The 2017 Bhog Prasad issue celebrates six traditional Indian temple offerings, showcasing the rich diversity of Indian cuisine and its connection with faith, devotion and culture :
Issued by India
Issued on Nov 3, 2017
Credits :
Stamps/Sheetlets/Miniature Sheet/First Day Cover/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Shri Brahm Prakash
Type : Miniature Sheets, Mint Condition
Colour : Multi Colour
Denomination : 500 Paise (6)
Sheetlets Printed : 1.1 Lakh
Miniature Sheet Printed : 1.1 Lakh
Printing Process : Wet Offset
Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad
About :
- Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines. Indian cuisine reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavours and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. Later, trade with British and Portuguese influence added to the already diverse Indian cuisine.
- The cuisine of India is one of the world’s most diverse cuisines, characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of the many spices, vegetables, grains and fruits grown across India. India’s religious beliefs and culture have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation’s cultural interactions with other societies.
- Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of 24 Commemorative Postage Stamps on the following four categories of Indian Cuisines in the form of Sheetlets and Miniature Sheets:
- Bhog Prasad:
- Some of these dishes are steeped in history while many of these special dishes are part of popular culture. The recipes of Temple Bhog Prasad’s have not changed over a long period of time which is high quality ingredients and large scale cooking. But the X-factor is probably the devotion and dedication of cooks at the temple kitchens. The six types of Bhog Prasad’s that are being depicted through postage stamps are Modak, Mahaprasad-Rice Dal, Chhappan Bhog, Peda, Sandesh & Tirupati Laddoo.
- Modak is an Indian sweet which has a filling of freshly grated coconut and jaggery while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khova or maida flour. It is considered as favourite sweet of the Hindu deity, Ganesha.
- Mahaprasad is the term applied to items offered to Lord Jagannath in the holy Temple of Puri, located in Odisha, India. It includes different types of rice like ghee rice, mixed rice, cumin seed and ginger rice and Dal like sweet dal, plain dal mixed with vegetables, mixed Dal etc.
- Chhappan Bhog means 56 dishes which are offered to deity. The preparation of 56 different items for the occasion itself is a festival that enriches the culinary capacity of the region with amazing range of items and their variants.
- In Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, “Mathura ke Peda” is the favorite offering. These are made by cooking together fresh mawa, milk, sugar, and ghee with cardamom powder for flavour.
- Sandesh is a Bengali dessert created with milk and sugar which is commonly known as Sondesh in Bengal. Some recipes of Sandesh are prepared by chhena or paneer instead of milk itself.
- The practice of offering laddoo to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple was started in 1715. The items used for making Tirupati Laddoo’s are Gram flour, cashew nuts, cardamom, ghee, sugar, sugar candy and raisins. Tirupati Laddoo got Geographical indication tag which entitles that only Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams can make and sell it.
- Some of these dishes are steeped in history while many of these special dishes are part of popular culture. The recipes of Temple Bhog Prasad’s have not changed over a long period of time which is high quality ingredients and large scale cooking. But the X-factor is probably the devotion and dedication of cooks at the temple kitchens. The six types of Bhog Prasad’s that are being depicted through postage stamps are Modak, Mahaprasad-Rice Dal, Chhappan Bhog, Peda, Sandesh & Tirupati Laddoo.
- Bhog Prasad:
- Text : Based on the material available on internet.
