Order Chaitra Navratri 2024 Special Food on Train with IRCTC eCatering

IRCTC eCatering allows you to easily order special Chaitra Navratri 2024 meals for your train journey and have them delivered right to your seat. Curious about how it works? Let’s find out!

Several of the dietary traditions associated with Navratri fasting were formerly infeasible to uphold on trains due to a lack of options. Luckily, this is no longer the case, thanks to IRCTC eCatering! The IRCTC eCatering food partners & restaurants make food with special care for the devotees, taking into account their dietary limitations in terms of ingredients and hygiene.

Chaitra Navratri 2024 has started and everyone is so excited to celebrate these nine days of joy. During these nine days, people honour the nine forms of Goddess Durga, seeking blessings for peace, health, joy, and prosperity. This festive period begins with the first day of the Hindu Lunisolar calendar, falling in March/April.

This year it commences on Tuesday, 9 Apr, 2024 and concludes on Wednesday, 17 Apr, 2024.

What is Chaitra Navratri?

Navratri is a long-standing custom for all of us with a great deal of religious significance. We also know that Navratri is one of the biggest Hindu holidays that people celebrate with great fervour and enthusiasm all over the country. Yet, very few are aware that it is celebrated four times a year in different seasons. These are Chaitra Navratri, Ashadha Navratri, Sharada Navratri, and Paush/Magh Navratri.

Among them, the most significant ones are the Sharada Navratri that occurs during the Varsha ritu (the beginning of autumn) and the Chaitra Navratri that occurs during the Vasanta ritu (the season of spring).

Why is Chaitra Navratri celebrated?

People celebrate and revere the Goddess Durga in all of her splendour and might during Chaitra Navratri. Worshippers show their love & devotion for Maa Durga and her nine forms in different ways starting from fasting, puja, aartis and Mata ki Chowki. The celebration of Lord Rama’s birthday, Rama Navami, usually takes place on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri.

Significance of Navratri Fast

This 9-day event commemorates the ultimate victory of virtue over evil. Durga devotees fast and pray to the nine different manifestations of the Goddess during these celebrations. The first day of this celebration, which takes place during the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra Maas, is known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Navreh in Kashmir. Being the largest Hindu festival, Navaratri is a time of enormous religious significance. At this festive time of the year, worshippers in the southern region of India pay homage to the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Over these nine days, devotees eat only Sattvic foods and abstain from liquor, tobacco, eggs, meat, onions, and garlic. Many who fast eat Sattvic bhojan, which consists of fruits, vegetables, and milk. They stay away from grains, cereals, and legumes. Individuals from all around the nation travel to their home cities to spend this holiday with their families. The government sometimes introduces a large number of special trains to help people escape the intense holiday traffic.

What can we eat in Navratri fast?

During Navratri, fasting is common in the regions of Northern and Western India. As it’s an excellent time to cleanse your body and mind, make strides in your spiritual development & call upon the power of the Mother Goddess, etc. While fasting regulations during Navratri may differ slightly from one group or location to another, they are relatively consistent.

Some of the most popular food items & ingredients that people consume during Navratri fasting are here:

• All milk products
• Rajgira ka atta (amaranth flour) and rajgira (amaranth)
• Sama ke chawal ka atta (barnyard millet flour)
• Singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour)
• Arrowroot flour or paniphal flour
• Vrat ke chawal (barnyard millet)
• Kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour)
• Plantain or Unripe Banana
• Black pepper powder
• Ajwain or carom seeds
• Unripe or semi ripe papaya
• Sabudana (sago or tapioca pearls
• Makhana or phool makhana
• Sugar, honey, or jaggery
• All nuts & dry fruits
• Sweet potato
• Green chilli
• Rock salt
• Lemons
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Colocasia
• Cumin
• Ginger
• Yam
• Fruits
• Tea

Chaitra Navratri Special Food

Here are some of the most popular dishes from the Navratri food list that you can find and savour through IRCTC eCatering on your train journeys:

Navratri Special Thali

You can order and savour a Navratri Special Thali on the train via IRCTC eCatering. Sabudana Khichdi, Aloo ki Sabzi, Fruit Raita, Kuttu ki Pooris, Shahi Paneer, Dahi and Coconut Barfi are few of the foods that comprise a Navratri or Upwas ki Thali. You’ll know it was worthwhile when you smell pure ghee.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana, which is rich in high-quality carbohydrates, provides an instant boost of energy during these fasts. And Sabudana khichdi, a dish made with these tapioca pearls, is one of the most prominent Navratri Vrat foods during the Navratri fast. In the southern part of India, this dish is called sago khichdi.

Sabudana Vada

Sabudana Ka Vada, a Maharashtrian vegan upvas dish, is also accessible for Navratri train journeys via eCatering. This Vada, which is light and crisp, is an ideal snack for fasting passengers. This Navratri food is rich in carbohydrates, thus it will keep you full for an extended period of time. People usually eat Sabudana Vada with yoghurt or coconut chutney.

Kuttu ki Poori

Crisp and savoury pooris of buckwheat flour (Kuttu ka Atta) go great with curd-based Vrat recipes like Aloo ki Sabzi or Aloo Jeera. To prepare Kuttu ka Atta during Navratri, simply mix it with some sendha namak. Boiled & mashed potatoes are then added to the mix. They are then rolled into pooris and deep-fried until crunchy and golden brown. Several folks prepare delicious Kuttu ki Roti and Paratha with the same ingredients.

Sabudana Kheer

There’s a solid reason why sabudana kheer is a staple in the upwas food. The addition of cardamom, saffron, and chopped almonds elevates it to a new level of deliciousness. This dish for sabudana kheer, which uses soaked sabudana, is ideal for breaking a Navratri fast.

Aloo ki Kadhi

Try out this famous “potato” in a mild curry dish and indulge in its soothing flavours. Skip the boring aloo ka falahar and order some hearty aloo kadhi from IRCTC eCatering for a nourishing as well as delicious Navratri special meal.

Makhana Kheer

Makhana Kheer is a dessert made primarily of makhana (fox nuts), milk, and almonds. Those of you who are fasting during Navratri, this is the Navratri vrat food that you must have on your train journey. This easy-to-make dessert is a staple during fasting periods. When travelling the rail during Navratri, you can order and relish this sweet treat.

Fruit Chaat

The Fruit Chaat is a speciality of Delhi. It is spicy, delicious, sweet, and tangy at the same time. This dish has fresh fruits in season along with starchy vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes. In case you find yourself fasting while on your train journey during Navratri, this is a fantastic nutritious alternative.

Falahari

You can order Falahari thali or individual items like Falahari namkeen, Sabudana khichdi, Aloo ki sabji, Kuttu ki poori, Aloo Jeera, and many more. Many Falaharis think that preparing meals using buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, rock salt, or going without food altogether will help them concentrate on God and strengthen their faith. When travelling by train this Navratri, you can experience a Falahari thali using IRCTC eCatering. Simply place your order using the Food on Track app!

Luchi aloo dum

Luchi, a popular Bengali delicacy, is similar to the Indian street food pooris, while Aloo Dom is the equal of the Indian favourite Dum Aloo. These tasty treats are a Navratri staple because they so perfectly embody the spirit of Bengal. Luchi and aloo dum are a match made in heaven, and every foodie knows it. During your Navratri train journeys, you can’t possibly be hungry with this wonderful spread from eCatering.

Benefits of ordering Chaitra Navratri special thalis and meals on train via IRCTC eCatering

Convenience

Easily order Chaitra Navratri special thalis and meals while travelling on the train.

Customization

Tailor your meal preferences according to dietary restrictions or personal taste.

Authenticity

Experience the authentic flavours of Navratri cuisine prepared by skilled chefs.

Time-saving

Save time by avoiding the hassle of searching for suitable food options at stations during the journey.

Hygiene

Ensure food safety and hygiene standards are maintained with IRCTC eCatering services.

Comfort

Enjoy the comfort of having your Chaitra Navratri meal delivered directly to your train seat.

Festive Spirit

Enhance your travel experience by indulging in the festive spirit with specially curated Navratri meals.

How to order Navratri special food online from IRCTC e-catering?

IRCTC eCatering now makes it possible to order Navratri special food & meals including Vrat thalis, Upwas thalis, Pure vegetarian, Jain & Sattvic meals, while travelling by train. The devotees who observe these nine days of fasting can rest easy knowing that they will have access to wholesome, hygienic, and nourishing meals.

If you happen to be taking a train trip during Navratri, you may treat yourself to a special Navratri meal. They are carefully made from scratch to offer nutritious travel food in accordance with Navratri traditions. IRCTC eCatering makes it simple to place an order for a Navratri thali, also known as a “Vrat ka Khana,” via

• our official website https://www.ecatering.irctc.co.in/,
• the Food on Track smartphone app,
• or by calling customer care at 1323.

You just need to take a few quick steps to get the Navratri special foods at your train seat. To maximise your restaurant and food selection, plan ahead and place your order a few hours in advance.

Hence, you won’t have to worry about hauling along bulky Navratri fasting meals while you travel. Navratri Vrat thalis, Upwas ki thalis, Falahari meals are just some of the many popular festive & fasting food options available to you via IRCTC eCatering.