Gota Siddha: The Bengali Tradition of Cold Boiled Vegetables After Saraswati Puja

• Bengali households observe the tradition of eating "Gota Siddha" (whole boiled vegetables) the day after Saraswati Puja.
• Saraswati Puja, also known as Basant Panchami, is scheduled for January 23, 2026, with the auspicious tithi from 2:28 AM on Jan 23 to 1:46 AM on Jan 24.
• The tradition is linked to Shital Shashti, a day of "arandhan" (no cooking), where food cooked on Saraswati Puja day is eaten cold.
• "Gota Siddha" consists of six whole pieces of six different seasonal vegetables, boiled together.
• This practice has a scientific basis: the nutritious and cooling properties of "Gota Siddha" are believed to help prevent common diseases like pox and influenza during this season.

Why It Matters: Gota Siddha is a Bengali tradition of eating cold, nutritious boiled vegetables after Saraswati Puja for health.