Laja or Rice flakes (Vari pelalu )

 Laja or Rice Flakes  (in Telugu : Vari Pelalu ) : 

Chemical compositions of Paddy 

Oryza sativa Linn.contains moisture 10.90-13.78, protein 5.50-9.32, carbohydrate 73.35- 80.8%, fibers 0.18- 0.95, minerals 0.79- 2%. It contains mainly starch 72.2-74.9, glucose 1.45-2.65, sucrose 0.3-0.43, and dextrin 1.56-2.05%. Main protein of paddy is oryzynin (glutanin). Besides this, paddy also contains essential amino acids like Argenine,

Histidine, Lysine, Tryptophan, Phenyl alanine, Meithionine, Lucine etc. Vitamin B (especially thiamin, pentotheic acid and pyridoxine) and Vitamin E are excessively found in paddy. 

In minerals Calcium (14.3-85.7), Phosphorus (171.6-558.8 mg par 100gm), Sodium (20mg), Potassium (100mg par 100gm), Mg, S, Cl, Cu, Zn, As, I2 etc., trace elements and Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Phenolase etc., ferment elements found

Nutritional value :

In Laja moisture content 14.7, protein 7.5, carbohydrate 74.3, fibers 0, fat 0.1, and ash 3.4%

In Ayurvedic compendia, laja has been used widely as trishna-shamak dravya (anti-thirst drug) in the form of different pharmaceutical preparations (manda, peya, yavagu, manth etc.). 

Use of laja, as an ingredient of pipasanashak yavagu  (thirst alleviating medicated gruels), as laj-peya (Shrama nashak) under the class of cooked food , as different pharmaceutical preparations (laj-mand , laj-manth  etc.,) in treatment of thirst (trishna). 

Laj-saktu has trishna-shamak  (anti thirst) properties and lajtarpan is best for treatment of thirst (trishna) .

 Another pharmaceutical preparation, lajodak (the cold infusion of laja mixed with honey, jaggery, gambhari (Gmelina arborea Linn.) fruit powder and khand is indicated for treatment of pittaj trishna (thirst due to vitiation of pitta)

Laja in Hindu Rituals:

 In Ayurveda anna is considered as prana  and is connected with religious enculturation. In Hindu traditions, use of laja is indicated in marriage, worship and other auspicious occasions. There is no scientific explanation behind use of laja in Hindu rituals. It is a matter of further investigations and should be looked carefully. One possible explanations behind this is that anna has been considered as Prana and laja is one of the most widely used staple food item which increases pranic shakti. Its use in rituals establishes its auspicious nature.