PURPLE NUTSEDGE PRASADAM AT SRIMUSHNAM TEMPLE

 

 

 

Srimushnam -The town is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. It is one of the eight Svayam Vyakta Kshetrams of Vaishnavism and is known for Bhu Varaha Swamy temple, which is dedicated to Varaha, the boar-avatar of Vishnu, and his consort, Lakshmi.

 Srimushnam Bhuvaraha Swamy incarnates as a boar. Koraikilangu is the favorite food of the boar. For that reason, Koraikilangu prasad is given here.

The special feature of this temple is Mustha Sooranam, made out of koraikilangu.

 Those who visit Srimushnam should not miss the special prasadam offered in this temple which is not available anywhere in the world. It is called Koraikizhangu (Purple Nut sludge/Nut grass) prasadam.

Since the Lord had taken the form of Varaham, Koraikizhangu which is the favored food for boars, is mixed with rice flour, powdered sugar, ghee, and cardamom, and a Laddu-like prasadam is made.

 It is also called Mustha Choornam (Mustha in Sanskrit means Koraikizhangu) and it is given at 10 am after the Thirumanjanam is over. Perhaps the word Mustham might have been corrupted over a period of time to become Mushnam and then Srimushnam.

 The Varaha temple at Srimushnam in the Cuddalore district is home to this musta churnam, the powdered roots of a medicinal tuber that grows wild along the edges of fields. The fine powder, dry-roasted and added in small quantities to rice flour along with edible camphor, palm sugar, and ghee, is shaped into hard, tennis ball-sized laddoos. Varaha, being a wild boar, is said to be fond of digging up the tuber,  It costs Rs 200 to make a kilogram of musta laddoo,- a coarse, herbal ball of flour wrapped in a dry leaf and tied with a twine, is sold at  Rs 10 each.