Panchamrutham

Banana, Curd, Milk, Honey and Ghee

Pancha means five and amrutham means nectar. It is a sweet concoction prepared using five ingredients and is made especially for abhishekams. Abhishekam is the process of bathing the deity. According to Siva Agamas (pooja rules) abhishekam is considered as one part of the shodashopachara pooja. Conducting abhishekam (Ritual bathing) with panchamrutham is believed to bring wealth and prosperity.

We do panchamrutham when we perform Sathya Narayana Swamy vratham especially the newly married couple and also during Gruha pravesham (House Warming). When I was a child, I love the divine taste of this panchamrutham. I will never miss the invitations for Sathya Narayana Vratham. Though, not having enough patience to sit for such long hours with folded legs and listen to all the chants and the stories, I force my self to sit and wait for the arutha gadiya which is eating time for Panchamrutham.

There are lots of variations. Few people do mix sugar, grapes, dates, Thulsi along with the below ingredients. But we follow the below procedure.

Ingredients:

1 Cup – Milk
1 Cup – Yogurt
½ Cup – Honey
1 Ripe banana
1 tbsp - Ghee

Roughly mash the banana with hands and mix all the other ingredients one after the other.

                                                                Panchamrutham

Note: Measures of ingredients for Panchamrutham are never exact