Thadi, or Althadi, is a unique food offering at the Cherthala Karthyayani Devi temple in Alappuzha district, Kerala. The vazhipadu or offering of Althadi is performed by devotees to find relief to serious and life threatening diseases. It is the preparation of this sweet offering that makes it unique.
Thadi is a sweet prepared mixing rice flour with jaggery, grated coconut, powdered ginger and other spices. The mixture is made into a paste form and is collected inside the end portion of arecanut leaf (known as paala). Both ends of the paala are tied tightly with the mixture inside.
A heap of sand is heated by burning dried sticks of banyan and peepal tree. When stand reaches a particular high temperature, a depression is made in the heap of sand and the arecanut bundle is placed in the depression and covered using sand. The sand is again heated until the mixture inside gets cooked. The offering is first presented to the deity and later given to the devotees.
Althadi is only prepared when a devotee books for it.
Another sweet that is prepared at the temple is Iratti. Rice payasam or sweet is made using ghee and double the quantity of jaggery.