What is Thal?

- The act of feeding Maharaj as we eat is called thal.

- “Yatha deha tatha deva” according to this slogan, we humans need to eat food to sustain our bodies. Similarly, we also offer food to our beloved Lord. The divine occasion of offering food to the Lord is called “Thal."
- When a devotee offers food made with immense love to Lord with a desire to please the Lord is known as thal.

Importance of Thal:

- One principle of Karan Satsang is that Maharaj is always present through the form of His Murti. Maharaj is always omnipresent in a devotee's house. He is our world, and He is our everything. As a devotee, we must ensure that Maharaj remains at the center point of all our actions. Therefore, we do thal as a devotee.

- Doing thal after making a meal is not just a formality we perform. However, the King of Akshardham, the supreme Lord Swaminarayan, Himself, actually accepts the thal. If His divine eyesight falls on the prepared dishes, the dishes become pure from rajogun, tamogun, and other mundane entities.

- The food is grown on farms, but if one comes in contact with food products, his thoughts also get mixed within the food, from the person who picks in the farm to the person who cooks and serves the food.

- If an individual who has come in contact with the food has impure thoughts, then eating that food, the consumer's thoughts also become impure. However, by offering that food to Maharaj first, it becomes prasad which is divine and pure of all impurities.

- By eating food blessed by the Lord, one's thoughts, speech and actions become pure. One can also progress forward on the spiritual path, and the strength of worldly pleasures also decreases.

What are the times when we should offer thal? What should we offer in Thal?

Balbhog (Breakfast): In the morning between 6:00 am to 7:30 am.

- For breakfast, one can offer sweets, milk, paratha, or snacks such as sev, chevdo, sakarpara, etc. If preparing a lavishing breakfast is impossible, one can even offer just milk and fruits for breakfast.

- Breakfast that has snacks, milk, and sweets should be offered for 10 minutes.

Rajbhog (Lunch): In the afternoon between 10:30 am to 12:00 pm.

- For lunch, one can offer sweets, appetizers, rice and dal, cooked vegetables (shak) and chapatti, pickle, yogurt, salad, buttermilk, or anything one wants to make. It is even OK to offer a simple lunch. However, one should ensure that whatever has been cooked for lunch is offered to Maharaj before eating it themselves.

- Time: 20 minutes.

Utthapan no thal (Afternoon Snack): Between 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm.

- One can offer different fruits, juice, ice cream, dry fruits, peanuts, etc. However, we should not offer only crystallized sugar
- for the afternoon snack.

- We should offer an afternoon snack for at least 10 minutes.

Sandhya Thal (Dinner): In the evening between 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

- For dinner, one can offer hotchpotch (khichadi), cooked vegetables, chapatti, millet chapattis, dhokla, kadhi, milk, etc.

- Time: 15 minutes

Considerations for Thal Preparation:

- While preparing the Thal, ensure to use all the necessary spices and ingredients. Pay attention not to include anything that may not appeal to you but focus on what pleases the Lord. Contemplate upon making the Thal in a manner that is favorable to the deity.

- Prepare the Thal with enthusiasm and excitement, not with a sense of boredom or laziness. Make it with the magnificence of knowing that Maharaj himself will accept it. Do not remove the enthusiasm while preparing and offering the Thal.

- Refrain from engaging in unnecessary worldly or mundane conversations while preparing the Thal. Do not discuss someone's flaws or shortcomings, nor entertain negative thoughts. Instead, listen to kirtans, bhajans, or spiritual discourses while cooking.

- Keep all the utensils for Maharaj's Thal separately, including plates, bowls, spoons, glasses, and pitchers. No one should mix their utensils with those intended for the Thal.

- If possible, place the Thal on a table or a pedestal, elevating it above ground level, so that Maharaj receives it with honor and respect.
By following these guidelines, you ensure that the preparation and offering of the Thal are done with utmost devotion and reverence towards the deity.

What to do before and after the offering (Thal) ceremony?

- Before performing thal, one should pray to Maharaj, “Maharaj, please come and accept our offering. Maharaj, please come eat." Suppose there is a Murti of Batuk Maharaj in the Ghar mandir. In that case, one should remove His pagh, khes, and other ornaments by making sure that it does not hurt Maharaj. We should then place a small stool or table with a glass of water.

- After the completion of thal, one should offer water and mukhwas (a mouth freshener) to Maharaj.

What to do and what not to do during the Thal?

- When offering Thal to Thakorji (deity), ensure not to engage in other household activities. Just as you wouldn't do other tasks while hosting and feeding a guest, similarly, sit before Maharaj with devotion and love, focusing solely on offering the Thal.

- Thal should be offered by singing or reciting prayers. Do not remain silent while sitting before Maharaj. Engage in singing the Thal or praying verbally as you offer the food.

- As instructed by beloved Guru P.P. Swamishri, make sincere and selfless prayers during the Thal ceremony. It is believed that Maharaj is very pleased during the Thal, and he will surely accept and respond to your heartfelt prayers made at this time.

- Do not speak loudly or create noise around the area where Thal is being offered. Maintain a serene and respectful environment.

History of Thal

In the Swaminarayan sect today, the thãl “Jamo thãl jivan jãu vãri” is well known and very common. Let us look at the history behind the creation of thal.

When the Swaminarayan sect was new, there was a lot of opposition and rebellion against the sect, the devotees, and the sants. The sants would get brutally beaten with rocks wherever they went and showered with great insults everywhere. Neither was anyone willing to offer them a place to stay, nor did anyone offer them food to eat.

Sadguru Bhumanand Swami, one of Shriji Maharaj’s senior sant, was traveling in the villages. Due to the Swaminarayan sect's opposition from all directions, sants had not gotten to eat anything for the past four days. Despite the four-day fast, on the fifth day, the sants were still traveling by foot and singing Maharaj’s dhun. From the opposite direction, they noticed that a farmer was coming back from his farm.

Due to Maharaj’s blessing, the farmer was good. He bowed down to the sants and said, "Jay Swaminarayan." From a small conversation, the farmer learned that the sants had not eaten anything for four days.

The farmer said, “True sants like yourself have been fasting for four days! I have just harvested fresh wheat from my farm. I have nothing else that I can offer you, so please accept this wheat as my offering.”

The sants were not disappointed about having to fast for four days, but they could not do Maharaj’s thal for the past four days. So, the offered wheat brought tears of joy to their eyes.

Sadguru Bhumanand Swami placed Thakorji under a tree and prayed to Him, "Oh Maharaj! Please forgive us for not having done your thal for the past four days. Today You have sent this farmer for us. Hence, you have allowed us to perform your Thal. Oh, merciful Lord! Please accept our offering!" While saying this prayer, Bhumanand Swami started singing the Thal: “Jamo thãl jivan jãu vãri…”

As Bhumanand Swami started singing the thal, Maharaj appeared under the tree in His divine form and ate all the dishes that Swami mentioned in the thal. After completion of thal, Maharaj disappeared from there. Swami must have such strong affection and love towards Maharaj that he first prayed to Him and did thal before eating the wheat, despite being hungry for four days. Because of this, Maharaj Himself came to give darshan in His divine form.

After the voyage, Swami, along with his sants, came to Gadhpur. Maharaj had just sat down to eat lunch. As soon as Maharaj received the news of Bhumanand Swami's arrival, He got up while eating and met Swami. Maharaj hugged Bhumanand swami lovingly and made Swami sit beside Him and also fed him lunch.

Shriji Maharaj said, “Swami, that day there was only green wheat, yet you still did thãl and fed Me with love. I want to hear that thal again, so sing it while I eat.” Maharaj asked Swami to sing the thal four to five times as He had lunch.

Sadguru Bhumanand Swami’s blessed thal is sung even today in all temples and devotees' homes. We shall also sing this thal when feeding Maharaj.