just posted Bangalore’s Chow chow bath which includes ‘Kesari bath’ in the B’lorean style…But as usual only the snaps…recipes to be posted later!! That was a good write up abt the rituals associated with Nopi…I love to read abt traditions and rituals,lores and legends…many thanx…
Hi Shilpa,
You clearly explained us about “Nopi”Thanks.
Your Kesar Bhath looks delicious.
Hi Shilpa – good informative post. I love kesari bath! It looks delicious.
Hi Shilpa,
I love kesri bath.My mom used to cook it really well.I tried it once but ended up eating uncooked rice[:)].Reading this recipe has inspired me to try it again.Thanks
do you know how to make kesari bath with sooji( the halwa with pineapple)? please let me know.thanks once again
Sabita, we call it pineapple sheera. Add few strands of saffron to give that “kesri” color to it.
Hi Shilpa,
Oh my GOD! The pineapple sheera was sooooooooo good.My friend & her husband who were visiting loved it too. thankyou so much.
hi shilpa…
it turned out really nice….thank you…
I tried your recipe and it came out good.
Thanks a lot.
These Aayi’s recipes are wonderful I am looking for the recipe for a Shira with Amras (mango juice/pulp)
Can you help?
Hi Shilpa,
M becoming a great fan of yours ….. can u pls tell how much water shou;d b added while cooking rice ….. m planning to make this recipe from my husband’s friends n like u m also not too fond of sweets so do not have much experience …. thanks in advance
Shilpa: I add about 2 cups per cup of rice initially and if necessary, then add more.
Thanks so much Shilpa …. will do the same n definitely try out the recipe tomorrow
Hi Shilpa,
I am an Mumbaite married to a Mangalorean staying in Kuwait.Your recipes are a boon to me.I prepared Kesari Bath on Makar Sankrati and my husband was very happy as it tasted the same like wht he had in the devasthans in Mangalore.I have tried some of your recipes and all turned out very well.Thanks a lot.
Tried this one this weekend..turnrd out really good … thanks