Subject
Date
Time
Venue |
Dietetics
in Ancient India
Saturday, 24 November 2001
09.00 am onwards
The Institute of Hotel Management
Veer Savarkar Marg,
Dadar (W), Mumbai – 400028 |
Last Date of
receiving Abstract: 31st August 2001
Last Date of receiving Papers: 30th November 2001
Registration: Rs 300/-
All Abstracts should be accompanied with Registration fee.
All drafts should be drawn in favor of "Institute for Oriental Study,
Thane".
Food
is one of the essential needs of the human beings along with
shelter and clothing. Though there are hypothesis and speculations
about food production and consumption we do not know for sure
how they produce, manufacture and consume food.
Indian civilization is one of the oldest surviving civilizations
along with the Chinese. We have detailed studies available on
Literature, Architecture, Language, Arts- fine and performing,
Trade and commerce, Law and Judiciary, Positive sciences and
Medicine. India has not only contributed immensely to Human
civilization in all these fields, but also has an imprint of
uniqueness on all these facets of Culture, be it Language and
Grammar, Medicine or Social institutions and Religion. This
is also true for Food and Drinks in Ancient India. Some times
most obvious is less noticed.
Our inquiry in this regard can go as far back as literary and
archaeological material as made available to us. The newer Sciences
like Cognitive Archaeology are giving us new insight and vision,
which is helping us to understand our past more faithfully,
and also giving justice to their creative and imaginative abilities.
For Indians production or consumption of food was not only a
material exercise but also was a spiritual exercise. This is
adequately reflected in the literature spanning from Vedic times
to treatises on this subject up to 17th century.
All the activities of the man are to be performed so as to achieve
moksa. To successfully attain this aim the main means is the
body of the man. "Sariramadyam khalu dharmasadhanam." The state
of mind depends upon that of the body and the food it consumes.
Indians recognized, very early, the importance of the body and
knew that every action in their life should be aimed at attaining
spiritual heights. The influence of the kind of food the body
consumes on the progress of religious attainments of different
higher stages towards the ultimate liberation is recognized
by Indians. The wonderful thing about this civilization is the
spread of this knowledge to the general public and guide their
activities in the right direction.
Apart from taste, nutrient value of the food for a healthy body
was long recognized by ancient Indians. Diet complete in all
respects was recommended for all age groups. Aurvedic texts
give us adequate information in this regard. Not only that but
the kind of food suitable to men pursuing different professions
like men following profession of teaching, battle-fighting,
trade, etc., was also decided. Likewise food suitable to children,
pregnant women, and aged persons was also recommended.
Medicinal use of many plants to fight harmful bacteria and ailments
were also developed and a separate science of medicine was evolved.
Use of different parts and glands of animals for medicinal purposes
was also discovered. The science of diet (pathya) was evolved
after thorough understanding of effect of different kinds of
food on the ailing patient. Rules were formed about kind and
quantity of food a man of a particular caste and following a
particular profession, that too at different stages of life,
that is from childhood to old age. Rules indicating period for
which particular food remains fresh and suitable for consumption
were also formed. The science of diet was developed to such
an extent and became so much at everyday use that an Acharya
like Bharata recommends different food-items to men following
different professions. The Natyasastra he has stated that at
the inaugural ceremony of a theatre, the king should be offered
madhuparka, Brahmins and men of merchant class a meal of sweats
whereas laborers who worked for the construction of the theatre
food with additional amount of salt. It is well known that the
need of salt to a laborer because of its loss through perspiration
is much more than to others.
The preparation of food depends upon the geographical and climatic
conditions. This facet of diet was also taken into consideration.
People living in hilly or mountainous areas and cold country
of north India prepare their food in the medium of mustard oil
whereas men southern country which has relatively hot and moist
weather use the medium of coconut oil for preparing food.
A civilized man demands that anything served to him should be
beautifully decorated. The difference in the civilization where
people use daub-and-reed hut from that of those living in a
concrete houses is well known. Similarly, the state of civilization
of people could be understood not only from the preparation
and number of food-items served but the way they are arranged
on a plate. Rangavali round the plate, the methodical manner
in which the food-items are arranged on it, lighted incense
sticks are some of the items developed by Indians so as to make
the eating of food as pleasant as possible. Importance of eating
food in good mood was recognized. Long lines of plates, filled
with many items of food properly arranged on them, decorated
with rangavali round them and the pleasant smell of burning
incense sticks and men sitting in rows, having their foreheads
marked with keshari gandha is a sight to be seen. We lost this
pleasure by following eating habits of western countries.
The architectural aspects regarding locations of kitchen, dining
hall, store rooms for food-grains and condiments including betel
leaves is another facet of this subject for which Indians have
definite opinions. Quite a good information is given on this
topic in many treatises of Silpasastra. There is a chapter in
the 'Manasollasa' on preparation of different kinds of food.
Its study would give a good idea about food-habits of people
of medieval period. There is another facet to this subject and
that is of preparation of 'trayodashaguni vida'. This is another
topic on which Indians have put up great efforts. The condiments
and their right amount and proportion in a betel leaf roll are
treated as an art.
In short History of Dietetics in Ancient India is not restricted
only to recipes or cooking but is a larger cultural activity.
There are hundreds of manuscripts available in Sanskrit and
Prakrit, which will have to be, studied afresh. We also see
that the preparation of food fed to animals was also given proper
attention. I am sure that the scholars will take advantage of
this Seminar and throw a light on the dark corner of this subject.
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| Points
for considerations: |
-
Production of food items,
- Its
selection for human/ animal consumption,
- Its
safe/ toxic/ medicinal properties,
- Additives
for taste and preservation,
- Utensils
to be used for cooking and serving,
- Energy
to be utilized for cooking,
- Linking
of food preparations with Seasons,
- Preparation
of food for pregnant woman/ infant/ children/ aged,
- Dining
and kitchen area specification and selection,
- Decoration
for single and collective dining and aesthetics of
eating places,
- Food
prescriptions for religious, cultural and social ceremonies/
functions,
- Prescribing
timings for healthy eating habits,
- Recitations
while dining,
- Post
dining preparations,
- Representation
in sculptures/ miniatures,
- Reflection
in all ancient Indian literature.
- Reflection
in Epigraphy.
- Traveler's
accounts
- Manuscript-
Published & Unpublished
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| Abstracts/Paper
Submission Hints |
- Papers
for the Seminar should strictly adhere to the subject
of the Seminar.
- Kindly
specify the specific topic you have chosen for your
presentation.
- Restrict
yourself to the topic avoiding all generalizations.
- Refer
to the primary sources from the Sanskrit and Prakrit.
- Send
your paper neatly typed on one side of paper.
- Use
diacritical marks appropriately.
- Along
with the Roman Script rendition supply the Devanagari
Version.
- The
abstract should be epitomized version of the whole
paper comprising of 300 words at least. Avoid generalities.
The abstract should reach us not later than 31st August
2001
- Organizing
seminars has become a very expensive affair bound
by limitation of time. To gain a maximum dividend
out of this exercise the scholar should examine critically
the available Sanskrit literature and the paper should
be an original contribution rather that a repetition
of facts already known. The paper may be short or
elaborate but it should reach us not later than 30th
November 2001.
Note:
The deadline for receiving the abstract of the paper
is 31st August 2001. If you need any more information
write to us without any hesitation. Your co-operation
is the only means reaching towards the success of the
forthcoming Seminar.
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| Prizes |
|
There
will be two awards of Rs. 1000/- each to the outstanding Research
Paper presented at the Seminar.
- The
Prof. Shankar Yadav Ponkshe Education Trust Prize.
- Shri
A.V. Damale Prize
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