peda, Kesar peda, and Brown peda. To embrace a healthier, low-fat lifestyle, there are now new varieties of pedas available, including hazelnut and walnut flavored options. Other dairy products that share similarities with peda are Kunda, Thabdi, Bal mithai, and Kalakand. While Pedas are commonly found in most sweet stores throughout India, there are also large-scale dairy producers such as Amul, Nandini and Mother Dairy that are involved in the production of peda. Consumption customs It is a dessert consumed on various occasions such as festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Rakhsha Bandhan, baby arrivals or weddings. It is distributed especially when a boy child is born. It is also one of the most popular sweets offered to Lord Krishna during Krishna Janmashtami, festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. In religion As with laddoos, pedas are sometimes used as prasadam in religious services. It is believed to be Lord Krishna’s favourite sweet and is widely consumed during Krishna Janmashtami. There is a popular story that has been passed down for ages of how Peda was first made. Lord Krishna’s mother Yoshada forgot to turn off the milk that she was boiling. By the time she remembered it, the milk had thickened considerably. To salvage it, she decided to add sugar and give it to Lord Krishna. It is believed that Krishna liked it so much that the tradition of offering Peda to Lord Krishna began in Mathura, the birth place of Krishna. References Indian desserts Uttar Pradeshi cuisine Gujarati cuisine Nepalese cuisine Confectionery Guyanese cuisine Fijian desserts