India is the largest democratic country in the world. There are many religions with different language, culture, and beliefs. India is the only country which sees God and Goddess in everything i.e., water, air, fire nature etc. There are many gods in Hindu religion, though they are same but praised in different names.
It is believed that like human’s god has their favourite food, flowers etc. It will change as per the region, culture, and beliefs. Ayyappa is fond of ghee, Krishna of butter and Ganesh on laddus.
But do you know there is a go in God’s own country Kerala, who is fond of Munch i.e., chocolates.
Yes, it is quite surprising. The Chemmoth Sree Subramaniya Swami Temple in Kerala is an abode to Balamurugan.
Balamurugan, a 300-year-old God, in most Dravidian cultures, is Shiva’s son. In north India, he is often addressed as Kartikeya, is famously known as ‘Munch Murugun’.
In this temple Nestle’s munch is offered as prasaad, also devotees offer Munch to this God.
Earlier, the devotees would offer whatever they desired, just like in a normal Hindu ritual of an offering. However, seven years ago, a Muslim boy rang the temple bell while playing with his friends. His parents scolded him, and the very next day he fell sick. While in sickness, the boy continued chanting Murugan’s name. As a part of his cure, his parents took him to the temple priest. While the parents, like every other devotee, offered oil and flowers, the boy refused to offer anything but a Munch bar. The next day, he was miraculously cured.
Munch is given as prasaad unlike the conventional – sandal paste and flowers. No doubt that Balamurugan is most famous among children in Alappuzha, where the temple is.
If people offer tonnes of gold at Shirdi, then replace everything with Munch in this temple. Earlier lemon garlands used to be the main offering to the God, but Munch has earned precedence.
Even devotees perform Munch Para wherein a large vessel full of Munch chocolate is proffered to Munch Murugan. In Munch Thulabaram, chocolates equal to your body weight rests with the deity. As with the human tendency to go overboard, devotees have even started to offer chocolate bars equal to their body weight to please the God.
Perhaps, this is also why the temple’s prasad has now been changed to Munch and other assorted chocolates. This may in turn, be the reason why Balamurugan is very popular with little children, who visit often, and turn up in droves during examinations.
