Annapurna the Goddess of Food

Annapūrṇa, is a manifestation of Parvati and is known as the Hindu Goddess of food and nourishment. Worship and offering of food are highly praised in Hinduism, and therefore, the Goddess Annapurna is regarded as a popular deity. She is a manifestation of the Goddess Parvati, the wife of Shiva and is eulogized in the Annada Mangal, a narrative poem in Bengali by Bharatchandra Ray. The Annapurna Sahasranam is dedicated to the Goddess and praises her one thousand names, while the Annapurna Shatanama Stotram is dedicated to her 108 names.

One day, the god Shiva and his consort Parvati got into an argument about the material world. Shiva said that everything materialistic was just an illusion, including the food that the humans ate. This infuriated Parvati, who governs materialistic aspects. To show Shiva and the world her importance, she disappeared, saying that she wanted to see how the world would survive without her.

With Parvati's disappearance, the world was deprived of food, and there occurred a famine. Shiva's followers begged him for food; even the Gods were forced to beg for food, but could not find any food. Finally, Shiva and his followers realised that there was only one kitchen on earth, in the city of Varanasi (Kashi), where food was still available.

Shiva went to Kashi to beg for food. To his surprise, the kitchen was owned by his wife Parvati, but in the form of Annapurna. She wore celestial purple and brown garments, which were lightly adorned with ornaments. She was seated on a throne, serving and distributing food to the starving gods and hungry inhabitants of the earth. Annapurna offered her food as alms to Shiva and made him realize that as Brahman, Shiva might have outgrown hunger; but his followers had not.

There is also another legend from the southern Indian states, relating to Shiva’s appellation ‘Kapalieshwara’ (‘Lord of the skull’) that during this episode Shiva was cured of the ‘Brahmahatidosa’ curse, which he had received for removing one of Lord Brahma’s five heads, and by which the skull of that head was stuck to his hands. After receiving food from the hands of the goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and lastly Parvati in the form of Annapurna, the skull finally came unstuck and fell.

The Annapurna Vrat Katha containing stories of her devotees is also recited by her devotees.

In Marathi weddings, the bride is given the metal idols of goddess Annapurna and Bala Krishna by her mother. She worships them before the wedding, by offering rice and grains to the idols. This Viddhi (custom) is known as Gauri Harap. She also takes images of her husband's house and places the idols on them.