Why lemon holds a special place in spirituality and Hinduism | The Times of India (2024)

Have you ever thought why every auspicious ritual is incomplete without lemons and why it holds a special place in our culture? Well, in Sanskrit lemon is known as a Nimbu Phala and is believed to be a sacred fruit. Since ages, lemon has been used in Ayurvedic medicines, home remedies and day-to-day culinary uses for its potent health benefits and unique taste and flavour. But there’s a lot more to this little citursy fruit, which is woven in the layers of mythology and cultural beliefs.

Image courtesy: @HinduBlog

The mention of this fruit can be found in the books of mythology so much so that this fruit is known as the king of fruits in the spiritual world. Here’s an interesting piece of mythology that defines the origin and relevance of lemons in spirituality and Hinduism .

The history of lemon dates back to the vedic era, when a powerful Asura(demon) known as NimbAsura led to mass destruction and caused famine. The mighty Asura was very powerful as he had boons from Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. Disturbed with the cruel deeds of the Asura, Rishi Agasthya performed rituals and did great penance to save the earth from the destruction caused by the Asura, the sage prayed to the Goddess Shakti to end the brutality of the demon. Pleased by the sage, Goddess Shakti killed Nimbasura and blessed the earth with vegetation and this is why the deity was worshiped as Shakhambari Devi.

Right before the death of Nimbasura, the demon realized his mistakes and saw the divine power of Goddess Shakhambari Devi and pleaded to her to bless him with a place in her holy feet. The Goddess gave Nimbasura a boon that he will always be adored in the form of a fruit ‘Nimbu Phala’ and since then lemon has been an essential part of Hindu rituals.

In fact, as per popular beliefs, the origin of this incident is in Badami, Karnataka, where Goddess Shakambari took the avatar and this is also the place where the deity is worshiped with a garland of lemons after wish fulfillment.

As per another popular mythological belief, lemon is also offered in the rituals of Goddess Chandi or Maa Kali as it is believed that offering this fruit can help in calming her fierce anger.

Apart from that, lemons are also linked to keeping negative energies at bay. This is because lemon has the power to hold strong energies and reduce the impact of negative energies and evil eyes. In fact, it is believed that keeping lemons in the temples and bringing them at home can help in removing the impact of negative energies.