Srijayanthi( Krishna jayanthi or Janmashtami) and Recipes
August 29, 2007 by lathanarasimhan
Tanjore Painting of Lord Bala Krishna made by Latha Narasimhan (me!!) Update: Thanks SeeC, for suggesting that I put a web optimized image with a copyright.
This year Srijayanthi also known as Gokulashtami/Janmashtami/Krishnashtami falls on 4th September.As always I am posting the details and important recipes (prasaadams or offerings) of Krishna jayathi or Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, a few days ahead of the festival. This is for people who come here looking for these recipes. I can post the pictures only after the pooja. But I promise to update this with a photo of a Tanjore Painting of Krishna I made a few years ago. 
Lord Krishna’s Birthday is celebrated by Hindus all over the world! In the North this is celebrated as Janmashtami. In the South, the Iyers call this festival Janmashtami or Gokulashtami and the Iyengars celebrate as Srijayanthi or Krisnajayanthi.
In Karnataka, Iyengars place the idol of Lord Krishna in a mandapam and decorate him with the Bhakshanam (Snacks and Sweets in Tamil) they prepare for the festival. Garlands and thoranams are made out of Murrukus and Kodubales!
A few decades earlier back the children in the household used to decorate a chaparam(mandapam that can be carried on your shoulders), place the image of Lord Krishna in it and carry it around the streets. As a child I remember we too built these chaparams for the lord. My father as usual performed a Aaradanai (a poojai performed for Saligramam which is a divine stone considered to be a manifestation of Lord Vishnu) and a variety of Bhakshanams(sweets and snacks) were offered as prasaadam. These days children do a lot of craft work for their school project, but there is no inclination to build a chaparam for the lord.
For children Srijayanthi definitely means a lot of snacking and jolly time for the sweet tooth. Snacks prepared usually have rice flour as main ingredient. Minimum five varieties of fresh fruits are offered. Naval pazham (Syzygium cumini , Skeels, Myrtaceae) the lords favourite fruit is definitely included. To know the medicinal properties of this fruit please visit this link.
Navaneetham and Sukkuvellam are two items that are prepared only for this festival.
The pooja is performed in the late evening as Krishna was born at midnight. Generally most of the sweets and savouries are prepared on that day only. The front yard is decorated by drawing a kolam (rice flour drawings on ground), called ezhakoolam. This is done using soaked rice ground to a fine paste and mixed with lot of water. A white cloth is used to soak the paste and make the drawing. Krishna’s feet is drawn from the front yard to the pooja room, indicating that the lord is entering our home. In my home my son has been performing the pooja for the last 5 years. We do the Srikrishna Ashtothra Naamavali (chanting of 108 names of Lord Krishna) for the Pooja.
We are hosting a virtual food event for the festival, and I am sure all my blogger friends will send their entries in great numbers. So while I prepare a huge array of sweets and snacks, I will post only a few in the coming days. My blogger friends will bring out the best of their culinary skills and post other great recipes which are prepared for this festival. :). Click here for details of the event.
The following recipes will be posted on The Yum Blog in the coming days.
I will update with photos only after I prepare it for the festival :). I will also post meanings and other such details along with the main recipe post if these words are new to you. Come back tomorrow
for the Tanjore painting!
Read the Round up of all Entries Here
Happy Krishna Janmashtami!
Great post Latha,glad I made Seedai.
Could you please take my URL and the Seedai photo from my blog as my entry. I don’t think I can send it to you today in the email, got to put the lotion in my eyes 4 times today,it’s giving me a head ache now too.Thanks
http://aromahope.blogspot.com/2007/08/seedai-for-little-krishna.html
Perfect timing…. we can get ready. My husband will be impressed when I churn out all the traditional goodies…
Very helpful site Latha.
Very nice write up….simple and informative. Iam sure you and your family will enjoy Janmashtami with all the goodies that you plan to make.
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Hi Latha,
I happen to visit your blog and found it very interesting. Looking forward for the recipes u listed out..
now i finally have an excuse to make some bakshanam!
Hi latha,
I’ve tagged you for a meme…check my blog for details and get ready to write your own!!
This is nice information on traditions followed in Janamashtami. The Tanjore painting is looking very pretty.Krishna is looking cute
Long back our neighbour a Tamilian would draw with her fists closed Krishna’s feet with rice paste. It was a pleasure to see her making the rangolis.
Wow ! I am waiting to see every ones entries.
Nice information Latha. Look forward to see your recipes. Viji
thats a nice post! i learnt a lot- thank you…
n very sweet of u to have visted my blog- loved the comments!
looking to read the recipies, and i hope i wil try out some and impress my mom!
u made that painting latha? hats off to u…
Have sent you my entry for the event. Do let me know if you do not receive it
Really a wonderful attempt!!Love the painting!!!
The face outline has come out well!
I was away for a reception this evening,where I met one of our family friends who is a Vadamal Iyer Mami…I asked her I want to do something easy for krishnajayanthi…She suggested theratti pal…!!!Is it a neivedyam for Krishnar??
So I am going to try my best, for it in microwave!!Can I?;)..
I appreciate so much your sharing these sacred rituals with all of us. Gods and food is such an ancient balance. We all celebrate with you.
u made that painting….its absolutely beautiful…… wow…. please tell us how such a painting is made…
I learn so much from visiting your site. Can’t wait to see the dishes.
[...] Festivals, vegetarian, Uncategorized — lathanarasimhan @ 5:33 am Uppu seedai is a must for Srijayanthi! This snack is some thing you can do in a leisurely way. You can mix the maavu, sit in front of the [...]
Looks great latha. Very talented. While in india i always wanted to join Tanjore painting class but never got a chance. Great picture.
A suggestion. See if you could resize the image you post to small size (web small version). By this way page loading does not take more time andleaves behind the least chance of copying/reproducing the pictures. Esp handmade ones like this are precious. Do copyright or make a mark on the picture. It is just my suggestion. Consider if you feel it as OK.
SeeC, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll help amma do this right away. lakshmi
Hi Latha, once again there you go right in time for the next festivity with your mouth watering delicacies! Just one thing which came up to my mind - don’t you think soaked and freshly ground rice powder gives a better taste and consistency for making seedai! I got this tip from my minlaw, so maybe u can incorporate! Also when I first made seedai in my early twenties after marriage, when I used rice powder the seedai went crackling like fire crackers up and down. Imagine - then I told Lord Krishna to take it as a part of the festivity!!!!
Prema.
Yes Prema, always freshly ground flour gives better seedais. Amma always grinds the flour fresh - she has posted the recipe for flours separately and linked. lakshmi