Bhog Naivedya

by Sujata Shukla Rajan

A nation’s food culture, brought to you on a puja thali!

Bhog Naivedya delves into the origins of sacred foods in India and brings forth its incredible diversity. Brilliantly researched and engagingly written, Sujata’s book is peppered with delectable tales from mythology, sumptuous temple lore, the aromatic linkages with kings and saints, mouth-watering food descriptions and much more.

Travel from Badarinath Dham in the Himalayas to the Krishna temples at Mathura and Nathdwara to discover the lovingly-performed food rituals. Visit the Jyotirlinga of Kasi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik and learn about Lord Shiva’s favourite foods. Moving to the east of India, we see a dramatic change in the offerings, especially in the bhog offered to Goddess Shakti at Kamakhya in Guwahati and then at Kalighat in Kolkata. Peep through the holes in the kitchen walls of Puri’s Jagannath temple and watch the preparation of Chappan Bhog in pots on clay chulhis (hearths), and thence to Tirupati to admire the elaborate food offerings to Lord Balaji. Wander into sacred groves and temples where serpent deities are worshipped with their choicest foods. Enjoy the colours of food at ISKCON, where bhog represents a philosophy. Relish tasty prasadam at Srirangam and Chidambaram, follow Kumbakonam’s Navagraha trail and then halt at the Padmanabhaswamy temple for delicious payasams.

Listen to the boatmen of Kerala singing along the way to a gargantuan sadya (feast) at Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. Tour the mega kitchens at Shirdi’s Prasadalaya and gratefully accept the langar at the Golden Temple at Amritsar, taste the Maha Ashtami Bhog at Kolkata’s Durga Pujo. Find the connection between Kannagi, who burnt Madurai into cinders, and Pongala, when millions of women congregate with their sacred hearths on the streets of Thiruvananthapuram.

This is not just faith, but also a nation’s food culture, brought to you on a puja thali!

Genres: Nonfiction, Cooking, Food

288 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2021

About the author

SUJATA SHUKLA RAJAN is a food chronicler and a food nerd who enjoys all aspects of food: making it, reading and researching it, eating it, writing and talking about food. She is the Author of Bhog Naivedya: Food Offerings To The Gods (Rupa Publications, 2021).
A Chartered Accountant by profession, her passion also lies in culinary experiments, travel, reading (and hoarding books), her beloved book club, the Bangalore BYOB, watching Formula 1 races, listening to music at all times, and being a long distance grandmother to three amazing grand-daughters and one grand-dog.
She blogs at PepperOnPizza, Recipes Beyond Borders —Sometimes Exotic, Often Traditional, Always Delicious.

Reviews

[Kevin Fernandes-Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bhog Naivedyam: Food offerings to the Gods" is the first work of non-fiction by CA Sujata Shukla Rajan. Shukla's passion for food, history, myth and travel fuse amalgamate together to create this mouthwatering book on Bhog, the food offered to the deities in various temples across the length and breathe of the country. Bhog, the daily meals of the gods, should not be confused with prasad, or the food items distributed to the congregation following worship. Shukla goes to great lengths to locate each temple in a complex matrix of history and myth, peppering the narrative with juicy titbits from her own ethnographic work at each of these sites. These personal touches really bring the narrative alive. The book engages with food and the divine from a place of both academic curiosity, and the humane tenderness of Bhakti, without following down the cliched "Eat, Pray,Love" or "Karma Cola" path.

My favourite sections remain the chapter on the Shiridi Sai Baba mandir, which explores Shiridi beyond the Sai Baba mandir, the aside on the syncretism of the Jammah Mapilahs of Coorg, and the Pongal festival of Thiruvananthapuram. The section on the devara kadus also resonated with my own personal eco consciousness.
With a sound and insightful introduction, the book is well organized in chapters centered around different deities, complete with rich endnotes, a glossary and a table of the temples covered. Given the vastness of field and research work done, indicated in the introduction, I am sure this is the beginning of a series of culinary narratives, and will establish Shukla on the literary landscape of both culinary writing and Indian writing.

There are some books that appear once in a lifetime, and Bhog Naivedyam is on such shooting star!

[Abhilash Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author writes about the food that is offered to the Gods (and Bhog to people) in over 50 temples and places of worship across India. The food is described in delicious details. This is further complimented by interesting stories, myths and tidbits related to the food, the temple and its deities. The food makes one's mouth water just by reading and imagining them (or remembering them, when they have been already been tasted as Bhog), and the interesting additions make it a fun read. I have learned so much about the Hindu religious myths as well. This has been a fun yummy read!

[Sudhakar Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bhog Naivedya is more of a reference book catering to a rather niche audience and doesn't make for easy reading. Pick this up if you are interested in knowing about the different kinds of prasads / bhogs offered in temples in a fair bit of detail. A few mythological stories are interspersed throughout the book to provide some context and add interesting anecdotes related to the history of the temples or some specific rituals. While the author has tried to cover plenty of temples and Gods from all across India, there is an undeniable focus on Tamil Nadu, followed by Odisha. As a North Indian who has visited some of these temples, I can't help but agree with her choice given the complexity and intricacy of rituals that has survived there for more than a 1000 years.

I had been wanting to read this book for quite a while, and am glad I finally did. Just wish I had this with me during the Tamil Nadu trip I made earlier this year, would've appreciated the stories a little better and perhaps kept an eye out for more of the delicious prasad offerings.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have watched Raja, Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan on Netflix and enjoyed every ounce of information that is shared in that television series, you are sure to enjoy Bhog Naivedya. Bhog Naivedya is a comprehensive account of food offerings made to various deities that are worshipped throughout the length and breadth of our country. Knowing that India is a land of diverse cultures, it wouldn’t be wrong to expect a different form of devotion in different parts of this holy land. Bhog Naivedya has been divided into various chapters where each chapter highlights the process and the type of food that is offered to the deity and also discusses the origin of the practice.

Read the complete review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...

[Neel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these new gen books in India - that talk about traditions that we would not be aware of, aspects of culture that are taken for granted and heritage which are sometimes forgotten. This is one such book that takes your through the naivedyam/offerings in temples across India. An eye opening read for sure.

[Abhinav Anand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited when I picked up this book but was left disappointed. It is not a scholarly work with in depth information or an engaging read. The parts or chapters of the book are small and disparate.
The search of a good book which captures the diversity of Indian food continues, this surely is not it.

[Bijoyini Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the methodical approach taken to a vast and complex topic. It has the legends and folklore attached to a certain religious place, preceding the details of the food offerings.

[Soumya Sreehari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhog Naivedya by Ms. Sujata Shukla Rajan is a unique treat for the mind and the palate. Backed by extensive primary research, Ms. Sujata takes the reader on a journey through the length and breadth of India, describing the sacred food offerings to Gods in the innumerable temples housed in our country. There are more than 50 temples covered in this journey - some well-known, some obscure, all intriguing, nonetheless.

Reading this book was like going on a journey. I know some of the temples and have visited personally, it was therefore nostalgic to read about them. It was a journey I savoured thoroughly, and one I would highly recommend to others. Three aspects of the book stood out for me in making the reading experience outstanding.

Descriptions: Ms. Sujata’s descriptions of the food offerings are detailed and capture the readers’ imagination vividly. Of course, they also make the readers’ mouths water and stomachs growl. 😊 A picture of the massive kozhukattai offering in the Mukkuruni Vinayagar temple in Madurai is etched in my brain, thanks to the picturesque description in the book.

Memories: The mythological stories, the descriptions of the architecture, the special offerings in some temples – all these recalled childhood memories and fond associations. Of special mention here is the milagu rasam offering to Lord Jurahareswarar. This has been a comfort food from my early childhood, during days when we fell ill. Learning that the same food is offered to the lord for his recuperation gave me a strange feeling of kinship.

Discovery: As I travelled from temple to temple, I found numerous opportunities for discovery. New temples, new deities, new recipes, new variations of known stories, new traditions – all of these packed a lot of power in my reading journey. The vivid description of the Pongala Mahotsavam at Thiruvananthapuram left a lasting impact on my mind.

Additionally, the organisation of chapters by deities rather than by geographical location gives the reader a fresh perspective in the journey. Whether you know something about temples and foods or not, Ms. Sujata takes you on a journey to be remembered for a long time.

[Pradeesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhog Naivedya by Sujatha Shukla Rajan is on Various food offerings to Gods. An amazingly well-written book, it talks about naivedyas offered in various temples in India. In fact, before reading the book,I never knew the difference between Prasada and Naivedya, always thought both are the same. But apparently a lot go behind what the devotees see in a temple. Sujatha has done really good research on this and presents the details of the food offerings including recipes, various beliefs and other stories. This book also instilled in me a craving to travel, as it described the boat ride through Ganga in Varanasi and the pongala festival in the Attukal temple, Thiruvananthapuram, to name a few.

A definite 5 star from me. Looking forward to the next book from Sujatha Shukla Rajan!