Navdhānya or Navadhaniyam refers to nine food grains namely wheat, paddy, pigean pea, hyacinth bean, chickpea, mung bean, sesame, black gram and horse gram.
[4] The grains represent the following nodes:[5] It is customary for Hindus to use Navdanya during certain rituals and auspicious events.
[6][7] During traditional Hindu initiation ceremonies such as Upanayana that marks the acceptance of a student by a preceptor and Vidyāraṃbhaṃ that is performed before a child begins their formal education involve the offering of navdhanya.
[8] During festivals such as Saraswati Puja, a new scroll and writing equipment are placed on the navdhanya.
[9] In Mariamman worship in South India, the sprouts of these food grains, traditionally known as mullaipaari forms an important part of festivals and rituals.