According to Hindu mythology, modak is believed to be Ganesh’s favorite food. And hence, he is also known as Modakapriya, someone who likes modak. Now here is the twist, around 100 families of the Kshatriya community offer liquor and non-vegetarian food as ‘naivedya’ to Lord Ganesha in Bhagyanagar village of Karnataka’s Koppal district.
Gone are those days when modaks and kosambris used to be offered as ‘naivedya’ to Lord Ganesha on Chaturthi. Residents in this village offer whiskey and chicken to the deity because they believe that Ganesha will bless them with wealth and joy. During the festival, a bottle of liquor is placed in front of the idol and sometimes sprinkled on it as part of the ‘naivedya’.
Why this Tradition?
Raghu Bhavikatti, 30, says, “We believe that Ganesha is not satisfied with just vegetarian dishes. Hence needs to be offered non-vegetarian food – in addition to the milk and tender coconut water that is generally offered.”
However, the menu changes each day as one day chicken is offered and on the other days, fish or mutton is offered. During that time, liquor is also sprinkled on the idol as part of the naivedya. Raghu’s grandparents and great grandparents have been following this tradition. They believed that good will happen if liquor and non-vegetarian food are offered as a sacrament.
Point to be noted, This tradition is only practiced at home. The liquor and non-vegetarian offering are not offered during the street celebration. Additionally, this custom is not followed in the entire village but only by a certain community.
