Mathura12 minutes agoWriters: Ashish Urmalia and Devanshu Tiwari
August 19 means today is the birthday of Shri Krishna. Before Janmashtami, the preparations for the Mahabhog to be offered to Lord Krishna started a day before. The most important of the Maha Prasad is the Mathura Peda. Although Peda is a common sweet made in Mathura, but the story of its birth is associated with Lord Krishna.
In Mathura-Vrindavan, people observing Janmashtami fast break the fast only by eating peda. Pede has an annual turnover of 12 crores. While walking through the streets of Banke Bihari, the sweet fragrance of the peda can tempt you. Let us take you to the world of trees…
Beginning with the first tree built in Dwapar Yuga…
Lord Krishna loved butter and sugar candy. Apart from this, the enjoyment of kheer, sweet halwa, laddus and pedas is very much liked by them.
Mahant Swami Krishnananda of Kunj Bihari Temple in Vrindavan says, “There is an anecdote from the Dwapar era in Mathura. This story is rotten to all the confectioners here. Once Mother Yashoda was boiling milk for Lord Krishna. But in between she remembered some important work and left the kitchen and left. When she came back, the milk had thickened by boiling.
Yashoda mixed sugar in the condensed milk and made it like a round peda and fed it to Krishna. Little Kanha liked this sweet very much. Taking this tradition forward, even today, the peda is definitely included in the fifty-six bhog offered on the birth of the Lord.
Let’s get back to the flavor of the 2022 Peda…
Radhe Shyam Mithaiwala of Vrindavan has sold trees worth more than Rs 2 lakh during Janmashtami season.
The oldest Pede shop in Vrindavan is that of Radhe Shyam Halwai. In 1921, he started the work of making pedas. Till date the fourth generation of his descendants is carrying forward this business. The owner of the shop, Gaurav Aggarwal, says, “One of the specialties of Mathura Ke Pedas is that the milk is cooked till it turns red to make them. It has two advantages. firstThe taste of the peda increases. anotherPeda does not spoil for 50 to 60 days.
There are three types of Mathura trees
1. Cardamom Peda
The rate of cardamom peda ranges from Rs 320 per kg to Rs 400 per kg.
The cardamom tree climbs the highest in the offerings of Banke Bihari. This peda is prepared from cow’s milk only. This peda is made by cooking milk on high flame. Hence its color is brown. There is little use of sugar in this tree, so diabetic patients can also eat it.
2. Pista Peda
Pista Peda is sold for Rs 300 to 450 per kg.
Pista Peda is prepared from cow and buffalo meat. Pistachios are grinded in this peda and after it is ready, it is decorated with green pistachio powder. More sugar is added to this peda than the cardamom tree. This peda is the favorite tree of Radha Rani.
3. Malai Peda
The rate of Malai Pede ranges from Rs 450 to Rs 500 a kg.
Malai Peda is the main part of the Chappan Bhog offered to Lord Krishna. This peda is specially prepared on Janmashtami. Only mawa and cream are used to make it. Its color is white and its price is also higher than other trees.
Even you learned about the history and variety of Mathura Peda. Let us now know the process of its formation through graphic…
Demand for Mathura Peda from Nepal to America
Mathura ka Pede is in great demand not only in UP but also abroad. Girdhari Lal, a sweet merchant of Mathura, says, “The business of Mathura’s Peda had decreased during the Corona period. But in the last 2 years the demand is increasing again. The ODOP i.e. ‘One District-One Product’ scheme of the UP government has also benefited in the business of Peda. Its demand is not limited to UP only. There is a demand for Mathura Peda from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Dubai and even America. Its annual turnover is 10 to 15 crores. ,
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