Navdhānya or Navadhaniyam refers to nine

food grain Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

s namely

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, paddy,

pigeon pea The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') or toor dal is a perennial legume from the family (biology), family Fabaceae native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being com ...

, hyacinth bean,

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual plant, annual legume of the family (biology), family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, cultivated for its edible seeds. Its different types are variously known as gram," Bengal gram, ga ...

mung bean The mung bean or green gram (''Vigna radiata'') is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Green Mung Bean Extract Powder Phaseolus aureus Roxb Vigna radiata L R Wilczek. MDidea-Extracts P ...

sesame Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for ...

, black gram and horse gram. Navdhānya means "nine grains" in several Indian languages and form an essential part of

Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally av ...

Hindu theology

Hindu cosmology Hindu cosmology is the description of the universe and its states of matter, cycles within time, physical structure, and effects on living entities according to Hindu texts. Hindu cosmology is also intertwined with the idea of a creator who allo ...

, Navdhānya are considered to represent the

Navagraha The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( "nine") and ''graha'' ( "planet, seizing, laying hold of, holding"). The nine part ...

(nine planets). The grains represent the following nodes:

Worship and rituals

It is customary for Hindus to use Navdanya during certain rituals and auspicious events. During traditional Hindu initiation ceremonies such as Upanayana that marks the acceptance of a student by a preceptor and

Vidyāraṃbhaṃ Vidyarambham (), also rendered Akshara Abhyasam (), and Mutal Eluttu () is a Hinduism, Hindu Samskara (rite of passage), initiation ceremony that is performed before a child begins their formal education. This ritual is dedicated to the godde ...

that is performed before a child begins their formal education involve the offering of navdhanya. During festivals such as Saraswati Puja, a new scroll and writing equipment are placed on the navdhanya. In

Mariamman Mariamman, often abbreviated to Amman (), is a Hindu Dravidian folk religion List of rain deities, goddess of weather, predominantly venerated in the rural areas of South India. Her festivals are held during the late summer/early autumn season ...

worship in

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

, the sprouts of these food grains, traditionally known as ''mullaipaari'' forms an important part of festivals and rituals. The seeds are grown on temporary trays or pots and are either allowed to sprout in the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

or carried to the temples after sprouting. If the seeds sprout healthily, it is considered as a good sign and an indication of an upcoming good harvest.

References

{{reflist Navagraha Hindu astronomy Hindu astrology Hindu theology Indian cuisine