A Festive Delight for Guru Purnima

Today is a wonderful, faith-filled day. Today is Guru Purnima, a religious festival dedicated to offering respect to all the spiritual and academic gurus. It is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.

It is observed on the full moon day (Purnima) in the month of June–July.

Understanding

The word guru is derived from the Sanskrit root words, gu and ru. Gu means “darkness” or “ignorance“, and ru means “dispeller.”  A guru is the dispeller of darkness or ignorance.

Why Is This Holiday Important?

In addition to having religious importance, this festival has great importance for Indian academics and scholars. On this day in India, Indian academics celebrate this day by thanking their teachers as well as remembering past teachers and scholars.

For Buddhists, the festival is celebrated in honour of the Buddha, who gave his first sermon on this day.

In the yogic tradition, the day is celebrated as the occasion when Shiva became the first guru, as he began the transmission of Yoga.

In Vedic Hindu tradition, the day is celebrated in honour of the sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions and a symbol of the guru-shishya tradition.

Here’s a simple recipe. It is a traditional Indian sweet that you can prepare for Guru Purnima, Coconut Ladoos. These sweets are a delightful treat that is often made for  Guru Purnima. Enjoy making and sharing them with your loved ones!:

Coconut Ladoo (Coconut Sweet Balls) Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded coconut (fresh or desiccated)
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• Chopped nuts (optional, for garnish)

Cooking Instructions

1.    Heat a pan or skillet over medium heat and add the shredded coconut.
2.    Dry roast the coconut for 2-3 minutes until it becomes slightly aromatic. This helps in enhancing the flavor of the coconut.
3.     Add the condensed milk and mix well.
4.    Cook the mixture on low to medium heat, stirring continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pan. The mixture will gradually thicken.
5.   When the mixture thickens (after about 5-7 minutes), add the cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down slightly until it is comfortable to touch.
7.   Grease your palms with a little ghee and take small portions of the mixture to roll into round balls (ladoos).
8. Garnish the ladoos with chopped nuts like almonds or pistachios. Press them gently onto the ladoos when they are still warm so that they stick.
9. Allow the coconut ladoos to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for a few days.