Palani Panchamirtham

Palani Panchamirtham is the celebrated temple prasadam of the Murugan hill temple at Palani in Dindigul district, a thick sweet blend offered to the deity and distributed to pilgrims. It is prepared from five natural ingredients, the fragrant Virupakshi and Sirumalai hill bananas, jaggery, ghee, honey and cardamom, along with a little sugar candy and dates, and is famously made without adding a single drop of water. The banana and jaggery are mashed and combined so that the mixture keeps naturally for several days, and its rich, dense sweetness is inseparable from the worship of Lord Dhandayuthapani at Palani. Prepared under the temple's supervision, the panchamirtham is one of the most sought-after temple offerings in Tamil Nadu, carried home by devotees from across the world. Its production supports the temple economy and the hill-banana farmers whose fruit is essential to the recipe.