With its melting pot of cultures, Visakhapatnam is a home for several communities who have brought with them their culture and tradition to the city. Ahead of Vinayaka Chavithi, Vizagites talk about some of their traditional festive Ganesh Chaturthi delicacies and how they celebrate the festival every year.
At Bhagyashree Barbadikar’s home, the festivities of Vinayaka Chavithi or Ganesh Chaturthi are synonymous with a grand feast with all the traditional delicacies of Maharashtra. The preparations begin days ahead with the smell of the Ganesha’s favourite modak made in big batches wafting through her home. “It has been more than 16 years since we moved to Visakhapatnam, but I celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with the same fervour as I did back in my hometown of Nagpur,” says Bhagyashree. Her festive food offering includes khirapat, which is a favourite prasadam offered to Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra. “It is a mixture of dry coconut, sugar and dry fruits and is an easy dish to make. Every Maharashtrian household makes khirapat on the first day of the festival and offers it to guests visiting their homes during the 10-day festivities,” says Bhagyashree. The other offerings are dal kakdi (soaked raw chana dal and cucumber pieces), pedha (a sweet), fruit, chana dal (whole and coarsely ground) and cooked black chana dal.
