Why Modak is so beloved by Lord Ganesha?: Know Modak's history and health benefits, why it is considered a symbol of happiness and prosperity

Ganapati Bappa is present in many places across the country. This festival started on the Chaturthi of Sud Paksha in the month of Bhadrava and will last for 10 days. People will seek blessings from Lord Ganapati from intelligence to wisdom to happiness and good luck. Lord Ganesha is a deity who is worshiped in his child form. His favorite delicious Modak and his riding Mushak make his idol even more attractive. That is why they are very close to the hearts of children. 'My Friend Ganesha' is also one of the most popular series of children's films in Indian cinema. So, today in 'Kamna Samachar' we will talk about Ganapati Bappa's favorite food Modak. You will also know that- Question: Why is Lord Ganesha considered to possess the Naivaidya of Modak? Answer: Modak is Lord Ganesha's favorite prasad. Many stories are prevalent in religion and spirituality regarding this. One of these stories is that once Goddess Anusuya, the wife of sage Atri, invited all the gods for a meal. Lord Shiva was eating there with his family. Mother Anusuya continued to serve food to Lord Ganesha, but he was not satisfied. When the last plate of food was left, mother Anusuya put modak in her plate instead of food, she belched while eating it. This was a sign of satisfaction and fulfillment. Immediately after this Lord Shiva had 21 belches. Seeing this, Mother Parvati was very impressed. He said that whoever offers 21 modaks to Lord Ganesha will get happiness and prosperity. Another story related to this is that once Lord Shiva was resting. Bal Ganesha used to guard the door for fear of any disturbance. At the same time Parasurama reached there and expressed his desire to meet Lord Shiva. Seeing Lord Shiva resting, Lord Ganesha stopped him at the door. Because of this Parashuram got angry and started fighting with Ganesha. In this battle, one of Lord Ganesha's teeth was broken by Parashu's attack. When he had trouble eating, Mother Parvati made him soft modak. Ganesha liked this very much. Since then Modak has been his favorite offering. Question: Modaka is also mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata? Answer: Yes, Modaka is also described in Ramayana and Mahabharata period. Modak is described as the best sweet in the Anushastra Parva of the Mahabharata. While it is mentioned in the Lankakanda (battle episode) of the Ramayana. Apart from this, it is also described in Agni Purana. However, the method of making it has changed with time and place. Today more than 21 types of Modak are made in India. Question: Modak is mentioned in contemporary history? Answer: King Somesvara II of the Chalukya dynasty composed the book 'Manasollas'. It covers many subjects like politics, governance, ethics, economics, astrology, astronomy, horticulture, perfumery, food, veterinary medicine, sports, painting, poetry, sports, architecture, dance and music. It also mentions Modak. However, in this book Modaka is called 'Varsopalgolak'. Apart from this, there is also a statue of Lord Ganesha in the Ellora caves, in which he is seen eating something in the shape of a modak. See it in the graphic. Question: What is the significance of the shape of Lord Ganesha's beloved Modak? Answer: Modak is shaped like a money bag. So it is considered a symbol of wealth and happiness and prosperity. Apart from this, its shape looks like an upward pointing triangle. Hence it is also considered a symbol of Lord Shiva and spirituality. Question: What is the material and method of making Modak? Answer: If we are making Modak at home then we have to collect the necessary materials for it. First of all you have to combine rice flour, grated coconut, green cardamom, jaggery, salt and ghee. First of all we have to prepare the stuffing. For this, grated coconut is roasted on low flame. Then let it cool. Then boil jaggery powder in water and add green cardamom to it. After this add coconut and mix well. With this the stuffing is ready. Now it is the turn of the dough. For this take rice flour and mix water and salt in it. Mix it and leave it for half an hour to swell properly. Then make small balls of the dough and shape them into puri. Fill it with stuffing and shape it into a modak. After that they are well cooked in steam. Lord Ganesha's beloved Modak is ready to serve. See how to make it in the graphic below. Question: Does modak have any health benefits? Answer: Modak is very beneficial for heart health. This is also mentioned in the Charaka Samhita. It is eaten to balance digestion in many types of doshas. Ingredients like ghee, coconut and dry fruits present in it reduce the level of bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol. Modak though sweet is beneficial for diabetics as jaggery is used in it for sweetness. The glycemic index of jaggery is much lower than that of sugar. Anti-oxidants in coconut and dry fruits protect the body from harmful free radicals and keep it young for longer.

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).