Saturday, July 6, 2024

230. Palani Panchamirtham

Palani Panchamirtham is a combination of five natural substances, namely, Banana, Jaggery Sugar, Cow Ghee, Honey and Cardamom in a definite proportion. For additional flavour, dates and diamond sugar candies are added to the above mentioned five substances. It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is not subjected to any chemical process.

Palani Panchamirtham is an abishega Prasadam, which is served in a semi solid state, sweet in taste and is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple situated in Palani Hills, Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu State

Image credit: palani.in

Devotees who visit the temple, are offered the Palani Panchamirtham as prasadam in the Hill Temple as well as in stalls run by our Temple Administration at Adivaram.  Palani Panchamirtham which is offered for abisegam to the deity, is given as prasadam only to the devotees who visit Palani and worship Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy. 

It was the practice of Tamil People to offer natural products what they got in nature as Naivediyam to God and for Abisegam. In those days they worshipped nature as God. Ancient Tamils classified habitation into five types and fixed Gods for each habitation. 

One such habitation was living in Mountains and mountainous regions called as Kurinji Land. People lived in those region worshipped Lord Muruga as their God. People lived in Kurinji Land offered natural products such as Banana, Honey, Milk and Milk Products, Cardamom etc. to God in gratitude. 

In course of time they began to make some combination of natural products in some definite proportion and offered to God. The date of use of the Palani Panchamirtham is unascertainable, however it may be dated back to Chera King Cheraman Peruman who belonged to 9th Century AD.

As the history says, the idol of Lord Dhandayuthapani on which the abhishegam of the Pachamirtham is performed, is a navapashana constitution of herbs that are of high medicinal value. The Palani Panchamirtham when it runs over the deity rubbing against the medicinal idol, it attains curing effects.

The first step in the preparation of Palani Panchamirtham is the peeling off the skin of Banana. Fruit mill is used for processing banana. Peeled banana is fed to the fruit mill for the purpose of mashing. The mashed banana flowing out of the fruit mill is collected in an aluminium container. 

Thereafter, sieving of Jaggery and pre-cleaning of raw materials is carried out. Mashed Banana, Jaggery, Ghee, Honey, Seedless Dates, Diamond Sugar Candy and Cardamom are blended in a stainless steel mixer for about 10-12 minutes. On blending the abovementioned ingredients, the Palani Panchamirtham is prepared. 

Further, to ensure microbial safety it is subjected to the Pasteurisation for about 45 minutes and then Panchamirtham is allowed to cool. The cooled Palani Panchamirtham is packed in food grade pet jars and stored in an air conditioned room at about 19° Celsius temperature and is made ready for sale.

Palani Panchamirtham is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety. It is well known even outside the geographic limits within which it is prepared and in countries around the world as the temple attracts large number of devotees from Malaysia, Sri Lanka etc. It cannot be obtained anywhere except in the premises of the temple and stalls of the Temple administration.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 14 August 2019

GI Tag Number                         : 550

Certificate Number                  : 350

Geographical Area                  : Tamilnadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 14 December 2021

Cancellation                             : Palani 624 601

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/42/2021

Total 2000 Number of covers are issued and each cover is numbered.

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

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