A World Of Nourishment Reflections On Food In Indian Culture

This handbook is a comprehensive study of the archaeology, social history and the cultural landscape of the Hindu temple. Perhaps the most recognizable of the material forms of Hinduism, temples are lived, dynamic spaces. They are significant sites for the creation of cultural heritage, both in the past and in the present. Drawing on historiographical surveys and in-depth case studies, the volume centres the material form of the Hindu temple as an entry point to study its many adaptations and transformations from the early centuries CE to the 20th century. It highlights the vibrancy and dynamism of the shrine in different locales and studies the active participation of the community for its establishment, maintenance and survival. The illustrated handbook takes a unique approach by focusing on the social base of the temple rather than its aesthetics or chronological linear development. It fills a significant gap in the study of Hinduism and will be an indispensable resource for scholars of archaeology, Hinduism, Indian history, religious studies, museum studies, South Asian history and Southeast Asian history. Chapters 1, 4 and 5 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Providing an introduction to the artistic and architectural traditions of the Islamic world, A Story of Islamic Art explores fifty case studies, taken from different regions of the Islamic world and from the seventh to the twenty-first centuries. The novel aspect of these case studies is that they are presented as fictional narratives, allowing the reader to imagine art and architecture, either in their original cultural settings or at some later point in their histories. These stories are supported by a scholarly framework that allows the reader to continue their exploration of the chosen artefacts and their historical context. The fifty case studies take the form of short stories, each of which focuses on one or more object from the Islamic world. These encompass portable items in a wide variety of media, book illustrations, calligraphy, photographs, architectural decoration, buildings, and archaeological sites. The book also provides a detailed introduction, maps, timeline, glossary, and guides for further reading. This book offers accessible answers to key questions in the scholarship on Islamic art and architecture from its earliest times to the present. The issues dealt with in each of the stories include iconography, attitudes towards representation, the role of script, the elaboration of geometric decoration, the creation of sacred and secular spaces in architecture, and the socio-cultural context of art production and consumption. Artistic interactions between the Islamic world and other regions including Europe and China are also discussed in this book. A Story of Islamic Art is an engaging and informative introduction for interested readers and students of Islamic art, history, and architecture.

During the recent years, Ayurvedic wisdom has been propagated by religious or sectarian gurus rather than by Vaidyas (traditional Ayurvedic physician), scholars and Indian women, who have kept the Ayurvedic tradition alive for thousands of years. Gurus tend to mould the Ayurvedic wisdom from scientific to sectarian. This book, written by a woman Ayurvedic scholar, who has also had Western education in medical sciences, is a valuable piece of work, as it puts forward the scientific aspect of Ayurveda in context of its food culture and preparations. It is a prime example of the integration of scientific values in Indian cultural tradition. The book highlights the rational basis of what we should eat, when, how and why. The book contains authentic Ayurvedic food culture and mode of preparation of various international recipes by applying Ayurvedic principles. Scriptural wisdom of Ayurveda does not tell you to give up your glass of wine or leave out your favourite dishes. The way to good health is not through insipid food, but to enjoy the colours and flavours of life and have sensuous fulfilment with various rasas (tastes) of the cosmos. The secret to good health lies in understanding the Ayurvedic food culture and following its Eight Golden Principles. The book teaches the art of preparing balanced and rejuvenating food by using different herbs and spice mixtures and by attaining the knowledge about their hot and cold nature. With appropriate knowledge of Ayurvedic food culture, one can enhance energy, immunity and vitality and above all can cure one's minor ailments. The Great Sanskrit scholar and an India's leading Pandit on Indian cultural tradition, Professor Dharmanand Sharma has described this book as follow: "Dr. Vinod Verma's book, which is based upon the ancient scientific principles of Ayurveda and is presenting modern methods of preparation is like a ray of hope in this age of darkness and confusion when our food is little better than poison. It is not only a recipe book but also describes the Ayurvedic food culture, which can help many people heal their digestion-related ailments. The use of modern equipments to shorten the time and systematic preparations of numerous spice combinations make the book a valuable gift to humanity. This book is a commendable and extraordinary attempt to present the ancient wisdom in a modern way for the benefit of humanity."

Indian Food Sense , designed to appeal to the health conscious gourmet, brings together the nutritional expertise and culinary abilities of Ruth N Davidar, who firmly believes that sound nutrition is not about eating poorly prepared, tasteless food merely because it s good for you . The book is divided into three parts. The first highlights the rudiments of nutrition, and is meant to dispel notions on food and health that are often inaccurate, inadequate, contradictory or just plain confusing. It also provides valuable insight into the culinary wisdom of ancient India which is today established in scientific fact. The second section is a compilation of traditional Indian recipes with emphasis on low-fat cooking, a celebration of taste drawn from regional cuisine. The recipes are written in easy-to-follow steps so that even a beginner can attempt to cook Indian food. It is for people who care about what they eat and why. It is a gastronomic experience that takes the worry out of making a prudent choice. It is all about eating wisely and well.

This book discusses food in the context of the cultural matrix of India. Addressing topical issues in food and food culture, it explores questions concerning the consumption, representation and mediation of food. The book is divided into four sections, focusing on food fads; food representation; the symbolic valence of food; modes and manners of resistance articulated through food. Investigating consumption practices in both public and ethnic culture, each chapter introduces a fresh approach to food across diverse literary and cultural genres. The book offers a highly readable guide for researchers and practitioners in the field of literary and cultural studies, as well as the sociological fields of food studies, body studies and fat studies.

‘A brave and beautiful exploration into food, race, memory and the very meaning of life. I read it greedily - and so will you’ Meera Sodha, author of Fresh India The dinner table, among friends, is where the best conversations take place – talk about the world, religion, politics, culture, love and cooking. In the same way, Be My Guest is a conversation about all these things, mediated through the sharing of food. We live in a world where some have too much and others not enough, where migrants and refugees are both welcomed and vilified, and where most of us spend less and less time cooking and eating together. Priya Basil explores the meaning and limits of hospitality today, and in doing so she invites us to consider that how much we have in common may depend on what we are willing to share.

Elegantly written by a distinguished culinary historian, Food Is Culture explores the innovative premise that everything having to do with food--its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption--represents a cultural act. Even the "choices" made by primitive hunters and gatherers were determined by a culture of economics (availability) and medicine (digestibility and nutrition) that led to the development of specific social structures and traditions. Massimo Montanari begins with the "invention" of cooking which allowed humans to transform natural, edible objects into cuisine. Cooking led to the creation of the kitchen, the adaptation of raw materials into utensils, and the birth of written and oral guidelines to formalize cooking techniques like roasting, broiling, and frying. The transmission of recipes allowed food to acquire its own language and grow into a complex cultural product shaped by climate, geography, the pursuit of pleasure, and later, the desire for health. In his history, Montanari touches on the spice trade, the first agrarian societies, Renaissance dishes that synthesized different tastes, and the analytical attitude of the Enlightenment, which insisted on the separation of flavors. Brilliantly researched and analyzed, he shows how food, once a practical necessity, evolved into an indicator of social standing and religious and political identity. Whether he is musing on the origins of the fork, the symbolic power of meat, cultural attitudes toward hot and cold foods, the connection between cuisine and class, the symbolic significance of certain foods, or the economical consequences of religious holidays, Montanari's concise yet intellectually rich reflections add another dimension to the history of human civilization. Entertaining and surprising, Food Is Culture is a fascinating look at how food is the ultimate embodiment of our continuing attempts to tame, transform, and reinterpret nature.