Gokulashtami, or the birthday of the Krishna is a grand festival in Tamil Nadu. On this day, homes across the state celebrate the mischief and childhood of little Lord Krishna. In tune with that, families dress up their little ones as Krishna or Radha on this day and adorn them with peacock feather and white beads. In a very unique and warm ritual, every household welcomes the little Balakrishna into their homes with baby footsteps outside their homes. Kids with little feet become the star of this day, when they are called upon to dip their feet into a flour mix and for once given a free license to run around with flour feet in their homes. These footsteps are believed to be the beacons for Lord Krishna to walk into the homes, enjoy the feast offered to him and bless the family with love and prosperity.
Like all Indian festivals, food plays an important role in the Gokulashtami celebrations. Below mentioned special recipes are delicious and must have. So, here is a collection of special recipes made on Gokulashtami to appease Lord Krishna (and other food lovers too!).
Seedai
These are little sweet balls that you can just pop in endlessly. They are made of maida and can be customized in various ways and savoury flavours. A bowl full of delicious seedais means an uninterrupted fun time. These little crispy balls have the magic of stopping time.
Murukku
Who can say no to these crispy savoury spirals? There are a lot of varieties of this dish based on the types of spirals, size and taste. Mostly it is a savoury dish and it is an art to weave these spirals correctly. Making murukkus at home is a celebration in itself for the children to see the ladies at work making these unique patterns with dough.
Rava Laddus
How can we miss sweets when Lord Krishna is visiting? In Tamil Nadu, rava laddus are famously associated with Gokulashtami and they are very different from the traditional laddoos we get to eat often. These cute white sweet balls melt easily in your mouth bringing back nostalgic memories from your childhood.
Butter, of course…
Krishna likes all the above mentioned dishes, but he still has a special soft corner for pure melting butter and that is why families serve up slices of butter for him in the offerings. And just like Krishna, the little children in the homes get to eat and play with butter and smear it all over their faces for this day.
In all, Gokulashtami is all about welcoming Krishna into our homes in the form of the little kids and celebrating the mischievous spirit of the Lord. So, get started on your recipes and dress up your children. Gokulashtami is right here.
