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Navratri 2019: Why You Cannot Have Onion and Garlic During Navratri
The season of festivals is here and there is a lot of excitement in the air. The first in the line-up of festivals is Navratri which began on 10 October 2018 and will go on for 9 days till 18th October 2018 . It is celebrated in the holy month of Ashwin, and is also known as Maha Navaratri. Devotees worship the nine forms of Durga also called the Nav Durga during this period with plenty of offerings and bhog and observe special fasts to seek her blessings.
It is believed that during these 9 days, Goddess Durga descends from the heavens above and takes shelter amongst her devotees to bless them with strength, power and prosperity. During the Navratri fasts, people follow a strict vegetarian diet and refrain from consuming certain foods like cereals, grains, non-vegetarian food, regular salt and alcohol. They prepare their daily meals with vrat ingredients like Singhara atta, buckwheat flour, sabudana,fresh fruits, sendha namak and samak ke chaawal. If you happen to observe these ritualistic fasts, or know someone who is keeping them, you may know of the practice of not including onions and garlic in the special Vrat ka Khana or fasting meal. In fact, people who do not observe these fasts also refrain from consuming onion, garlic, non-vegetarian food and alcohol during the nine days of Navratri
But, do you know why you are told to avoid onion and garlic even though they are categorised as vegetarian foods?
According to Hindu and ancient Ayurvedic understanding, foods can be divided into three categories, depending upon their nature and the response they trigger in the body after consumption. These three categories are as follows.
1.Raajasic food
2.Taamasic food
3.Saatvik food
The word Saatvik comes from the word, Sattva – which means the one that is pure, natural, vital, energetic, clean and conscious. Saatvik foods include most of your vrat ingredients like fresh fruits, cooling curd, pure rock salt, seasonal vegetables like pumpkin and lauki and subtle spices like cumin, coriander and black pepper. On the other hand, the words ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’ refer to something that is destructive, resentful, unripe and weak.
While fasting for Navratri, people opt to go for saatvik food. Besides the religious aspect, there is a scientific reason for this too. Sharad Navratri falls around the months of October-November which usually mark the transition period from autumn to winter. During this time of seasonal change, our immunity tends to decline and therefore, it helps to switch to light saatvik food that does not burden your digestive system. It may also help in keeping away from toxins that may breed in greasy, heavy or unhealthy food, and thus, cleanses your body of all impurities.
Onion and garlic are categorized as Taamasic in nature, and have been linked to invoke carnal energies in the body. Onions are also said to produce heat in the body. Therefore, they are avoided during the Navratri fasts..
Ancient Vedic texts also regard salty, spicy, strong and pungent foods to take away one’s focus from the devotion of the Lord.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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