Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

, Karah Parshad (Punjabi: ਕੜਾਹ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦ ), alternatively known as Deg or Degh (literally meaning "cooking pot"), is a type of whole wheat flour

halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua, and other spellings; ) is a type of confectionery that is widely spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name is used for a broad va ...

made with equal portions of

whole-wheat flour Whole-wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (in the UK) is a powdery substance, a basic food ingredient, derived by grinding or mashing the whole grain of wheat, also known as the wheatberry. Whole-wheat flour is used in baking of breads ...

clarified butter Clarified butter is butter from which all milk solids have been removed. The result is a clear, yellow butter that can be heated to higher temperatures before burning. Typically, it is produced by melting butter and allowing the components to ...

, and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

and double quantity of water. It is offered to all visitors to the Darbar Sahib in a

Gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

Overview

It is regarded as a treat for attendees of gurmat seminars. As a sign of humanity and respect, visitors accept the Prashad sitting, with hands raised and cupped. The offering and receiving of this food is a vital part of

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

protocols. It has the same amount of whole-wheat flour, clarified butter and sugar, to emphasize the equality of men and women. The Sewadar serves it out of the same bowl to everyone in equal portions. The Karah prasad is a sacred food; if it is not accepted, it may be interpreted by some Sikhs as an insult. Prashad is also taken at the initiation ceremony of

Amrit Sanchar Amrit Sanskar (, pronunciation: , lit. "nectar ceremony") is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699. A Sikh who has been initiated into the ...

at the very end where it is shared out equally among all. It is a symbol showing that everyone is equal. The sacred food is also distributed during

Naam Karan Naam Karan () refers to the Sikh ceremony of naming a child, typically conducted at a Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship. The timing of the ceremony is flexible and not bound by a strict schedule. The well-being of both the mother and child is ...

and

Antam Sanskar Antam Sanskar (Gurmukhi: ਅੰਤਮ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ ''atama sasakāra'') refers to the funeral rites in Sikhism. ''Antam'' (or ''Antim'') means "final", while '' sanskar'' means "rite". There are three major components of a Sikh funeral: ...

ceremonies. The

is the place where Sikhs go to worship. Gurdwaras can be any size or shape, but one thing they always have is a kitchen, or

langar Langar may refer to: Community eating *Langar (Sikhism) *Langar (Sufism) Places Afghanistan *Langar, Badakhshan, Afghanistan *Langar, Bamyan, Afghanistan *Langar, Faryab, Afghanistan *Langar, Herat, Afghanistan *Langar, Wardak, Afghanistan ...

. People can go there for food, and can even rest there for the night. Every day a meal is prepared here for as many people who want to eat and its free of charge.

History

According to W.H. McLeod, the practices surrounding karah prasad were presumably taken from the Hindu custom of offering prasad in temples.

Variants

In Pakistan, visiting Sikh '' yatri'' pilgrims are given ''pinni parshad'', prepared by adding semolina to sattu, wheat, or ordinary flour. The wheat flour is heated in a large pot and desi ghee is added to the pot. After the oil is absorbed, refined crushed sugar is mixed in. Dried fennel seeds and thinly-sliced almonds are crushed and mixed in. The resultant pinni parshad can last for several months whilst still being edible. The reason Sikh pilgrims are given pinni parshad insead of halwa parshad is due to halwa parshad being more perishable, thus one cannot present it after long periods of time as a ''tabarruk''.

References

{{reflist Sikh practices Religious food and drink Confectionery

Overview

History

Variants

See also

References