Diwali is not only a festival of lights, but also of sweets. And among all the other traditional Indian sweets prepared during this festival, round white kheel batashas are the most famous and delicious ones.
Kheel Batashas are known for their calibre of intensifying the spirit of Diwali inside everyone. They are like small coins of happiness served on plates. They play a vital role in Indian houses during celebrations.
What Is Kheel Batasha?
Kheel Batasha is the combination of puffed rice and sugar that is often used as a piece of confectionery or sweet for traditional and religious purposes. It is mostly offered to Hindu deities as prasad in temples or households and prepared on religious occasions such as Diwali.
It is prepared around autumn when the country abounds in large amounts of rice and sugarcane. They can be stored over a long period of time and are easily transportable.
The dessert gained popularity because of its oversweet taste and, of course, because of its Indian touch. The religious emotions surrounding this particular sweet is what makes it more unique.
Historical Background
The process of making batasha is a distinctive Indian art, and it has been in the market since the time sugarcane was yielded as of one the most commercial crops, heavily exported through the spice and silk routes of the north.
The Bharbhunja is an ancient Hindu caste belonging to North India, who procured their name from their occupation of roasting bhunja or gram. They are the original makers of this sweet delicacy.
Also Read: Breakfast Babble: My Childhood Diwali Memories Were Made Of Bursting Crackers
Mythological Backstory
Mythology has it that these coin-shaped confectioneries had a striking role to play in the love story of Jahangir and Noor Jahan. Legends say that when Jahangir laid eyes on Mehr-un-Nissa/Noor Jahan in Meena Bazaar for the very first time, she was enjoying the sugary taste of batashas, and her mouth was full of them.
Significance Of Kheel Batasha During Diwali
These perfectly round-shaped sweets, made primarily of rice and sugar, have special significance on Diwali because paddy, being India’s most lucrative crop, is harvested in large quantities during this festival.
Kheel batashas are prepared on Diwali to pay homage to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber, the gods of wealth, so that in return they bless everyone with good fortune, good health, and happiness.
Similarly, astrology says that Shukragraha, or the planet Venus, which also ensures riches and prosperity, is most active during this time. Therefore, some people worship Shukragraha and prepare kheel batashas to please him.
The festive mood calls for mouth-watering desserts as they seem to heighten the sentiments of a traditional occasion. Be it laddoos, malpuas, barfis, gulab jamuns, or sandesh, nothing can beat the unique taste of kheel batashas. However, if you are diabetic, you must keep away from them at all costs.
Comment below if you have a sweet tooth and are a fan of kheel batashas.
Image Credits: Google Photos
Source: The Times Of India & blogger’s own opinion
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This post is tagged under: diwali, diwali 2022, lights, festival of lights, sweets, kheel Batasha, celebration, delicacy, Jahangir, Noor Jahan, sugar, rice, sugarcane, paddy harvest, autumn, festive mood, sweet taste, festival
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