Rice & pongal
Ven Pongal
Also called Khara Pongal; Salt Pongal; Pongali; Mudgannam.
Daily naivedyamOfficially documented
A savory rice-and-moong offering widely associated with Vaishnava and other South Indian temples.
What goes into it
Rice
moong dal
ghee
pepper
cumin
How it is made
Rice and moong dal cooked soft; commonly seasoned with pepper, cumin and ghee.
Exact temple kitchen formulae — the dittam — are not reproduced here unless the temple has published them. What is described is the culinary family, not a temple’s working recipe.
Where it is offered
Daily
Sri Venkateswara Swamy TempleTirumala / Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh · After First Bell · Divine breakfast · Part of TTD-described daily naivedyam cycle.
Daily
Sri Padmavathi Ammavari TempleTiruchanoor / Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh · 6:30 AM First Bell · Morning offering · TTD publicly documents this item in the Padmavathi temple ritual menu.
Daily
History and evidence
It appears in the historical and inscriptional record under the name Mudgannam / pongali equivalents.
Earliest documentation: Historical antecedents; current.
Dietary note
Recorded as Yes in the tradition described.
This is informational, never a guarantee. Temple kitchens change formulations, use shared equipment and follow their own Āgamic rules. If an allergy matters to you, ask the temple directly.
Source
- Primary reference for this entry · Documented · confidence High
https://news.tirumala.org/mouth-watering-naivedyams-offered-to-goddess-of-riches-every-day-_-%E0%B0% - Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple · Official/primary · checked 2026-08-15
https://news.tirumala.org/naivedyam-samarpayami-ritual-of-offering-food-to-lord/