Indispensable Role of Rice in Indian Culture

This is a no brainer to crack that India is the largest producer of rice and the exporter of best quality basmati rice all over the world. Apart from just a food grain, rice holds an important cultural significance in Indian festivals. The first grain a child ever fed is rice and use of rice is seen extensively across all festivals, weddings, and other major events in Indian culture.

In Hinduism and all major Hindu rituals, use of rice is considered auspicious and is widely practised in India. Rice is believed to be having basic life sustaining qualities and is considered a potent symbol of prosperity and auspiciousness in Hindu rites and rituals.

Passage ceremonies that significantly are considered transitional in human lives involve the use of rice in them like marriage ceremonies, annaprashana, and more. While basmati rice is good to cook on feasts and festivals, the ceremonies can use any rice.

If you’re wondering which is the best quality basmati rice, switch to Daawat Basmati rice that have a rice variety for every occasion.

Daawat Basmati Rice

Wedding Rituals

During a Hindu wedding, rice is sprinkled over the bride’s and groom’s heads as a sign of blessing for a prosperous married life. Rice is also believed to ward off the evil eye and demons, it is often offered in the fire by the priest during wedding rituals. In Northern states of India, the newly-wedded bride sprinkles rice all over her parents’ home to bless them with the deity of wealth and abundant food.

Annaprashana / First Feeding Ceremony

As a token of blessing, rice is fed as the first solid food to a baby for his first feeding ceremony, often called as annaprashana in Southern or Central India. The ceremony is conducted in the sixth month of the baby’s life and a simple boiled rice or sweet rice pudding (kheer) is prepared by baby’s mother while chanting some mantras. Rice is used as the most commonly consumed Indian staple and thus a child is fed with rice as his first-ever solid meal.

Pongal/Celebration of Rice

Thai Pongal is celebrated widely in Southern parts of India and is mostly observed in January that also marks the end of harvest season because of winters. The day’s celebrations often start with boiling milk and rice with sugar in earther or clay pots early in the morning. Boiling milk with rice is considered very auspicious in Inia traditions and rituals.

This freshly-cooked rice or Pongal is the served to Sun God as a token of gratitude for the successful harvest and for lengthening the days. This is believed to secure the blessings and prosperity for the days and more harvests to come. Although specific traditions vary by location, like Makar Sakranti in Northern India, observances often involve the preparation of rice in special ways.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Delicious Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes to Cook this May

Image
Eating a gluten-free diet can seem like a challenge for a beginner. However, if you have gluten-intolerance, you must resort to eating a gluten-free alternative. Consider gluten-free wholegrains like quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, etc. For baking, you can use gluten-free flour blend made with rice flour, sorghum flour, and maize starch. Looking for some delicious gluten-free breakfast ideas? Check out these recipes:    Blueberry Pancakes Start with adding pure vanilla essence to pancake batter. Add ricotta cheese and fresh lemon zest to the pancake batter. Fold in the fresh blueberries. Add butter in a pan and pour in a ladle of pancake batter. Cook for 5 minutes on both sides. Top with some fresh ripe mango slices. Drizzle some maple syrup and serve warm.    Rice Porridge Use Daawat, which is the best quality basmati   rice   to make this pudding. Wash and soak the rice in warm water for 20 minutes. Pour in 200 ml of coconut milk and stir in the soaked rice, vanilla bean paste
Read more

3 Reasons Basmati Rice is Good for Biryani

Image
Basmati rice is consumed all over the country in order to make their lunches exciting and filling.   In all fairness, Biryani is best enjoyed with the best Basmati. If you are a die-hard biryani lover, then you’ll be well aware of the fact that Basmati rice is tailor-made for cooking your favourite biryani. Those planning to cook biryani at home for the first time would be thinking of the significance of the best Basmati , isn’t it? The thing is: the best biryani can only be cooked if you have the best ingredients at your disposal.  Here’s why it is a good idea to go for the best Basmati if and wh en you are planning to cook biryani at home:     Basmati is Aromatic:  Well, it goes without saying that a rich, buttery aroma of the true Basmati is one of its striking features. Biryani too, is known for its strong and sweet aroma, which is why you need the best Basmati for your biryani. Also, the taste of this rice variety is rich, which means you’ll enjoy them when they g
Read more

4 Easy & Nutritious Brown Rice recipes to Cook this May

Image
Rice is a pantry staple in most households. It is not only easy to cook but also can be nutritious. Did you know that brown rice is high in dietary fibre and selenium? Daawat brown rice comes with a full bran layer which is rich in fibre. To increase the brown rice benefits, soak the rice in water before cooking. Looking for some easy rice recipes to prepare this summer? Check out these recipes:    Brown Curd Rice  Steam the  Daawat brown rice   and set aside. In a pan, sauté some mustard seeds, star anise, cinnamon sticks, curry leaf, kokum in coconut oil. Once the spices become aromatic, add beaten curd. Add the rice and mix well. Serve in a bowl. Garnish with toasted peanuts, crispy curry leaves, fresh coriander leaves, and pomegranate seeds.    Daawat offers quick-cooking, full-bran brown basmati rice. To increase the absorption of brown rice benefits , you can soak the rice in water for 12 hours before cooking.    Coconut & Lemongrass Rice Start with cooking organ
Read more