This Navratras, fast with paneer jalebi, malai poori

Agra: One usually associates Navratra fasts with a test of will and a bland, sparse platter that's supposed to cleanse the body of toxins. But come to Agra and indulge in the fasting treats of paneer ki jalebi and malai ki poori that are finger-licking good.

"No more bland kuttu ke aatey ki pakoris and singhare ke aatey ka halwa for me," said Sudhir Gupta after feasting on a special 'upvas thali' for Rs 200 at Bikanerwala as he hurried to office.

Many office-goers like Gupta are discovering the virtues of the halvais in Agra who are making special preparations for the Navratras -- the nine-day religious festival.

Kuttu, a bean collected from the wild, ground into flour to make pakoris or pooris has normally been the staple food of the 'upvasis'.

For sweets, people conventionally go for 'khoye ki barfi' or 'singhare ke aatey ka halwa' while some even go for 'aloo (potato) ka halwa'.

"But now the scenario has drastically changed," says Bankey Lal Maheshwari, a shop-owner at Johri Bazar.

"The Navratris are now a festival time and we have ample varieties of fruits and juices to make the mood merry. One needs lots of energy to keep awake late nights for the bhajans or dancing to dandia beats," Maheshwari said.

Potato chips have replaced packaged chips at some local halwai shops.

"Fruits, boiled potatoes fried with a dash of 'senda namak' and lime juice no longer satisfy the grown-ups and the kids at home; so we have to come up with new ideas that would motivate everyone to keep the fast," admits Renuka Bansal, a housewife.

Meera, a schoolteacher, says: "Earlier people used to eat only once, but now they keep eating the whole day. More so, they want something different every time."

But those of the old-school order who are sticklers for untouched purity, continue to live on plain water and fruits. "But their number is dwindling," comments Tulika Aryashri, who runs a coaching institute.

Siddharth Mishra, a homeopath, said: "Fast and feasting go together. We celebrate all events, including death. Eating is crucial to celebrations. So I am not surprised if the Navratri fasts are changing into some kind of festivity. Having said that, a fast is generally meant to reduce caloric intake, to cleanse the system of toxins and train or control the mind."

Surendra Sharma, owner of Goverdhan hotel, says: "In our days, elders lived on just bananas and plain water. Of course they just relaxed at home and hardly ventured out as people today have to."

"These days everyone is fasting, many doing more out of fun than with any serious intent to turn spiritual or religious," he added.

At the Bhagat Halwai, the special Upvas thali costs Rs 160. At Suresh Plaza, another outlet is offering one for Rs.100.

"At kitty parties, the new status symbol is 'upvas thali' and the lavish offerings of delicacies like paneer ki jalebi, arbi ki imerti, malai ki poori, kuttu ki sohan papdi," says socialite Padmini.

Anand of Bhagat Halwai says "we have special upvas items like sama ke chawal ki kheer, saboo dane ki khichdi, various kinds of paags, falahari gulab jamuns, kuttu ke aatey ki pakodis, fruit and cream salads and juices."

Shishir at the Suresh Plaza outlet, which sells a special thali for Rs 100, says there's a big demand from office-goers. "They prefer to get it packed for offices."

The delicacies are usually prepared in desi ghee and therefore not cheap. Paneer ki jalebi costs Rs 300 a kilo while the special dry fruit paag is charged Rs 600. Kuttu ke pakode is priced at Rs 260.

But many purists see it as "degeneration of values and perspectives".

Agra's leading activist and gynaecologist Shivani Chaturvedi said: "Outsourcing of food on festivals and special vrats (fasts) was never acceptable in our society. Now it's all commercialised. Our children would never know what is cooked and how.

"These nine days of fasts were observed twice a year -- in the beginning of summer after Holi and before winter, to cleanse the body and prepare for the new season."

Navratri special: Reasons why people fast during this time

New Delhi: Fasting during Navratri doesn't always have a religious meaning. There are many who observe nine-day fast for religious reasons, but others, especially youngsters, do so to abstain from oily food and detoxify their bodies. But experts warn that extreme starvation can play havoc with your system.

Twenty-four-year-old Nitin Mohan is not a religious person, yet he is observing the fast and is restricting his diet to liquids and fruits. The main reason for this is to get his abs in shape.

"My family observes the fast and I also do so. But I am doing so to get rid of the flab around my tummy. Hence outside binging is cut down a lot during these days," said Mohan.

"I am on strict liquid and fruit diet. Also, I will be doing cardio and ab-crunches to get better results," he added.

Noida-based fitness trainer Aamit says his young clients are fasting and asking him for quick results.

"Some of my clients confess that fasting is just a way to detoxify their bodies. But the main aim for most of them is to drop some kilos. They suddenly want you to focus on their problem areas like abs and thighs because they are consuming lesser calories than before," Aamit said.

So far so good. But Mumbai-based clinical wellness specialist Namita Jain says one shouldn't adopt extreme methods as this can lead to adverse results.

"I know a lot many people who observe the fast just to lose weight. But don't misinterpret the word detoxification. It doesn't mean starving or stripping off nutrients from your body. People literally starve aimlessly during these days and as soon as the fast is over, they binge on food like never before and the end result is you pile on double weight," Jain said.

"A real detoxification process involves drinking a lot of liquid to flush out toxins from your system. Eating light food that is easily digestible, eating frequently, sipping herbal teas and coconut water and doing a few breathing exercises is what detoxification is all about," she explained.

During the fast, people are either completely off food, or they gorge on "Navratra special" fried stuff and snacks and unknowingly consume double the number of calories than they would on a regular day.

"If you are having a big bowl of chips as your lunch, then you are playing with your system. It is not going to do any good to your body as chips are very fattening and loaded with cholesterol," nutrition consultant Geetu Amarnani pointed out.

"One has to watch what one is eating during the fast. You can't just keep on eating fasting snacks and potato chips all the time. They are laden with calories - much more than your daily normal intake of food.

So, one shouldn't just blindly eat (these special snacks) just because one is fasting," she added.