Lord Ganesha’s fondness for laddus is a well-known tale in Indian mythology. Devotees across the country offer a variety of delectable laddus to seek the blessings of the deity. However, in Jaipur’s iconic Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple, a unique tradition stands out—offering a 251-kg laddu during Ganesh Chaturthi, crafted with a 140-year-old recipe. This colossal laddu, certified for its purity, is the only one of its kind in Rajasthan, and its making is a blend of tradition, devotion, and culinary expertise.
A Certified Offering of Purity
These laddus hold a distinctive honor—being certified for purity, a rare feat for temple offerings in Rajasthan. The tradition dates back to 1884 when the first of these massive laddus was prepared as an offering to Lord Ganesha. Today, they continue to be made with the same time-honored recipe, passed down through generations.
While regular-sized laddus are made daily, the enormous 251-kg laddu is prepared only once a year during Ganesh Chaturthi. The sheer scale of this preparation requires meticulous effort. A team of 150 skilled halwais (traditional confectioners) works for three days to create the giant laddu, using iron molds custom-made to shape the sweet without the use of any artificial colors or chemicals.
A Recipe Steeped in Tradition
The Moti Dungri Ganesh laddus are not only enormous but also rooted in a 300-year-old tradition. The key ingredient? Water drawn from an ancient well, which has been in use since the temple’s establishment. This well water, now filtered for safety, is said to enhance the flavor of the laddus, lending them a divine taste that keeps devotees returning year after year.
To make the laddus, approximately 2,500 kg of pure ghee, 3,000 kg of gram flour (besan), 9,000 kg of sugar, and 100 kg of dry fruits like almonds, cashews, raisins, and cardamom are used. The process begins with mixing the well water and gram flour to form a batter, which is then fried in ghee to make crispy boondi. The boondi is soaked in sugar syrup and combined with double-roasted dry fruits before being shaped into a laddu using specially designed molds.
A Herculean Effort
Creating these gigantic laddus is no small feat. The laddu mixture is placed into iron molds, which are bolted shut to set for 18-20 hours. On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the laddu is finally unveiled and offered to Lord Ganesha. It takes a team of 8-10 people to lift and move the finished laddu, symbolizing the collective devotion of the temple community.
Apart from the central 251-kg laddu, other large laddus are also made, including two weighing 225 kg each, five laddus of 51 kg, and several smaller laddus ranging from 1.25 kg to 21 kg. Thousands of smaller laddus are also distributed among the devotees as prasad.
An Offering of Certified Purity
The laddus offered at Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple hold the prestigious Bhog Certificate, granted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This certification, given only to 35 religious sites across India, ensures that the offerings meet stringent standards of hygiene and purity. The FSSAI team audits the temple kitchen every six months, ensuring that water quality, food safety, storage conditions, and worker health are all up to the mark.
A Tradition Rooted in History
The history of the Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple itself is fascinating. The temple houses an ancient Ganesh idol, believed to be over 500 years old, brought to Jaipur in 1761 by Raja Sawai Madho Singh I from his queen’s ancestral village in Gujarat. The temple’s construction was overseen by Seth Jai Ram Paliwal, and since then, the temple has been a focal point of Ganesh devotion in Rajasthan.
For the past 40 years, Mahant Kailash Chandra Sharma has overseen the temple’s rituals, including the preparation of these legendary laddus. He recalls that in the past, these large laddus were first offered to the royal family of Jaipur, and even today, they are sent to prominent households across the state.
Summing Up
The 251-kg laddu of Moti Dungri is more than just a sweet offering. It is a symbol of devotion, tradition, and community effort, bringing together the old-world charm of Rajasthan with the devotional fervor of Lord Ganesha’s followers. As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches each year, the entire city of Jaipur eagerly awaits the unveiling of this sacred laddu, a sweet reminder of the enduring legacy of the Moti Dungri Temple.