Kara Parshad is a sweet pudding that is distributed after any Sikh religious ceremony. It is a symbol of ‘kripa’ (grace) of God. It is also a symbol of equality since it is distributed to everyone present during the ceremony, regardless of the caste or social status. Before the distribution, it is touched with the
Kirpan to impart the god’s blessing into it.
Kara Parshad is prepared from flour, butter and sugar. The ingredients are often donated by people to the Gurdwara to mark a special event in their family. A person has to take a bath prior to preparing the Kara Parshad. During the preparation, sacred hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib are recited. Once cooked, the vessel containing it is covered with a white cloth and sprinkled with water as a mark of cleansing it. The vessel is placed near the Guru Granth Sahib during the prayer. It is distributed to all the people present in the ceremony. The main objective of distributing it is to make sure that nobody returns empty-handed.
