Gopalkala for Janmashtami

(Image courtesy Bhakti Vedanta Book trust International )

Janmashtami , birth of Lord krishna is celebrated all over India. Each place celebrates this occasion in different ways.

In Maharashtra, people make a human pyramid , the person on top breaks the earthern pot filled with curds. This is called Dahi Handi.

Gopalkala is made as an offering /prasad . Lord Krishna was known for his love for milk, curd and butter.

Krishna would graze cattle with his fellow cowherd friends. At lunch time He would mix all the food bought by his friends with His own, and made a Kala. So kala is a mixture of food with milk, curd, and butter.

Even now this custom is followed and served as Prasad.

There is no hard and fast rule or any recipe for this Kala.

The main ingredients are poha , curd ,sugar, milk , buttermilk, salt. The kala looks a little dry after the poha soaks up the liquids.

-Combine all this -

1 cup poha ( beaten rice) washed and drained

1/2 cup murmura ( puffed rice)

1/2 cup Lahiya made from dry roasting millets ( this is used during Laxmi Puja during Diwali)

2 cups fresh  curds preferably made from full cream milk
1/4 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar or to taste

salt to taste

2 green chillies finely cut

some finely cut coriander leaves

Few pieces each of Cucumber, banana, and guava.

Some pieces of Lemon Pickle

Some Green chilli pickle

1 Table spoon soaked bengal gram dal .

The poha soaks up the liquids and becomes dry after some time.

This is my entry for Latha’s event on Janmashtami