ll Om Shree Ganeshaya Namah ll ll Shree Saraswati Mata ll ll Shree Lunai Mata ll Lunai Mataji s Nav Nived Offering Cooking Guide & Information Prepared by: Diptiben Aashishbhai Yadav Website: www.yadavfamily.co.uk Nived Introduction Mataji is represented as the benevolent Mother where she is the personification of eternal peace. Prayers are offered to 'Maa' who is the manifestation of the absolute energy that represents the universe. Hindus believe that the Maa stands for everything in the universe. Maa as the Universal Energy is worshipped. Hindu religion has given thousands of names for Gods and Goddesses. Kul-Devi is generally identified as a family deity playing a vital role within a community and helps a family face unexplained hurdles in life. Each family has its own Kul -Devi. The Yadav family Kul- Devi is Lunai Mataji. These deities are worshipped in the temples as well at home. Nived (Offering) is offered to our Kul-Devi, to whom we call upon to help, guide and protect us. I have put this guide together to help us understand how to complete a full 9 Nived offering to Lunai Mataji. I ask for Mataji s forgiveness for any mistakes I may have made in preparing this guide. DiptiBen AashishBhai Yadav Preparation There are several important pre-requisites before a Nived offering take place: 1. You cannot do a Nived in the Gujarati month of Jeth or Bhadharvo 2. A Nived offering to Lunai Mataji can only take place on a Tuesday or Sunday 3. Any person either preparing or involved in the Nived offering must NOT be in a Menstruation cycle. 4. Anyone taking part in a Nived must Bathe fully including a full hair wash and must not touch anyone after their Snan (Holy bath) 5. All Samagri (Puja Items) & Ingredients must be new and untouched by anyone who may have been on their Menstrual cycle. 6. Fresh clean clothes must be worn by anyone taking part in the Nived. 7. Shoes must be removed in the prayer room 8. Women must cover their head during the offerings being given and must take out a Laj (Full face covered) when taking Darshan of Sura Pura Dada.
Nav Nived (9 Offerings) 1. Kheer Rotli for Lunai Mataji 1. Kheer Rotli for Lunai Mataji (Cont) The complete Nived offering you have to prepare for the Devis & Devtas are 9 offerings which are listed & described in detail in the next few pages: 1. Kheer Rotli (X5) Rice Pudding and Par 1 layer Chapatti 2. Shree Far (X2) - Coconut with hairs/fibres cleared & sound of water inside. 3. Tal-Vat Sesame Seeds grinded with Gor (Jaggery) 4. Lapsi Made from broken wheat (Ghav) and Gor Ghee 5. Khichri Plain Rice with Split Moong dal boiled together 6. Kang No Dholo Boiled Kang (white lentil) 7. Ladvo Chapatti Flour with Ghee & Gor 8. Juwar Na Thethwa Boiled/ Steam Millet granules 9. Choka Boiled rice with Gor and Ghee (clarified butter) N.B when measuring out ingredients you must use the measure of sava muthi one and a quarter fist full or bowl full. Kheer Kheer Ingredients: Basmati Rice, Full Fat Milk, Sugar, Ghee, Water To prepare the Kheer, take sava muthi of chokha, wash and par boil & drain. Using the milk measure double the amount of milk to rice and warm on a gentle heat. Add the rice and allow to simmer on gentle heat. Add Sugar to taste. Once the milk evaporates and thickens the Kheer is ready. Serve in a small steel bowl with a small amount of Ghee on top. Rotil Rotli Ingredients: Chapatti Flour, Ghee, Hot water To prepare the Dough, take Sava Muthi of flour and a small amount of Ghee as the Moun (Shortness) mix with fingertips and the consistency should be like breadcrumbs, add more Ghee if required to get this consistency. Add hot water and bind to a Dough. Take off 2 small balls, dip in dry flour and flatten both with your hand on the wooden patlo (rolling surface). One side of each spread some Ghee all over and some Dry flour and over with the other flattered one. Dip this in flour and roll out until about 2mm thick. On a hot lodi (Hot flat pan) Cook rotli on both sides. You will be able to peel off the 2 sides once cooked, spread a little Ghee on the opened side. For the offering you must have 5 Pars sides served next to the Kheer on steel plate. Tip: if they don t peel make sure you add more Ghee & dry flour
2. Shree-Far for Matri Mataji 3. Tal-Vat for Khetalya Baba 4. Lapsi for Mataji Shree Far (Nariyar) Shree Far ingredients: Two Brown Coconuts To select a good Coconut shake and listen for water, also flick the coconut and listen to the sound, if it has a distinctive echo then this will have water and will be moist when opened. Ensure by checking under the fibres that there are no dents of cracks. To prepare the Shree Far, trim off the excess fibres with a knife to clean and neaten up and wash both and place on a plate for offering. The Shree Far can be Vadhaved (Opened) Just before the offering is made and is normally completed by a male. Hit on hard surface with medium force and turn each time and a crack will form. Keep a bowl aside to collate the water as the water will drip around the 3rd hit. Once the water is collated a couple of final hits and the coconut will split into 2. Take out the Coconut and cut into pieces approx 1inch by 1inch Tal- Vat Tal-Vat Ingredients: White sesame seeds, Gor - (Jaggery) To prepare the Tal-Vat, take sava muthi of Sesame seeds, and place into a Mortar and begin to crush the seeds with a Pestle. Add some Gor to the mortar and crush in the gor. The Gor will melt and break down and the Tal-Vat is ready. Place in a small steel bowl and ready for serve. For offering. Lapsi Lapsi Ingredients: Broken Wheat, water, Gor & Ghee, To prepare the Lapsi, take sava muthi of Broken wheat, and place into a small non stick pan and begin to roast flour in at a low heat, until the colour turns light brown. Add some Gor & Ghee (to taste) to a cup of hot water. Add the mixture to the dry roasted flour and stir quickly, the grains will soak up the liquid and thicken. Place in a small steel bowl and add some ghee to the top ready for offering. Tip: Procedure is similar to making a Seero.
5. Khichri for Dhaniyai Mata 6. Kang no Dholo for Matri Mataji 7. Ladvo for Ganpati Bapa Khichri Khichri Ingredients: Basmati Rice, Split Moong Dal, Water To prepare the Khichri, take sava muthi of Basmati & Moong dal Mixed (half & half of each), wash thoroughly and place into a non-stick pan. Add water and bring to the boil. Leave onto simmer until both ingredients have cooked and mixed together. Serve in a small steel bowl ready for offering. Tip If you leave the raw mixture in water for a couple hours it will cook quicker. Kang no Dholo Kang Ingredients: Kang & Water To prepare the Kang, take sava muthi of the Kang and wash thoroughly and place into a pressure cooker, add water triple the height of the Kang and steam for about 30 mins. Serve in a small steel bowl ready for offering. Tip If you leave the raw granules in water for a couple hours it will cook quicker as Kang is a hard pulse. Ladvo Ladvo Ingredients: Chapatti Flour, Ghee, Hot water To prepare the Dough, take Sava Muthi of flour and a small amount of Ghee as the Moun (Shortness) mix with fingertips and the consistency should be like breadcrumbs, add more ghee if required to get this consistency. Add hot water and bind to a Dough. Split the Dough into 4 parts (4 Ladvas), Roll our a 5 mm thick Bhakri (thick Rotli) on the wooden patlo (rolling surface). On a hot lodi (Hot flat pan) cook the Bhakri on both sides on low heat so it cooks through. Repeat for other 3 Bhakhris. Break the Bhakri s and grind to large lentil size granules. Add warm Gor & Ghee (to taste) to the Ladvo granules and split into equal portions and bind in a Ladvo shape, the Gor & Ghee will cool and become solid. For the offering you must have 2 Ladvos served on a steel plate. Tip: If the Ladvo breaks at add a little more Gor to aid binding.
8. Juwar na Thethwa 9. Chokha for Sura Pura Dada Vidhi Juwar na Thethwa Juwar na Thethwa Ingredients: Juwar (Millet) & Water To prepare the Thethwa, take sava muthi of the Juwar and wash thoroughly and place into a pressure cooker, add water triple the height of the Juwar and steam for about 15mins. Serve in a small steel bowl as offering. Tip If you leave the raw granules in water for a couple hours it will cook quicker. Chokha Chokha Ingredients: Basmati rice, Water, Gor & Ghee To prepare the Chokha, take sava muthi of the Basmati Rice wash and boil & drain the rice. Add Gor & Ghee (to taste) to the rice. Serve in a small steel bowl ready for offering. There are a few steps summarised below to carry out during the Nived offering: 1. Place a Patlo (Table) near the Kitchen sink (Paniyaru) or near the Shrine. 2. Cover with Foil or a new piece of cloth. 3. You can place a picture of Lunai Mataji but is not mandatory. 4. You need to prepare 2 divas with a light & some incense sticks and a glass of water 5. With your right hand take some cold water and en-circle the Puja Patlo 4 times. 6. From your Thal of offerings (9 Niveds) offer all 9 items in small piles either 5 or 7 times (Odd number most people use 7 times) in a row. 7. Light your diva & incense 8. With your right hand take some cold water and en-circle the Puja Patlo 4 times again. 9. Yadav Kutumb (family) to ask for Darshan and Prayers and ensure Ladies has taken out Laj Full head cover. 10. Nived Parsad must be eaten on the same day and must not be taken out of the house.