The Ancient Food Habits of India
It’s Importance & Relevance
Food is a vital part of Indian culture not only in the present, but it has also been an important part since its origin. It is an important part of any celebration, including festivals and temples.
TYPES OF FOOD CATEGORY
In ancient India, we see that food was categorized into three major categories, which are as follows:
Satvik (food in mode of goodness)
Rajasik (food in mode of passion)
Tamasik (food in mode of ignorance)
Satvik food specifically includes fruits, leafy and green vegetables, milk and milk products of a Bos Indicus cows.
Rajasik food majorly includes heavy spicy, fried, deep-fried, oily, and stale food.
The third category is Tamasik food which majorly includes meat, fish, and alcoholic drinks, other toxic products such as tobacco, beetle, and food products with caffeine, including onion, and garlic.
It results in many diseases that are fatal to our health.
There is a very famous saying, you all must have heard of it, “Our ideas are shaped up according to the food we eat”.
One of the prominent reasons that people in ancient India were very much careful about their diet qualitatively as well as quantitatively. They made sure that 50% of the stomach is filled with foodstuff, 25% with water, and the rest 25% with air.
It was one of the major reasons for a healthy and long life in the ancient Vedic period.
You would be astonished to know:
In 1947, 70% of the population lived on a vegetarian diet. Whereas now in 2020, 70% of the population stay on a non-vegetarian diet.
One of the crucial reasons that we commonly come across in modern times that people are suffering from behavioral, attitude, and relationship problems.
Families are weakening, the joint family system has broken down and even nuclear families are finding difficult to stay together.
There is no doubt, nor an iota of it that poor behavioral and attitude related issues are due to our dietary habits, which majorly include, flesh and meat, which were slaughtered with much pain and agony.
Do You Know About Different Food Habits In Different Religion?
If we do a small survey of various world religions and civilizations, we find that they have specific food habits and specific behavioral traits because of it.
They are also much adamant in their eating habits and adhere to traditional systems.
Muslims eat only Halal certified food all across the globe.
Halal food is a particular type of food that adheres to Islamic laws as mentioned in the Quran. The Islamic form of slaughtering, food prepared by Muslims, food bought, and sold according to the Halal income.
All the major brands in the world are also having Halal-certified marks on their products to trap Muslim customers.
Similarly, the Christians prefer taking only Maker’s diet as mentioned in the Bible and it is a common practice of praying before eating.
Also, the Jews, who are one of the smallest religious minorities eat Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary laws.
The above religious groups take pride in their specific food habits even in the modern times of the 21st century, they are very keen to preserve it and strictly follow and propagate the same.
Shift In Indian Food Habits
Back home in India, we see that there has been a major shift in our food habits, we are consuming huge meat products and tamasik foodstuffs.
It is not at all right for the social, religious, and moral point of view.
The majority in India is in distraught, troubled, nervous, and frightened, for people of other religions are taking over our food product and industry by their religious certification.
Who is Responsible?
We just can’t blame anybody else, we ourselves are solely responsible for such an adverse situation.
Still, we have enough time, if we want we can even easily handle it now and rectify it.
If we look at the present situation, many influential people of the society are committed towards the cause of which a prominent lawyer of a supreme court Mr. Ishkaran Singh Bhandari is tirelessly working for the same.
He is working for a special Dharmic certified mark which is labeled on every Satvik food products for which he is also running a campaign and has even written to Ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution of Government of India.
The need of the hour is that we make each and everybody aware of dharmic and Satvik food habits, its benefits, especially to our young generation.
Let us make the Dharmic trademark more common and acceptable in society.
According to Vedic scripture, it is stated that “Praninam Punarmoolamaaharam”- the route of all being is nothing but the food itself.
Only proper food is not sufficient to be healthy. The time, ambiance, quantity, the manner of food intake and the most important is what are we eating are also necessary.
Our food habits directly manipulate the spiritual consciousness of ours and have a role in both personal and social health.
The central philosophy is that all the three-body, mind, and intellect must stay fit and that the physical well-being can’t be achieved without emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
Following the dharmic rules relating to eating create rejuvenation within an individual.
In addition, following a satvik diet increases the quality and quantity of our life. These factors help in increasing the sattva guna, which helps us in self-realization.
