Essential Grocery List for Mahashivratri Puja and Fasting Lakshmi Stores
Mahashivratri preparation usually starts a few days ahead. Someone opens the kitchen cupboard and notices a couple of items running low. Someone else checks the ghee tin and asks whether it will be enough. Nothing is announced, but routines begin to shift as the date gets closer.
For Indian families living in the UK, this preparation needs a bit more attention. Groceries are not always easy to find at short notice, and fasting items are usually kept separate from everyday cooking supplies. Ordering early helps avoid last minute searching and keeps the day itself easier to manage.
This guide follows how households typically prepare. It focuses on what gets checked first, what is used during the day, and what causes problems when it is forgotten.
What usually gets cooked during the fast?
Fasting meals on Mahashivratri stays straightforward. Most households avoid elaborate cooking and repeat the same few dishes throughout the day.
Samak rice is often checked early on. When cupboards are opened, people look for it almost without thinking. It replaces regular rice without changing cooking habits much. In many homes, it becomes khichdi with very little seasoning, usually sendha namak and a small amount of cumin.
Kuttu ka atta and singhare ka atta are used when rotis or pancakes are planned. These flours are familiar to anyone who has fasted before and are easy to work with. Rajgira is kept nearby, sometimes used for porridge and sometimes saved for sweets later.
Dry fruits are eaten in small amounts throughout the day. Almonds, cashews, dates, and raisins are taken as they are, often between work or prayers. Coconut is kept whole for the puja and grated later if needed for cooking.
Vegetables & Fruit is kept where it can be reached easily. Bananas sit on the table, apples roll around in the basket, and pomegranates wait until someone feels like cutting one. They are picked up as needed and offered during the puja without much preparation.
Many families keep all their fast food together in one place. This avoids confusion and reduces decision making when energy levels are lower.
Things that are usually kept ready for the puja
Puja items are usually gathered before the fast begins. Once the day starts, people prefer not to search for missing items.
Ghee is set aside early for lighting the diya. Sesame seeds are kept ready for offerings. Sugar or jaggery is measured out for prasad. Coconut, Bilva Leaves (vilva Leaf), and betel leaves are placed together, often directly on the puja thali.
Incense sticks and camphor are checked and replaced if needed. Flowers are moved closer to the puja area so they stay fresh. Tulsi leaves are washed and kept ready.
In many households, the puja thali is arranged the night before so the morning runs smoothly.
What do people usually eat after prayers?
After prayers, most people look for food that is light and already prepared.
Sabudana is commonly cooked earlier in the day and reheated later. Khichdi or vadas are kept covered until needed. Roasted makhana is stored in a container and eaten slowly in small portions.
Sweets made for fasting are prepared in limited quantities. Laddoos using jaggery, coconut, dry fruits, or rajgira flour are used mainly as prasad. Fruits are cut simply and served alongside.
Preparing these items in advance avoids cooking later in the evening.
Seasoning choices during fasting
Seasoning during fasting is kept separate from regular cooking.
Sendha namak is stored in a different container. Cumin seeds are used sparingly, mostly for samak rice dishes. Black pepper is added when needed.
Cardamom is the most common spice used in sweets. Some households add small amounts of clove or cinnamon based on preference.
Keeping fasting spices together saves time and prevents mistakes.
Keeping hydrated through the fast
Hydration affects how the fast is managed.
Coconut water is kept in the fridge early, usually pushed to the back and forgotten until someone remembers it later. It gets poured into a steel tumbler and taken in a few mouthfuls at a time. Tea is made only when someone feels like it, often one cup at a time, with ginger or a few tulsi leaves dropped in. Lemon and honey are mixed closer to evening, usually when energy dips and the day starts to feel long. Spreading drinks out happens naturally, without much thought.
Getting everything in the UK before the day arrives
Shopping for Mahashivratri in the UK usually requires advance planning. Fasting flours, puja items, and Indian snacks are not always available nearby.
Online Indian grocery stores such as Lakshmi Stores UK help by offering fasting ingredients, puja essentials, fruits, and spices in one place. Some families add a ready-made festival kit to the cart and move on. Others sit with the list open and tick items off one by one, checking what is already at home before deciding what still needs to be ordered.
Early delivery allows time to organise groceries and replace anything missing.
How preparation usually gets shared at home?
Preparation is rarely handled by one person alone.
One person cleans the puja space. Another sort of groceries. Children are often asked to arrange flowers or hold the diya when it is lit. Tasks are done gradually without being formally assigned.
Sharing preparation reduces pressure throughout the day.
Notes that come from doing this every year
Households that observe Mahashivratri regularly tend to follow a similar routine. Preparation is done early, food stays light, and unnecessary additions are avoided.
Having groceries ready ahead of time reduces last minute decisions and keeps attention on the fast and the puja rather than on logistics.
Lakshmi Stores UK, this approach keeps the day manageable. Everything is in place before it is needed, and the day moves along without interruption.
Mahashivratri 2026 preparation follows the same pattern, with planning done in advance and the day itself kept simple.