Amidst Covid 19 pandemic, Odisha celebrates ‘Pakhala Divas’

Bhubaneswar (Reporters Today Bureau):  Amidst Covid 19 pandemic, people observed Pakhala Divas. Many people have celebrated it from home and many have gone to the hotels and restaurants to taste the bowl of cooked rice soaked in the water (Pakhala).

Pakhala Divas is celebrated every year on March 20. The Odia delicacy Pakhala was first introduced in the recipes of Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri.

Pakhala is a traditional Odia cuisine consisting of cooked rice soaked in lightly fermented water. The water of the dish is known as ‘Torani’.

Along with the fermented rice, to make more delicious cumin seeds, fried onions, curry leaves, curd, and cucumber are added and it is served with fried potato (aloo bhaja), fried brinjal (baigana bhaja), flower fry (kakharu phula bhaja). fried badi (badi churaa), saga bhajaa, fish fry (maaccha bhaja)

There are many classifications of this dish such as Jeera Pakhala, Dahi Pakhala, Garama Pakhala, and Basi Pakhala.

Sudarsan Pattnaik, an Internationally acclaimed sand artist in order mark this occasion created a sand sculpture on Puri beach

Greetings on #PakhalaDibasa. My sandart at Puri beach to celebrate Odisha’s most favourite wholesome meal. pic.twitter.com/OOJCWQIKo9

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) March 20, 2021