Janmashtami 2025: 11 traditional dishes prepared during the festival

The colorful festival of Janmashtami is around the corner. This day commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This year, the festival falls on August 16, 2025. The festival is incomplete without the elaborate Chhapan Bhog (56 dishes) offered to please the Lord. The bhog thal is said to include some of the favorites of Lord Krishna, which include Makhan Mishri, Gopalkala, Charnamrit, and more. Let us take a look at 10 traditional dishes that are prepared during the festival.

This is one of the most important dishes and is an integral part of Janmashtami celebration. It refers to fresh white butter mixed with sugar crystals and is Lord Krishna’s favorite. It is one of the key components of Chhapan Bhog offered to Lord Krishna.

It is a sweet mixture of whole wheat flour, ghee, sugar, and dry fruits offered as prasad to Lord Krishna. Another famous version of this dish is called Dhania Panjiri, where roasted coriander seeds are powdered and then mixed with powdered sugar, nuts, and makhana. To make the atta panjiri, you need to roast the whole wheat flour in ghee until it turns brownish and then add powdered sugar to it along with roasted nuts.

It is a light vrat-friendly dish made with soaked tapioca pearls, peanuts, and mild spices, which are cooked in ghee and seasoned with sendha namak.

It is a soft milk-based sweet, often made with khoya and flavored with cardamom and is topped with sliced nuts.

It is also one of the favourites of Lord Krishna and is a savory mixture of poha, curd, cucumber, and coconut, which is symbolic of Dahi Handi. It is made with flattened rice (poha), which is light, easily digestible, and a quick source of energy, making it ideal for breakfast or snacks. It contains iron, B vitamins, and some fiber, supporting metabolism and overall health.

It is one of the most popular sweet dishes and is made with soaked rice, full-cream milk, sugar, and nuts.

It is a crispy and crunchy sweet snack made with roasted makhana nicely mixed with sugar syrup of one string and is seasoned with grated coconut and other dry fruits.

It is a holy drink made with 5 key ingredients which includes milk, curd, honey, ghee, and tulsi leaves. It is the first thing offered to Lord Krishna during the celebration.

These are made with puffed amaranth seeds, which are bound with jaggery and are perfect for fasting.

These are deep-fried treats made with water chestnut flour, mixed with mashed boiled potatoes, seasoned with sendha namak and cumin powder and deep fried in ghee and are perfect for vrat.

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