Panchamrita
Panchamrita (Devanagari:पञ्चामृत, from Sanskrit: pañcāmṛta), also spelled panchamirtham or panchamirtam, is a mixture of five foods used in Hindu worship and puja, usually honey, sugar, milk, yogurt, and ghee.
Etymology
Pañcāmṛta is a Sanskrit compound of two words:
Pañca, 'five'.
Amṛta, lit. 'immortal', "nectar of immortality, ambrosia, beverage of the gods".
Preparation
Appropriate quantities of Milk (only zebu cow milk), Yogurt, Honey, Sugar and Ghee are mixed together.
However, there may be certain regional variations in ingredients. Most south Indians add ripe banana instead of sugar. In Palani Murugan temple, Tamil Nadu, Panchamrita is used in abisheka and distributed as prasad in huge quantity. Banana used here is Virupachi variety, specific to that location. Panchamrta is an ayurvedic preparation but has been manipulated in several places to cut costs and increase keeping value. Until 1890, bananas were not used.
Keralites may also include tender coconut. Some recipes also include grapes.