A story from
Kerala titled "The Legend of Chessboard", holds that an old sage, who was
Krishna in disguise, challenged the king of
Ambalapuzha (chess enthusiasts) to a game. To motivate the sage, the king offered anything the old man would name. The sage modestly asked for a few grains of rice but with one condition: the king must put a single grain of rice on the first chess square and double it on every subsequent one. Krishna, as the sage, won the game and the king started placing the grains. As he stacked them, he was shocked to see the number grow exponentially. In the end, the number came up to trillions. Krishna reveals himself and asks the king to provide kheer to every pilgrim who comes to what is now the
Ambalapuzha Krishna Temple in the
Alappuzha District, which still follows this command. According to the food historian
K. T. Achaya, kheer (or
payasam, as it is known in South India) was a popular dish in
ancient India. First mentioned in ancient Indian literature, it was a mixture of rice, milk and sugar.
Payasam was also a staple food in
Hindu temples in particular, where it is served as
Prasāda to devotees. == Gallery ==