Thrimadhuram: The sacred sweet of Navaratri in Kerala

Navaratri is celebrated across India in many forms; from Durga Puja in Bengal to Dussehra in the North. In Kerala, however, the season takes on a distinct flavour with the ritual of Vidyarambham and a simple yet profound sweet offering called Thrimadhuram.

Festivals and sweets are inseparable, but the Navaratri platter in Kerala stays deliberately restrained. At the centre of it is honey, used not only to trace the first letters of knowledge on a child’s tongue, but also to prepare Thrimadhuram, the prasadam offered to the Goddess. Made by combining three naturally sweet ingredients, it is considered one of the purest offerings in Kerala’s festive tradition.

What goes into Thrimadhuram
There are several versions with only slight differences in ingredients. Some of the most common combinations are:

• Honey + ripe banana (poovan or kadali) + rock sugar (kalkkandam)
• Honey + rock sugar + raisins
• Honey + ripe banana + raisins
• Instead of honey, fresh ghee can be used
• Instead of rock sugar, jaggery can be added

How to make Thrimadhuram
Chop ripe banana into small pieces and place them in a clean bowl
Add either raisins or small pieces of rock sugar or jaggery on top
Pour honey or melted ghee over the mixture so that it coats everything evenly
Mix gently and serve immediately as prasadam.

Vidyarambham and honey
On Vijayadashami, the final day of Navaratri, children in Kerala are initiated into learning through the ritual of Vidyarambham. The ceremony begins with elders writing the first letters of the alphabet on the child’s tongue with honey, symbolising the sweetness of knowledge. Thrimadhuram is closely tied to this ritual, since honey is both the sacred medium and the key ingredient in this prasadam.

Health tip
The old saying goes that even nectar in excess can turn into poison. Thrimadhuram is prasadam, meant to be tasted in small amounts, not eaten in heaps. A spoonful is considered auspicious; too much may upset the stomach.