Among the 350 vegetarian dishes offered to the deities during the Annakut festival at the BAPS Singapore Centre on Nov 9 was an unusual delicacy – traditional Lithuanian pancakes stuffed with soy mince.
They were prepared by Ms Elizabeth Mikola, a Singapore-based Lithuanian who spent four hours making the dish for her first Annakut celebration.
“I was so excited to offer them to God,” said Ms Elizabeth, a customer success director at an artificial intelligence company.
“I’m grateful to be part of such a wonderful BAPS Swaminarayan community and to follow Hindu traditions along with my partner.”
Her contribution reflected the inclusive spirit of the annual Hindu festival organised by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Singapore at its centre along Joo Chiat Road.
This year’s celebration attracted about 500 devotees and visitors, including members of the Chinese and European communities, compared with the usual attendance of about 400.
It also marked the 10th anniversary of the consecration of the temple’s deities, with Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash attending as guest of honour.
Annakut, meaning “mountain of food” in Sanskrit, is a festival of gratitude, devotion and abundance celebrated as part of Deepavali and the Hindu New Year, or Bestu Varsh.
According to Hindu tradition, it commemorates Lord Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to protect villagers and encouraging people to express gratitude for nature’s blessings.
Mr Keyur Dave, president of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Singapore and the celebration’s main organiser, explained that the festival was rooted in ancient agricultural traditions.
“The idea is to offer the food given by God to Him in gratitude and then consume it throughout the year,” he said.
This year’s spectacular tiered arrangement featured sweets, savouries, fruits and delicacies from Indian, Italian, Lithuanian and other Western cuisines.
All dishes were vegetarian and prepared without onion or garlic, in keeping with religious requirements.
About 50 volunteers spent 10 days preparing the offerings and decorations, working after office hours and throughout weekends. Some continued their preparations until nearly 4am.
Following the Govardhan Puja, Annakut Aarti and devotional prayers, visitors viewed the elaborate offerings before the food was distributed as prasad.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Dinesh praised BAPS for fostering inclusiveness and strengthening Singapore’s multicultural society.
“The mandir has been a very special place of welcoming, and you do that regardless of race, language or religion,” he said.
He highlighted the organisation’s global ethos of seva (selfless service) and bhakti (devotion), commending volunteers for their dedication.
He said Annakut was not simply about arranging food in the form of a mountain, but reflected the values of gratitude, service, devotion and community.
“This is exactly what we like and what we do in Singapore,” he said, emphasising the importance of strong communities contributing to collective progress.
Mr Dinesh also underscored the importance of religious harmony and expressed hope that BAPS Singapore would continue reaching residents across racial and religious boundaries.
The celebration left a deep impression on Mr Chandran Nair, secretary of the Sree Guruvayoorappan Ayyappan Temple Building Committee.
“I was truly mesmerised by the sheer variety and innumerable offerings of prasad, lovingly prepared and offered by devotees at the Annakut Utsav organised by BAPS,” he said. “It was indeed a divine and blissful experience.”
Beyond the festivities, BAPS Singapore, which has been active for 25 years, is committed to passing cultural traditions and values to younger generations.
Even toddlers were encouraged to participate in seva according to their abilities.
“It is the attitude that we are building right from childhood, so that seva becomes second nature to them,” said Mr Keyur.
He added that Annakut embodied the Hindu philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the whole world is one family.
Ms Elizabeth’s Lithuanian pancakes offered a particularly fitting expression of that philosophy, demonstrating how people from different cultural backgrounds could participate in a centuries-old Hindu tradition.
santosh@sph.com.sg
