Why to have Kanji and Rajgira (Amaranth) ladoo in Basant Ritu ?
Ayurveda is the science of life. The main aim of Ayurveda is to maintain the health of a healthy person. For maintain the health, Ayurveda emphasizes on right food. The ideology of Ayurveda is that the right wholesome food is the base of health while unwholesome food is the root cause of all diseases. To assure that people should eat right food in the right season, our ancient sages included those foods in daily life sometimes as offerings (Prashad) to God and sometimes as a ritual on a specific festival. Kanji and Rajgira Laddu are such two food articles that have been included in our customs. Kanji is a must drink on the occasion of Holi while Rajgira Laddu are offered as Prasad to Lord Shiva on the occasion of Mahashivratri. These Rajgira Laddu are also consumed in Chaitra Navratri. This whole concept is very scientific.
Mahashivratri and Holi are the festivals of Basant Ritu. As per Ayurveda, there is hampered digestion and vitiation of Kapha in Basant Ritu. This leads to many diseases like cough, indigestion, bloating, constipation, fever etc in Basant Ritu. To maintain the health of people, the ancient sages of Ayurveda included remedies in the form of customs in daily life.
Kanji is a fermented drink prepared out of rice traditionally. The other ingredients of Kanji include water, radish, black mustard (rai), rock salt and
mustard oil. The water of boiled rice is mixed with rest ingredients and is fermented for about 10 days. The sour drink gets ready to be served. Kanji pacifies the vitiated Kapha Dosha. It increases the desire for food and relish and aids in the process of digestion. As it balances Kapha Dosha, the seasonal diseases that occur due to vitiation of Kapha Dosha subside naturally. Along with improving digestion, it helps in reliving constipation. Kanjii also improves the function of kidneys and urinary bladder. Thus, Kanji helps in flushing the toxins out of the body. Apart from this, Kanji can be used as gargle to improve oral hygiene. It cleanses oral cavity and eliminates bad breath and stiffness. As the base ingredient of Kanji is rice, it is also a good source of nutrients. People feel lethargic in this season due to increased Kapha and indigestion. Kanji improves both of these conditions that’s why drinking Kanji in this season also removes tiredness and lethargy.
Similarly, Rajgira Laddu are prepared traditionally in every home in this season. These Laddu are offered as Prasad to Lord Shiva and are consumed in Chaitra Navratri also.
Rajgira(amaranth) is a one type of millet of India. It grown everywhere in India. It is natural detoxifying agent. It eliminates toxins out of the body. Like Kanji, Rajgira also improves digestion and balances Kapha. It has the natural tendency to purify blood. Thus, it protects from many diseases like fever, allergies, rashes and other skin diseases. Rajgira is also helps in treating constipation. It acts as mild laxative. With all these qualities, it is a good source of nutrition. Rajgira is a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. Zinc and iron present in Rajgira helps in improving immunity and anemia. Being a rich source of nutrients, it is crucial for growing children. Apart from all these benefits, Rajgira is also beneficial for women. It is good for women suffering from leucorrhea. Women who suffer from repeated abortion should include Rajgira in their diet. Also it is good for lactation mothers. Rajgira improves the milk production in lactating mothers.
Thus, it is evident that our traditions are very scientific. The ancient sages of Ayurveda were very wise. They incorporated the necessary seasonal foods in customs and traditions. By this, the whole population can consume those food articles and remain healthy.
Eat Healthy! Stay Healthy!
This article has been written by Vd. Anubha Chaudhary