Panchamrita

2021-05-20T12:12:02Z

2603:6000:D603:6A00:FCF3:C3CB:9805:47F:

{{short description|Mixture of five foods used for worship by Hindus and Jains}}
[[File:Panchamrita.jpg|thumb|The five ingredients of panchamrita: milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and Tulsi. ]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
'''Panchamrita''' (lit. ''five [[Amrita|{{IAST|Amṛta}}s]]'' in [[Sanskrit]]) is a mixture of five foods used in [[Hindu]] as well as Jain worship and [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] and [[Abhiṣeka]] which are usually [[honey]], [[Tulsi]], [[cow milk]], [[curd]] and [[ghee]].<ref>For definition of {{lang|sa|पञ्चामृत}} ([[IAST]]: ''{{IAST|pañcāmṛta}}'' ) as "the collection of five sweet things used in worshipping deities" see: {{Harvnb|Apte|1965|p=578}},</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Delamaine|first=James|date=1826|title=Of the Sra'wacs or Jains|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25581717|journal=Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|volume=1|issue=2|pages=413–438|doi=10.1017/S095047370000029X|jstor=25581717|issn=0950-4737}}</ref> After panchamrita is used in puja and abhisheka, it is distributed as [[Prasāda|prasad]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/food/mahashivratri-2018-importance-of-panchamrit-and-how-to-make-it-at-home-1808879|title=Happy Mahashivratri 2018: Importance Of Panchamrit And How To Make It At Home|website=NDTV.com|access-date=2020-03-05}}</ref>

==Preparation==
Panchamrita is prepared by mixing cow milk, curd, honey, jaggery, and ghee.
However, there may be certain regional variations in ingredients. Most south Indians add ripe banana<ref>{{cite book
| last = Karigoudar
| first = Ishwaran
| title = A populistic community and modernization in India
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nNYUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA30
| access-date = 2009-05-23| isbn = 9004047905
| year = 1977
}}</ref> as well. Panchamrita is an [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] preparation but has been manipulated in several places to cut costs and increase keeping value.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Some people use sugar instead of jaggery, which is not accepted by all, as sugar is not a natural element like jaggery and sugar is sometimes refined using [[bone char]]coal which makes it inappropriate to use for pooja.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}

In [[Palani Murugan temple]], Tamil Nadu, panchamrita consists of banana, sugar, ghee, honey, seedless dates, cardamom and sugar candy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.palanimurugantemple.tnhrce.in/facilities/panchamirtham.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714115849/http://www.palanimurugantemple.tnhrce.in/facilities/panchamirtham.html |archive-date=14 July 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The banana used is the Virupatchi variety, which grows only in the [[Palani hills]] and has very low water content.<ref>{{cite news|title=Palani temple to double panchamritam production|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-10-06/news/28460028_1_panchamirtham-palani-temple-prasadam|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=6 October 2009|location=Palani, India}}</ref>
[[File:Statue of Ahimsa 2.jpg|thumb|alt=|Panchamrit Abhishek of Sri Gomateshwara Jainism. ]]
[[Keralites]] may also include tender coconut. Some recipes also include grapes.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Nair
| first = K.K.
| title = Sages Through Ages, Proof of divinity given
| date = 2007-03-26
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ocKK64IZHakC&pg=PA111
| access-date = 2009-05-23| isbn = 9781418446895
}}</ref>

==Usage==
*It is used as an [[Sacrifice|offering]] during [[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]s.
*It is used as a libation during [[Abhisheka]].
*It is also used as a skin cleanser.
*It was introduced into the practice of [[African American]] [[Hoodoo (folk magic)|hoodoo folk-magic]] by the [[occult]] writer [[Henri Gamache]] during the 1940s.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Millett
| first = Deacon
| title = Hoodoo Honey and Sugar Spells: Sweet Love Magic in the Conjure Tradition
| publisher = Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
| date = 2013
| isbn = 978-0-9719612-4-1
}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{Citation
| last=Apte
| first=Vaman Shivram
| year=1965
| title=The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary
| place=Delhi
| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers
| edition=Fourth revised and enlarged
| isbn=81-208-0567-4
}}

{{Worship in Hinduism}}

[[Category:Objects used in Hindu worship]]
[[Category:Puja (Hinduism)]]
[[Category:Religious food and drink]]
[[Category:Food and drink in Hinduism]]

{{Hinduism-stub}}

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Panchamrita