Palannam (Milk Rice), Favorite Naivedyam for Ma Annapurani.. PALANNAM(MILK RICE) -THE MOST FAVOURITE FOOD OF MA ANNAPURANI..
Palannam(Milk Rice) is a famous South Indian food, and it is made out of rice, sugar and milk and to add more flavour to it, things like cashew nut, Badam and dry grapes would also be added. Palannam is also known as Nilachoru in Tamil Nadu, since small children favourite food is Palannam or Palchoru, and mostly it would be kindly offered to them by their mother during night times in the open terrace by introducing the moon god to them and by the way of fondly introducing the moon god to them as ‘MAMA’ or as ‘AMBULIMAMA’.
In India, this food item is related with Ma Annapurani, and it would be mostly prepared during the time of Akshaya Tritiya festival day which is supposed to be the birthday of Mata Annapurani Devi.
Palannam is an all-time favourite food for the young ones, and lot of stories are associated with this. Apart from Akshaya Tritiya day, Palannam can also be prepared on our birthdays, wedding days and other important days, and it can be offered as a Neivedyam to Ma Annapurani. While preparing and offering Palannam to Ma Annapurana, she would take an invisible form, and would eat or smell our Palchoru.
As per ancient Puranas, once there lived a great devotee of Ma Annapurana, and her name was Ambica. Once she offered Palannam to Ma Annapurana, during Akshaya Tritiya festival day, and she observed fasting on the whole day. The next day morning, while she was praying before the idol of Ma Annapurana, the great divine mother appeared before her, blessed her with her tender lotus hands, and took her to her abode, “THE WONDERFUL KAILASHA”.
Similar to this incident, if we also worship Ma Annapurana and offer Milk Rice to her with full of devotion in our mind, we would also get a chance to permanently live in the abode of Ma Annapurana, the Holy Kailasha and can enjoy the everlasting divine pleasure permanently.
“OM SRI ANNAMBIKA SARVAMBIKA DEVAMBIKA SARANAM, ‘SARANAM”
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR