Anarsa ladoo is a cherished traditional sweet that holds a special place in the festive offerings of Chhath Puja, one of Bihar’s most sacred and vibrant celebrations dedicated to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya.
Deeply rooted in cultural symbolism, these golden, sesame-coated delights are prepared as prasad to mark devotion, purity, and gratitude for nature’s bounty. Made from soaked rice, jaggery, and ghee, Anarsa ladoo perfectly embodies the essence of traditional Indian sweets — simple ingredients transformed through time-honoured techniques into something rich and aromatic.
What makes this sweet so unique is its preparation process, which begins days in advance. The rice, soaked for three days and ground to a moist flour, develops a naturally mellow flavour and soft texture. When mixed with jaggery, ghee, and cardamom, it forms a fragrant dough that, once rested, is shaped into round balls, rolled in sesame seeds, and finally slowly deep-fried in ghee until it becomes beautifully crisp on the outside and tender inside.
During Chhath Puja, it is served with thekua, fruits, and sugarcane.
