Ram Navami: Malaika Arora To Shilpa Shetty, Here's How Bollywood Is Celebrating The Festival

Despite coronavirus lockdown, Indians are celebrating Navratri with family to keep up the festivities. Among them are of course Bollywood celebrities who are spreading the festive spirit by doing their bit to celebrate the festival. Chaitra Navratri, which is considered as an auspicious Hindu festival, has come to its end today with Ram Navami. While you can't really go out to relish poori, chana and halwa at your friend or relative's house, you can definitely head to your kitchen and try your hands at dishing out delicious treats like our Bollywood celebs. Need some inspiration?

(Also read: A Day In The Life Of Malaika Arora During The Coronavirus Quarantine)

Malaika Arora has posted several short videos on social media where she is seen making all-time favourite Besan Ladoo to try how Indian delicacies are made during Navratri. Apart from fasting and offering puja, the best thing about Navratri is enjoying various Indian desserts. Bollywood's fitness enthusiast Malaika proved this by brushing up her cooking skills with Basan Ladoo on Ashtami - the eight day of Navratri. She shared a series of videos with sneak-peek of various stages of laddoo making.

We all are quarantined at home, but not restricted to join in the festivities. Shilpa Shetty is a fine example of this. Since the beginning of Navratri, she shared videos on offering puja to Goddess Durga. On Monday evening, the diva wrote on her social media, "I always prepare the Prasad personally. So tried the Makhana and Gur ki Barfi as an offering this time." Shilpa made lip-smacking Indian delicacies like Makhana and Gur ki Barfi and shared the recipe on the description of her social media post. Check it out.

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Today marks the 8th day of the Chaitra Navratri, which is known as Durga Ashtami… I always prepare the Prasad personally. So tried the Makhana and Gur ki Barfi as an offering this time. Specially prayed for strength for all of humanity to get through these times and emerge victorious as one community in the face of adversity. ~ Happy to share details of the recipe, if you'd like to make this sweet at home too. Also, can be had during the fast: ~ Ingredients: • 1 1/2cups Roasted makhana (Fox Nuts) • 1/2 cup Roasted chopped cashews • 1/2 cup Roasted chopped almonds • 2 tbsp Roasted pistachios • 3 tbsp crushed Flaxseeds • 1 tsp crushed saunf (fennel seeds) • 4 crushed elaichi (green cardamom) • 1/2 cup desiccated coconut ~ Sweet syrup: • 1 cup water • 1 cup jaggery (gur) • 4 tbsp sugar • 4 green crushed elaichi • Grease a plate with ghee ~ Instructions: 1. Remove the outer skin of the cardamoms and grind them in the mortar. 2. Grease the tray, plate or a small thali with ghee. Keep aside. 3. Heat a wok, dry roast the makhana for about two-three minutes on medium heat. Then, crush them roughly. This can be done in a grinder. 4. Dry roast the nuts & seeds on medium heat for about a minute. Then, grind the nuts & seeds coarsely in the grinder. 5. Now, add the desiccated coconut in grounded nuts & seeds and puffed makhana. 6. Boil the jaggery, sugar, elaichi, and water in a wok/pan. After the first boil, reduce the heat and boil the sweet syrup till it thickens and makes two string syrup. (Two string syrup means that you take a drop of syrup between your two fingers and then stretch the fingers - if the syrup that sticks between the two fingers is making two threads (or strings) then the thickness of syrup is appropriate. Takes about 7-8 mins.) 7. Now, add the roasted nuts & seeds, makhane, coconut powder, and cardamom, mix well, cook till the mixture absorbs the sweet syrup. Takes about 2 minutes on medium-low heat. 8. Now, turn off the heat and set the mixture on the greased tray. Let the mixture cool down, takes about 8-10 minutes. Now, cut the burfi in required shape. . . . . . #ChaitraNavratri #20DaysofGratefulness #Day7 #stayindoors #staysafe #stayhome

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Apr 1, 2020 at 12:58am PDT

Kangana Ranaut too celebrated the festival of Navratri. On Ashtami, she shared a video on her social media worshipping Goddess Durga and saying few words about her spiritual beliefs of Hindu religion. Beautiful Kangana has been fasting for all nine days of Navaratri. She shared multiples videos on social media encouraging people with tips on how to feel energetic during fasting with easy breathing exercises.

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Navratri 7th day ... Mantras are a very good technique to enhance your vibration and energy immediately, if you feel negative or low you can utilise various mantras, Kangana is listening to Bhairavi Vandana.... during Navratri she spends lot of time meditating over mantras

A post shared by Kangana Ranaut (@team_kangana_ranaut) on Mar 31, 2020 at 2:13am PDT

Bollywood actress Kriti Kharbanda also offered puja to Goddess Durga on Ashtami. She shared a plate of panchak which she offered to the goddess. After the Ashtami puja, people break their fast with panchak. The picture featured a plate of poori and chole along with halwa. Have a look.

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#ashtami #quarantine #cholepoorihalwa @pulkitsamrat

A post shared by Kriti Kharbanda (@kriti.kharbanda) on Apr 1, 2020 at 6:47am PDT

It feels wonderful to see how Bollywood celebs are spending Navratri like many of us even during the lockdown.

(Also read: Kriti Sanon, Shilpa Shetty, Malaika Arora And More Are Cooking Up A Storm In The Kitchen)