Whenever a person goes to Agra, he definitely brings a box of Agra’s Petha with him. Agra city! Apart from this symbol of love, Agra is famous all over the world for another special thing. Yes, you are thinking absolutely right. Apart from the Taj Mahal, the second thing that comes to mind as soon as the name of Agra is heard is Agra’s Petha (Agra Ka Petha History).
Petha is a sweet that most people like to eat. Due to its popularity, now Petha is being made not only in Agra but also in various cities of the country. Not only this, people like to eat Petha as a sweet even during fasting.
But Agra is also known all over the world for its symbol of love, the Taj Mahal. Everyone dreams of seeing this beautiful building and to fulfill this dream, people come to this city of India from far and wide. This building made of white marble is an amazing example of architecture, whose beauty remains the same even after years.
Is Petha the pride of Agra?
There is hardly anyone who has never tasted Agra’s Pethas. People living here and visiting this city cannot live without tasting it. Its taste is very famous not only in the country but also abroad. Especially for those who are fond of sweets, it is the first choice, but have you ever wondered when and how the Petha that you enjoy with great fondness was discovered. If not, then today in this article we will tell you the story of Agra’s Petha.
Agar Petha was made on the orders of Shahjahan
It is said that the credit for the discovery of Petha goes to Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. This sweet was discovered in Agra during the reign of Shahjahan. It is believed that when the Taj Mahal was being constructed, the emperor asked his cooks to make a sweet that is pure, clean and white like the Taj Mahal. Fulfilling this order of Emperor Shahjahan, the royal cook prepared a sweet with the help of Petha i.e. white pumpkin.
To make it, they cut the white pumpkin into pieces and boiled it in water and then added sugar to give it a sweet taste. In this way, this sweet made from white pumpkin was born and it was named Petha. It is said that the laborers engaged in the construction of the Taj Mahal were also given this sweet to eat, by eating which they got energy to work.
This is also the story of Petha
But some people also believe that Petha came into existence even before the existence of the Taj Mahal. According to legend, this special kind of sweet was invented to feed the workers building the Taj Mahal. Actually, the construction of the Taj Mahal reportedly lasted for 22 years, at that time the laborers used to get very tired after working and they did not like to eat the same type of food. In such a situation, Petha was made in the Mughal kitchen to make them happy. However, this is less likely, because there is no mention of Petha in cook books related to Shah Jahan like Nuskha-e-Shahjahani.
Historians are not unanimous about the origin of Petha
Historians are not unanimous about the origin of Petha. Some historians believe that Petha is not a gift of the Mughals. Actually, the Mughals liked to make and eat sweets full of milk and mawa. Whereas pumpkin and gourd are used in making Petha. Not only this, sweet dishes similar to Petha existed even before the Mughals ruled India.
It was used as a medicine
Till a few years ago, people also used it as a medicine. It is believed that before 1940, Petha was made as an Ayurvedic medicine. Not only this, it was consumed in diseases ranging from blood to liver. At that time, sweets were not used in it. But gradually its taste started changing and people started making and eating juicy Petha with great gusto by using sugar as well as fragrance in it. Currently, people like to make and eat it in more than 50 ways.
Presently, the form of Petha has changed
There are many such stories related to the history of Agra’s Petha. However, at present, its popularity is no longer limited to one city. People in the country and abroad have tasted it and hence this sweet has also got GI Tag. At present, many different types of Petha are available, which include cherry, orange, saffron, angoori, chocolate, pineapple, almond, coconut, paan, khus etc.
Petha is also famous in India by different names
Petha is famous not only in Agra but also in other parts of India by different names. In Jharkhand and Bihar, it is known as Ol or Ol ka Murabba. It is also a favorite sweet because its shelf life is long, it can be kept safe for 40 to 45 days by soaking it in syrup.
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