Annakut

Annakut — literally “a mountain of food” — is one of the most visually spectacular of Hindu festivals, observed on the day after Diwali (the Gujarati New Year, Bestu Varas), and celebrated with great devotion in Botad’s temples, especially those of the Swaminarayan tradition. On this day, devotees prepare an enormous variety of vegetarian dishes — sweets, savouries, farsan, rice, breads, fruits and more, sometimes hundreds of items — and arrange them in elaborate, beautiful displays before the temple deities as an offering of thanksgiving and abundance at the start of the new year. The deities are believed to “partake” of the offering, which is then distributed to devotees as prasad. The sheer scale, artistry and colour of the food arrangements — pyramids and tableaux of dishes — make Annakut a feast for the eyes, expressing gratitude, devotion and the spirit of sharing. In the Swaminarayan temples of Gadhada, Salangpur and across Botad, Annakut is observed with particular grandeur. For the visitor, Annakut offers a stunning sight of devotional artistry and abundance — best seen at a major temple on the day after Diwali. (The grand food-offering festival on the day after Diwali; spectacular displays at temples; offered then shared as prasad.)