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Craft, Sip, and Celebrate: A Ram Navami Feast of Flavors and Fun!

Craft, Sip, and Celebrate: A Ram Navami Feast of Flavors and Fun!

TINA KHATRI

This Ram Navami weekend, engage in meaningful and fun activities with your family!
Start with making a traditional Panakam drink, made with jaggery, ginger, cardamom, and lemon, perfect for staying hydrated and energized.
Add a personal touch to your celebrations by creating a DIY Pom-Pom Bandhanwar, a colorful and festive decor to hang around your home. For a healthy treat, try the Cucumber Kosambari recipe, a refreshing salad with cucumbers, moong dal, and spices.
Lastly, dive into the inspiring story of Jatayu’s sacrifice from the Ramayana with a fill-in-the-blank activity, learning about his bravery, selflessness, and his fight to protect Sita.
These activities will not only keep you entertained but also deepen your connection to the spirit of Ram Navami.
Make the most of this weekend by embracing traditions, crafting, cooking, and reflecting on meaningful stories. Celebrate with joy and create lasting memories!


Panakam Recipe (Ram Navami Special Drink)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup grated Jaggery
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 tsp dry ginger powder (or fresh ginger juice)
• 1 tsp black pepper powder (optional)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
• Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions:
1. Dissolve jaggery in water, heat until completely dissolved.
2. Add ginger powder, black pepper, cardamom powder, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add lemon juice for extra tang (optional).
4. Let it cool to room temperature or refrigerate.
5. Strain the mixture (optional) and pour into glasses.
6. Garnish with mint leaves and serve with ice cubes if desired.
Benefits:
• Hydrating, cooling, and energizing.
• Jaggery boosts iron levels, ginger aids digestion, and cardamom refreshes.

DIY Pom-Pom Bandhanwar
Materials:
• Wool yarn, scissors, needle & thread (or glue), decorative items (optional).
Instructions:
1. Make Pom-Poms: Wrap yarn around fingers/fork 30-40 times, tie in middle, cut loops, trim into round shape.
2. Prepare Thread: Cut strong thread/twine to desired length (3-4 feet).
3. Attach Pom-Poms: Sew or glue pom-poms onto the string, spacing evenly.
4. Add Embellishments: Insert beads, sequins, or bells between pom-poms (optional).
5. Hang: Secure knots at both ends and hang across doors or windows.

Cucumber Kosambari Recipe
Ingredients:
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped
• ½ cup split green gram (moong dal), soaked for 30 minutes
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh coconut, grated (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Few curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions:
1. Drain and rinse soaked moong dal.
2. In a bowl, combine cucumber, moong dal, green chilies, and coconut.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and hing.
4. Once they splutter, pour the tempering over the cucumber mixture.
5. Add lemon juice and salt, mix well.
6. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.

The Story of Jatayu’s Sacrifice
(Fill-in-the-Blank Activity)
Once, while Lord Rama and his wife, _______ (1. name), were in exile, they were living in a _______ (2. adjective) forest. One day, the demon _______ (3. name), disguised as a _______ (4. noun), kidnapped Sita and flew away with her. Sita, _______ (5. emotion) and desperate, cried out for help, hoping someone would come to her rescue.
Suddenly, from the sky, a _______ (6. adjective) eagle named Jatayu appeared. Jatayu, who was known for his _______ (7. adjective) courage, saw the demon carrying Sita and immediately _______ (8. verb) toward them. With a _______ (9. adjective) cry, Jatayu tried to stop the demon by _______ (10. verb) at him, trying to _______ (11. verb) Sita from his grasp.
Despite his _______ (12. adjective) efforts, the demon, much stronger than Jatayu, managed to _______ (13. verb) him and _______ (14. verb) him to the ground. As Jatayu lay wounded, he _______ (15. verb) to Lord Rama, telling him what had happened. He spoke in a _______ (16. adjective) voice, revealing that Sita had been taken to the _______ (17. place).
Lord Rama, upon hearing Jatayu’s words, felt a _______ (18. emotion) sense of loss, but he also felt gratitude for Jatayu’s _______ (19. noun). Jatayu, though weakened, managed to _______ (20. verb) one last time, telling Rama to stay _______ (21. adjective) and assured him that he had done his best.
In his final moments, Jatayu’s _______ (22. adjective) sacrifice became an inspiration for Lord Rama. His _______ (23. adjective) heart and bravery proved that even in the face of death, one can _______ (24. verb) for what is right.
The story of Jatayu reminds us of the power of _______ (25. noun) and the importance of _______ (26. noun) for others, no matter the _______ (27. adjective) challenges we may face.

Answers: 1. Sita 2. dense 3. Ravana 4. vulture 5. fearful 6. majestic 7. unwavering 8. flew 9. mighty 10. attacking 11. rescue 12. valiant 13. overpower 14. drag 15. called 16. weak 17. Lanka 18. deep 19. sacrifice 20. speak 21. hopeful 22. selfless 23. courageous 24. fight 25. love 26. caring 27. overwhelming

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