Annakut

Deepavali is the day of the annakūṭa, the "mountain of food." THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has requested all of KAILASA's ashrams, centres, and temples to make as much as possible, offer it to the deities, and share it with everyone.

Significance

The tradition, alive in Varanasi where Annapurni is offered a chariot made of laddus, is to cook a great number of items in great quantity, offer them to the ishta devata, and share them with the world — enriching the world.

“Diwali is the day of 'anna koota' where you cook large number of items in large quantity, offer it to the 'ishta devata' and share it with the world, enriching the world with the sweet.” — THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

The Ritual

A great monument of laddus, rice offerings, savouries, and sweets is prepared and offered before the deities of THE SPH as Maha Naivedya, worshipped with Deeparathana, and then distributed as prasadam to all who come. The Taittiriya Upanishad says annaṃ bahu kurvīta — let food be made in plenty.

When

• Sun 8 Nov (Naraka Chaturdashi & Deepavali) · 8:00 PM IST (Sun 8 Nov, 10:30 AM ET) · All KAILASAs

Shastra Pramana

अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत । तद्व्रतम् ।

annaṃ bahu kurvīta | tad vratam |

Translation: “Let food be made in plenty — that is the vow.” — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.9.1

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥

ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ deham āśritaḥ | prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṃ caturvidham ||

Translation: “Becoming the fire of digestion, I dwell in the bodies of living beings; united with the inhaled and exhaled breath, I digest the four kinds of food.” — Bhagavad Gītā 15.14

Benefits

• Food security for all one's future generations.
• The awakening of the amrita — the ambrosia — within one's being.
• Going beyond hunger, thirst, and the bondage of food-related patterns.