Sawan Somvar 2020 Vrat Food Ideas: Appeasing Lord Shiva

Today, we’re going to talk about something completely different. We’re talking about fasting. Not the kind that people have started taking up for the sake of losing weight, but the one that is dedicated to the Hindu lords. As a girl, my dadi made a habit out of telling me that I needed to do “somvar ka vrat” in order to appease the lords. Earlier, I used to practice those fasts without the knowledge of what I was doing and why I was doing it. As I grew older, I was able to place a face onto the somvar ka vrat. All this time, I had been dedicating my prayers to Lord Shiva.

Stories Behind Somvar Ka Vrat

For those who are unaware of this, Lord Shiva was the cosmic teacher of wisdom and the ultimate destroyer of all evils in the universe. My dadi believed, as do thousands of Hindu worshippers that fasting on a particular day is to appease a particular god. On Monday, fasting meant that you were calling to lord shiva to shower you with his blessings. The idea is to make a sacrifice in the form of food in order to come in notice of the lord to show your devotion and affection towards him. The belief is that if you fast on these days, you will be able to fulfill all that you desire and become a wiser person.

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There are several stories associated with fasting on Mondays. The first one is that of a poor brahmin who fasted every Monday of the week with full concentration to finally gain wealth because Lord Shiva became happy with his sense of worship. The other story is that of a wealthy couple praying lord Shiva everyday and holding a fast on every Monday in the hopes of being blessed with a son. Seeing their unwavering devotion, lord shiva blessed them with exactly what they wanted!

By keeping a fast, you’re also able to concentrate on other activities than the world desires like eating. This sort of sacrifice is known to be very important because food is the essence of life. There has been a debate for the longest time wondering if fasting is actually good for our health.

It is said that every week if you can have a fast from sunrise to sunset, you can keep away from a toxic diet. It also helps you reflect on your actions better and keep a check on unhinged desires and impulses. Fasting in the name of God is a great practice for those who want to concentrate on their personal growth and development.

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Foods To Relish While Fasting

Here are some easy recipe ideas you can enjoy while you are fasting. I love potatoes and you can prepare some delicious potato recipes for days you are fasting. Potatoes are the most versatile ingredient. Good thing is that they can also be eaten fried, sautéed, boiled as well as mashed on the days of vrat. You can make aloo ka halwa & aloo ka chila. Buckwheat is an important ingredient as well. Popularly known as kuttu ka aata, it can be used to make dishes like kuttu ka dosa, puris, etc. Alternate to kuttu ka aata is singhare ka atta and you can make a nice parantha or chapati mixing all these flours adding sendha namak, chilly powder, and make it more interesting by adding boiled and mashed potato to it while kneading the dough. Taking the ever favourite potatoes and kuttu ka aata, you can make pakores to eat on your vrat days. Ever heard of samosas that you can devour when you are on a vrat? When you make them with singhare ka atta, they become an instant favourite among everyone in your family! So here’s how you make your somvar vrat menu more interesting and fun whilst being spiritual.

Winner of Masterchef India season 2, Shipra Khanna is one of the most popular celebrity chefs in the country.

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