Religious significance of rice in India

Rice has religious significance and spiritual heritage in India, and is considered a sacred grain in Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, Shatapatha Brahmana, the Mahabharata epic, and in archaeological finds in places such as the holy city of Kashi. It is used in various religious life rites of passage in India such as: dry rice with 'akshata' smeared with red vermilion; nāmakaraṇa – naming ceremony of the new born child; annaprashana – a ritualistic first feeding of a child; as an offering of cooked rice to the sacrificial fire in the yajña kuṇḍa; and in the Mahabharata.

Source: Wikipedia — Religious significance of rice in India (CC BY-SA 4.0)