Celebrating 200th post with Almond Joy "Burfee"

This is my 200th post on my blog and isn't it best to celebrate with sweet treat??. As know from my previous posts.... me n "R" are not actually "sweet" people but as I am mad about learning new recipes and sometimes inventing some of mine.... I end up making and eating them once in a while.This one I will be happy to call my own invention as I didn't follow any recipe and just kept throwing in all the ingredients I can think of... or made me feel good at that time..:P. I decided to call this an Almond Joy "Burfee" because it has coconut, chocolate and almonds as in the chocolate bar...:)

And If ur wondering about the name "Burfee" on the subject line, its a funny story...:P. When I was posting this recipe I remembered the "Burfee" joke which came in Outsourced - Diwali episode where in Madhuri offers Todd some "Burf-ee" and also add saying its fresh and still warm.... and the look on Todd's face for being offered some Burf-ee was priceless...:P

Anyways, back to the recipe...

Ingredients :

Fresh or frozen coconut Grated - 2 cup
Condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 3 tsp (see tips)
Roughly chopped roasted Almond - handful 
Chocolate chips -(optional) to decorate
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method :

Grease a cake pan or thali with some ghee and keep aside.

In a microwave deep bowl, heat the ghee for 30 seconds or until melted. To this add the grated coconut and microwave again for 2 mins. Stir well and Mw another 1 minute. Now add in the cocoa powder and condensed milk and mix well. Microwave on high for 6 minutes, removing the bowl out every minute and stirring the mixture. This will ensure even cooking. After 3 minutes please also add in the almonds and continue for the remaining 3 minutes. You can save some almonds for garnish on top.Also using a deep bowl is recommended as the condensed milk tends to over flow while cooking. After the 6 minutes the mixture must we thick with very little liquid in it. Thats the consistency u need for the barfi.

Now spread this barfi mixture onto the greased plate and flatten it.. Once a bit cool cut it in desire square or diamond shape, garnish with almonds and choco chips. U can serve it a bit warm. Tastes very good that way.

Tips :

I have tried using hot chocolate mix (starbucks variety) for this barfi too and it works well. But in that case u can add in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk to 1/4 cup chocolate mix and skip the cocoa and condesnsed milk from the recipe.

Enjoy !!

Ramanavami Speciality - Kosu malli

Shri Rama Chandra ki jai...

Some facts about this day....from the net...:)

Ram Navami is a Hindu holiday. It falls on the ninth day of the Hindu lunar year (or Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami), and is a celebration of the birthday of the Hindu god Rama and on Ramnavmi Shree Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born too in the town of Chhapayia, Uttar Pradesh.

Lord Ram is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who takes birth on earth when Adharma over rules Dharma. He protects all his devotees by vanquishing the roots of Adharma. Lord Ram was born on earth to destroy the demon named Ravan.
Hindus normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) with small murtis of Rama and Sita in their houses, and at the end of the day the deity is taken to a procession on the streets. This day also marks the end of the nine-day utsavam called Chaitra Navaratri (Maharashtra) or Vasanthothsavam (Andhra Pradesh) (festival of Spring), which starts with Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra) or Ugadi (South India). According to recent astrological studies, his year of birth is consider to be January 10, 5114 B.C

Festivals really draw my attention, not due to their mythological importance but due to their....goodies and sweet attractions.So many different sweet varities and prasadams and food varities to eat... hmmm...come one.... who doesnt like festivals now..??

Kosumalli ( or can we call it Raw green gram Salad?)


Sri Rama Chandra ki jai ! Prabhu Sri RamaChadra ki jai ! Sri Ramanavami is here and whats the special favourite for this festival, that I am cooking in my Kitchen?My hubby has lots of sentiments attached to Rama Navami. He remembers and misses his nainamma (granny) for all the variety food she used to make on this day. The way she used to decorate the ram idol for the pooja.And the way she used to enjoy scolding everyone to get ready for the pooja. All those lovely memories of home,india and childhood.He misses all that. Beieng here in US, you dont even get the feel of the festival. So i thought i will make him all the items related to Ram navami and surprise him.


To tell u the truth I had no idea what items are made for Ram navami as we rarely used to make things back in mumbai. It used to just be another holiday for us, enjoy and see TV to the hearts content.Hmmm how much marriage changes someone.... Hmm so i searched the web and found out what kosumalli is...but cudnt get a perfect recipe so created my own.I discovered that i had eaten this thing in so many south indian iyer weddings...but never really knew the name... "kosumalli" , "Koshumburi" ( I still hope this is what it is called...:P)





For kosumalli you need :


Split moong daal : 1 cup
Raw mango - finely chopped : 1/2 cup
Green chilli - Finely chopped : 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - About 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Freshly grated coconut (frozen is fine too) - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tsp (optional)





Method :

Soak the moong daal in luke warm water for around 2-3 hours. Once the moong dal is soaked well... drain all the water and dry the daal on a cloth for around 20 mins, or until all the water is drained and the daal seems dry to touch.



In a big bowl mix all the ingredients along with the moong daal and mix well. Your kosumalli is ready...:) It is so easy and yet so tasty.... Enjoy.. I loved it so much that iam gonna make it often ..os what if its not Ram navami??....:P






Kosu malii freshy made for Rama Navami...Enjoy!

Happy Vishu / Tamil New Year and Ram navami Wishes!

Happy Vishu


Wish all my friends a very very happy tamil new year, Vishu and Ram navami.
I have been busy since morning.. preparing the special vishu/ Ram navami lunch, which consists of Panagam , parupu koshumbari, Parupu vadai , Sambar, Rasam, Mango rice, Semiya Payasam, Chopped ripe mangoes, Bean podutuval, Plain rice and Neer mor.My camera is giving me some trouble so iam not ablr to upload the snaps. Will do once my camera is fine and will also update the recipes for these items at that time. till them some facts about Ram Navami and Vishu.

Our vishu Special Lunch

Some details about Ram Navami

"Whenever the evil forces reign supreme, the Lord will come to the rescue and set things right. Accordingly Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe (according to the Hindu mythology) has taken 9 "Avatars" or incarnations to eradicate the evil forces and establish goodness and prosperity. (Lord Vishnu is yet to take his 10th Avatar - "Kalki). Of these incarnations, the seventh is the Sri Rama Avatar. Sri Rama Navami marks the birth of Lord Rama. From Ugadi for the next 9 days, we celebrate the Vasantha Navarathri. It concludes with Sri Rama Navami. It is celebrated on the day when "Navami" (9th day after the new/full moon day) and the star "Punarvasu" occur together in the Tamil month of "Chitirai". (Sometimes it might fall in the "Panguni" month also). The Hindu tradition has a lot of meaningful practices. The Tamil months Panguni and Chitirai (April & May) are the hottest months of the year in this part of the world. Hence the "Prasadams" offered to God will be directly related to the weather conditions.

For Sri Rama Navami, the "Prasadams" offered are Panakam, Neer Mor (Diluted Buttermilk), Vadai Paruppu and Panchaamirutham. These items are also prepared at the temples and distributed as prasadams to the devotees who come to seek the blessings of God. All the above mentioned foodstuffs can be taken to bring down the body heat. They also make up for the loss of body fluids due to the excessive perspiration. Apart from the above, in olden days, there was a custom to gift hand-made fans to other people. Since there was no electric fans then, to reduce the effect of the heat, these hand-operated fans were very useful during the summer months. It was indeed a thoughtful gesture."


Something about vishu and the Kanni

"Vishu (Malayalam:വിഷു)- (American Vjéshu), (Tamil:வீஷூ) is astronomical new year day festival held in the state of Kerala in South India (and adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu). Similar festivals are celebrated in Punjab and Assam, in India, around the first day in the Hindu month of Medam (April – May). This occasion signifies the Sun's transit to the zodiac Mesha Mesha Raasi (first zodiac sign) as per Indian astrological calculations. Vishu is also considered as the harvest festival of Kerala and thus the importance of this day to all Malayalees. In Assam this day is called Bihu, in Punjab Baisakhi (originally Vaishakhi) and in Tamil Nadu Tamil Puthandu or Vishu punyakalam. The word "Vishu" in Sanskrit means "equal". Therefore Vishu is more probably denoting one of the equinox days.

Although Vishu (first of Medam) is the astronomical new year day of Kerala, the offical Malayalam new year falls on the first month of Chingam (August - September).
The festival is marked with offerings to the divine called Vishukkani. The offerings consist of a ritual arrangement in the puja room of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna (Cassia fistula), and a holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called uruli. A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku is also placed alongside. This arrangement is completed the previous night. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first sight of the new season. Since the occasion marks the beginning of Malayalam New Year, it is also considered auspicious to read verses from Hindu Holy book Ramayanam after seeing the "Vishukkani". It is also believed by some that the page of the Ramayanam to which you open up will have a bearing on your life in the coming year. Devotees also throng the well-known temples like Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple, Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple to have a "Vishukkani Kazhcha" on the early hours of "Vishu" day."

Our Vishu arrangement

Something about Tamil new Year

"The Tamil Calendar is used in Tamil Nadu in India, and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Its use is now largely restricted to cultural and religious events, with the Gregorian calendar having supplanted it for official use both within and outside India. The Tamil months which are now solar sidereal are in fact named after the old lunar asterisms of Sanskrit. Most of the names, however are greatly corrupted versions of the originals as evidenced by names such as purADam, Adi (or ADam), aippasi, puRaTTasi etc., which were drawn from the Sanskrit purvAshADa, aashaaDA, ashvini and purva-bhadra-pada respectively.[1]

There are several festivals based on the Tamil Hindu calendar. The Tamil New Year follows the nirayan vernal equinox and generally falls on April 13 or 14th of the Gregorian year. In 2008 the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu decreed that the Tamil New Year henceforth will coincide with the starting of the month Suravam (Thai) along with the Pongal festival known elsewhere in India as Makara Sankranti. This coincides with commencement of the Sun's northern shift (Vadapeyarchchi). However, April 13 of 14th marks the first day of the traditional Tamil calendar and this remains a public holiday in both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Tropical vernal equinox fall around 22 March, and adding 23 degrees of trepidation or oscillation to it, we get the Hindu sidereal or Nirayan Mesha Samkranti (Sun's transition into nirayan Aries). Hence, the Tamil calendar begins with the same date which is observed by most traditional calendars of the rest of India. The 60-year cycle is also very ancient and is observed by most traditional calendars of India and China, and is related to 5 revolutions of Jupiter according to popular belief, or to 60-year orbit of Nakshatras (stars) as mentioned in Surya Siddhanta.

The ancient Tamil people named the 7 days for the 7 celestial bodies as gnayiru, thingal, sevvai, arivan, viyazhan, veLLi and kari. Also Pakkal, a Tamil word was used to indicate "date". Out of the 12 rasis, one rasi hides behind the sun monthly once. The months were named based on the stars shape of the hidden rasi. If it is in the shape of shark fisk (sura meen), then it was named suravam, similarly, kumbam, meenam, mezham, vidai, aadavai, kadakam, madangal, kanni, thuLai, naLi, silai were named."

Our special Vishu lunch... See picture : Beans coconut podituval,Ripe mango pieces, Parupu kosumalli,Mango rice, Semiya payasam, Parupu vadai and plain rice....other items not in picture are panagam, Neer mor, Sambar, Rasam.

Will post all the recipes soon . till then enjoy...!

Have a great time!Enjoy ur day and i hope u have a great year ahead.

Happy Ugadi Wishes.

This is first time I am celebrating Ugadi after wedding. Ugadi is the Begining of the Telugu new year.Ugadi is a special day as the first season of the year that is the "Vasantha - rithu" , the First month of the year that is the "Chaitra masa", and first day of the lunar month comes on this day, hence it has a special importance as marking the commencement of the new year.

Some other facts from the internet....

On this day, it is the practice among the rural folk to eat what is called "Ugadi Pacchadi (Ugadi Chutney). This Chutney is made from neem flowers, mango juice, honey sugar and other ingredients with different tastes. The inner significance of this preparation is to indicate that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and all of them have to be treated alike. All experiences have to be treated with equanimity. Every one should make a resolve that he will face calmly whatever happens in this year, accepting it with good grace. Welcome everything. Consider everything as for one’s own good. Men should rise above sorrow and happiness, success and failure. This is the primary message of the Ugadi festival.


When the Pandavas lived, the time scales were determined on the basis of the longitude which passed through Lanka. When we take this as the basis, we come to the conclusion that the period which we now call kali yuga started in the year named Pramadi, in the month named Sravana and in the fortnight named bahula and on the day called Ashtami. According to the English calendar, this would be described as February 20th, 3102 B.C. years before the advent of Christ. In order to bring out this aspect of the commencement of a new yuga on February 20th, 3102 B.C., our ancestors have been calling that day as Ugadi or the day of a new era. As this was the commencing day of a new yuga, it was called the Ugadi. Ugadi is also the day on which Krishna gave up his mortal body in a sacred place of pilgrimage called Prabhasa near Dwaraka.


Auspicious days like Ugadi should be used for making resolutions to change our way of life and to purify our behaviour by giving up all bad qualities. Ugadi is a festival that teaches lessons in selfless service. It is not intended for feasting. It is a sacred day when wholesome wisdom should dawn and enlightenment should blossom in the hearts of the people. Ugadi teaches man the lesson that he should perfect himself as an embodiment of divinity.

So Wishing everyone a "HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS UGADI"

Festivals are so much fun when it comes to cooking and also eating......ummm... so what is cooking in my kitchen today? My Ugadi special prasadam

Ugadi prasadam Kadala Parupu Payasam and venn Pongal

Kadala Parupu Payasam / Sanaga Pappu Payasam

To make this you will need :

Chana Daal / Sanaga Pappu - 1 cup

Rawa (sooji / semolina) - 1/4 cup

Raisins - 8-10

Chasews - 8-10

Jaggery or sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom (elaichi) - 4-5

Grated coconut or Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Method:

In a Pressure cooker, cook the daal till soft. remember the daal shouldn't be too mashed up.Alternatively you can also microwave the daal with 1 cup of water. Keep it aside.

Now in a big pan roast the sooji till the raw smell goes off.Keep it aside.

In a small pan roast the raisins and cashew in ghee till golden brown in colour. Keep aside.

In a seperate pan now take some ghee. Once the ghee melts add the daal and sooji to it. Add 3/4 glass of water to it. Put the crushed cardamom in the daal. In a seperate pan now melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup of water. Once the jaggery melts completely, add it to the daal and cook well.

Add some water if need. The consistency shouldnt be too thick nor too watery, orelse your sooji n daal wont cook well. Let the payasam boil for 2-3 minutes. Off the gas and top it with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Your Ugadi special Parupu Payasam is ready!

Prasadam Venn Pongal

Venn pongal is the ultimate confort dish as such. Normally you add so many things to it for variation and to add flavour. But when making pongal for prasadam the only flavour added to it is on the home made ghee, whole peppercorns and salt.Check out the prasadam recipe.

You will need :

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Moong daal - 1/3 cup

Salt to taste

Whole peppercorns - 1 1/2 tsp

Cashews - 6-7 roasted in ghee

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

In a microwave boil, take one glass rice and 1/3 glass daal. Add 3 glass of water to it and cook for 15 mins on high. Alternatively u can cook the rice n daal in pressure cooker or rice cooker.

In a big pan add some ghee and put in the jeera and peppercorns . Roast it in medium till the jeera splutters a bit. Now add the rice and daal in the pan and mix well. Add some salt and a glass of water to the pongal and mix well. Let it cook it the water evaporates a bit and the pongal becomes a bit thick.The pongal should look completely mashed.Top with some ghee.

your pongal prsadham is ready.

Avani Avittam Special 2 - Paal Payasam

Another speciality for any tamil vishesham....Pal payasam (rice and milk pudding). I love this dish sweet dish. Here goes the recipe for the same. Do try it and let me know.



You need :


Milk - 2 ltr
Elaichi (cardamom) powder - 5-6
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
sugar - 2 1/2 cup
ghee - 1tbsp
Cashew nuts - 5-6
raisins - 5-6



Method :

In a big thick bottommed pan, add the milk and boil it well. When the milk boils simmer the gas and let the milk continue boiling. Now add the raw rice and the elaichi powder. Mix the milk well and then add the sugar and mix well. Let the mix boil well keeping it in medium flame or simmer only. Dont make the flame high.

In a seperate pan add the ghee and roast the cashewnuts and the raisins... till slightly golden in colour.Keep it aside.

The milk should be nicely boiled.You will see that the colour of the milk turns a light pinkish.... and thick...in consistency.( the quantity of milk should reduce to half of the total quantity taken...here it should reduce to 1 ltr.).

Now add the roasted cashewnut and raisins.. will mix and off the gas.Your payasam is ready.



Serve it chilled.

Avani Avittam Special 1 - Ulundu vadai

Its a Tamil custom to make ulundu vadai (urad dhal vada) for any auspicious occasion or function.... so here iam making ulundu vadai... also known as medu vada for avani avittam...

the recipe goes this way....

You need :

Urad dhal - 1 cup
Green chillies - 2
Salt to taste
ginger - 1" piece (optional)
Oil to deep fry

Method:

Soak the urad dhal in water for nearly 2-3 hours. Now in a mixer jar add the urad dhal, green chillies, ginger piece, salt and blend well in the mixie... adding very less water.Dont make the batter watery.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai. Take the little batter in ur hand and make a small hole in the middle of the batter. Now put the batter in the heated oil and fry the vadas till golden brown in colour.




Serve hot with Coconut and mint chutney.

Happy Janmashtami !

Hey there.... I am back again... sorry for the long back from blogging was busy with family enjoying the nice and long vacation.Wishing you all a happy Janmashtami. Janmashtami is the birthday of lord Krishna and is celebrated by hindus all around the world.

''Yadã yadã hi dharmasya, glãnirbhavati Bhãratah,Abhiyutthãnam adharmasya, tadãtmãnam srijãmyahamParitrãnãya sãdhunãm, vinãshaya cha dushkritãm,Dharmasamsthãpanãrthãya, sambhavãmi yugè yugè''

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY JANMASHTAMI



The festival of Janmashtami is considered a very pious day by Hindus. Lot of bhajan singing, hymn chanting and poojas are performed this day. Devotees queue all the major Krishna temples to seek his blessings. People perform elaborate poojas during the festival. They keep day long fast.


Functions and prayer meetings are organised to share the glory of their favourite God.The general pooja process begins early in the morning with devotees giving a bath or abhishek to Bal Gopal's idol with gangajal, ghee, water, honey and curd. The idol is then adorned with new clothes (preferably in yellow colour), stone or other precious jewellery.Next, the idol of lord is offered bhog, the contents of bhog may vary. Fruits, kheer, pedha, milk, and milk products are made.

There are devotees who offer chappan bhog(56 dishes) to Bal Gopal. Thereafter, special Krishna pooja is performed. The cradle containing the divine infant's idol is rocked, conch is blown. Devotees sing Krishna arti, some people read out 108 names of lord. They get totally immersed in the name and praise of Gopal. After the entire pooja is over, devotees break their fast by having panchamrit. The time of breaking the fast may vary, this is so, because the time of performing pooja also differs from place to place. While some devotees choose to perform pooja at midnight and break fast, others perform pooja in the evening and have food.


The Famous Dahi hundi

Celebration of Janmashtami, birth of the famous Lord Krishna includes a number of ceremonies like, Raslila, Jhankis (tableaux) etc. Dahi Handi is a popular ceremony, celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and glee. Dahi Handi is an enactment of Lord Krishna's efforts to steal butter from Matka (earthen pot) suspended from the ceiling.The CelebrationsDahi Handi generally takes place on the second day of Janmashtami. An earthen pot containing a mixture of milk, dry fruits, ghee is hung around 20-30 feet high in the air with the help of a rope. Silver coins are hung along with the rope,which are later distributed as prize to the winners. Enthusiastic young men, form a human pyramid by standing one on top of the other, trying to break the pot.




Onlookers throw water on the young men in order to prevent them from breaking the pot. Breaking of the pot is followed by prize distribution. Devotees believe that the broken pieces of earthen pot will keep away mice and negative powers from their homes.Dahi Handi is celebrated with fervor, especially in the twin cities of Mathura - Vrindavan, Dwarka and Mumbai. Young men in Mumbai yell 'Ala re ala, Govinda ala' during the ceremony.

Some fact about janmashtami and Sri Krishna that i found on the net.Dunno if its really true (specially about the disappearance of lord krishna) but is very interesting.

Janmashtami is celebrated to welcome and enjoy Lord Krishna's birth. The birth of Lord Krishna took place when the various planets were in auspicious places. It is said that God chooses a particular time, as to when he will take birth as a human and the planetary systems are adjusted accordingly.

Auspicious Nakshatra (Constellation): Around the time of Bhagwan Krishna's birth, Rohini Nakshatra was predominant as it is considered to be quite auspicious. This is so because it is under the supervision of Brahma, the creator of Universe. Sri Krishna was born in the month Of Sravana more than 5000 years ago.

Born in Dwapur Yug (Iron Age): According to some scholars, Krishna was born on Wednesday,the eighth day of second fortnight in Sravana month in the year of Visvavasu around 3227 BC, also known as Dwapur Yug. July 19th 3228 BC to be more accurate. He lived for 125 years and disappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. His death was the onset of the current corrupt age known as Kaliyug.

Universal Happiness of all Forms of Life: From the time, Devki conceived Sri Krishna, she began to glow and exude divine light. The prison walls glowed with the aura of the new born infant. Atmosphere of peace and happiness prevailed all over, Forests were all green and full of trees with all kinds of beautiful flowers, rivers were all swollen due to joy, peacocks began to dance in sheer joy, people in all villages started being happy.

Objective of Krishna's Birth: The main objective of Lord Krishna's birth was to free Mother Earth from the wickedness of demons. Playing an important part in Mahabharata (legendary battle in Kurukshetra) and propagating the theory of bhakti and good karma were other important objectives.

Events Before The Birth of Sri Krishna: The people of Mathura were extremely unhappy with the wicked king Kansa who put his father, king Ugrasen in prison and declared himself the king of Mathura. It was to put an end to his evil ways and other demons that Lord Vishnu decided to take birth on Earth in human form. According to Akashvani (heavenly voice) at the wedding of his beloved sister Devki, Kansa got to know that the eighth child of his sister will take birth to kill him. So, in turn he rushed to kill his sister. Kansa gave up the idea of killing after being assured by Vasudev that he will handover all his children to him. He put them in Prison. Kansa killed all the six infants as soon as they were born. The seventh child (Balram) was saved due to divine intervention, when he was transferred from Devki's womb to that of Rohini's (other wife of Vasudev).

Events During the Birth of Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna was born in a prison cell in the captivity of King Kansa. He took birth in divine form with lotus like eyes,his palms bearing the signs of a lotus and discus. He had a swastika sign on his sole. Wearing a yellow colored silk cloth, adorned with precious diamond earrings and a crown made of emeralds. Soon after the birth, a chain of events astonished Vasudev,when he saw the gates of the cell flow open and all the guards fast asleep. He immediately thought of Nand ,his close friend in Gokul and decided to handover his child to him in order to save him from the clutch of Kansa.River

Yamuna Bows To The Feet of Sri Krishna: The night of birth was witnessed by heavy rains which led to River Yamuna being in floods. As soon as the feet of Lord immersed in the river, the flow became normal and Yamuna made way for the Lord. Sheshnag, the serpent formed an umbrella to save the new born baby from rain.

Exchange of the Babies: Vasudev kept his child next to fast asleep Yashoda and took the baby girl lying with him back to Mathura. The baby girl is believed to be the sister of Lord Vishnu.

Disappearance of The Divine Child:On hearing the news of birth of the eighth child of Devki and Vasudev, Kansa rushed to the prison-cell and lifted the baby girl to kill her despite pleadings from Devki. However, instead of hitting the stone, the child flew up in the air and announced that the annihilator of Kansa was born and in safe hands.Krishna later grew in Gokul and finally killed his maternal uncle, King Kansa.

More about Lord Krishna’s Disappearance

Lord Krishna, the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, took birth on earth with a purpose. The main objective of taking human form by the divine being was to rid mother Earth from the cruelties and increasing power of the demons.

Life Span of Lord Krishna:
It is believed that Bhagwan Krishna lived on Earth with brother Balram for 125 years. The first ten years of his life were spent in the towns of Gokul and Vrindavan, in Northern India. The following years beginning in the 11th year of Lord's life till the age of 28 were spent in Mathura. Sri Krishna later established Dwarka, a city in Gujarat and lived the rest of his life there with his wife Rukmini and sons.

Legends of Lord Krishna's Disappearance:
According to researchers, Lord Krishna disappeared on 18th February 3102 BC. The period after his disappearance marks the beginning of Kaliyug. It is said Bhagwan Krishna had predicted that exactly seven days after the disappearance of the Lord, the Golden city of Dwarka in Gujarat will drown in the sea. Indeed Dwarka city is said to have been merged in sea owing to torrential rain. There are quite a few reasons assigned to Lord Krishna's leaving his spirit for the heaven.


They are as follows:

Fulfillment of Sri Krishna's Birth Objective:
Lord Krishna alighted on mother Earth with the primary objective of reducing the growing power of the demons and relieving people from their cruelties. The secondary objective was fighting the historical battle in Kurukshetra in order to deliver justice to Pandavas. Having accomplished his missions and establishing peace , it was time for Lord to end his life journey on Earth.


Curse of Mother Gandhari:
Mahabharata, the historical battle fought in Kurukshetra resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Lord Krishna is said to have visited Mother Gandhari to offer his condolence. In a fit of rage and sorrow, Mata Gandhari cursed Bhagwan Krishna that just as the Kaurava dynasty had ended fighting with each other, similarly the Yaduvanshi dynasty
would end fighting and killing each other. Mother Gandhari felt that Sri Krishna didn't play a fair role in putting an end to the war. Lord Krishna happily accepted the curse.



Curse of Sages Vishwamitra and Narada:
According to a folklore, Sage Vishwamitra and Sage Narada once visited the city of Dwarka to meet Lord Krishna. A few children of Lord Krishna dressed up Samba (Son of Sri Krishna and Jambavati) as a pregnant woman and asked the visiting sages to foretell what kind of a child Samba will bear. Feeling insulted, the sages cursed that Samba will give birth to an Iron rod which in turn will be instrumental in the fall of the Yaduvanshi Dynasty. The very next day, Samba gave birth to an iron rod. Lord Krishna's sons crushed it into powder and threw the bottle in the sea. However, one day the bottle was washed up the shore and the powdered iron took form of an arrow. Lord Krishna could foresee everything and as a last resort to save his Dynasty, prohibited liquor in the city of Dwarka. Eventually, the Yadavas became drunk and killed each other with iron rods. None of them survived. Lord Krishna was shattered to see the Dynasty perish.

Death of Balram:
On seeing the end of Yaduvanshi clan, Lord Balram the elder brother of Sri Krishna sat under a tree and ended his life by breathing out life from his mouth in the form of a white serpent.

Disappearance of Sri Krishna :
Lord Krishna was disillusioned with the fraternal killing among the Yaduvanshis. He went to a forest near Somnath in Bhalka Tirth to meditate. Jara, a hunter mistook the lord's feet to be a deer and accidentally shot him with the arrow. Lord Krishna's spirit left for heaven. Bhagwan Krishna's disappearance marks the beginning of the current debauched age, also known as Kaliyug.The great sage Vyas then wrote the famous 'Bhagawad Puran' to save the heritage and miracles of Lord Krishna. The story of Lord Krishna has since been passed from generation to generation.


So here comes the next phase. The food items made for janmashtami and its preparation. Will get back to u with my preperations and recipe tommorow.