Possible Research Avenues - Indian Food Histories

[Asha Naidu]

Mr Ganesan wrote

  Just like works of George Hart, Martha Selby, ... comparing
  Tamil love poems to Gatha saptasati, there is abundant untouched
  material on food in Tamil sangam texts. Acharya's book is
  great, even there the Dravidian words are visible. But, Acharya
  does not have enough Tamil to read sangam texts and commentaries.
  A companion volume to KTA can be done.

I couldn't agree more. I would not be surprised to learn that a few
PhD's work remains undone regarding the material on food in Tamil Sangam
Texts. Achaya (who I too first took to be Acharya!!)has given a large
box describing some of the Sangam Anthologies in chapter 4 'the Foods of
South India'.

I noted with disappointment that Achaya did not have much material on
Andhra food history - and that there was atleast one inaccuracy. However
I live in hope that at some future date, funding will be provided for
necessary research to be carried out on food histories of Tamilnadu,
Andhra, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP and all other Indian states

  He gives the name of the food manual done in Chalukya court.
 (bojana kutUhala?) A Kashmiri poet wrote the biography of a
  Chalukyan king.

A copy of the Bhojana Kutuhala written by Raghunatha is available in the
library of the Wellcome Institute, London!! I own a book by a noted
Maharashtrian cookery expert which refers to a sanskrit encyclopaedic
book 'Manasollas', compiled by the Chalukya king Someshwar 111 in the
year 1130AD referring to idli, upma and dosa!! I understand that Kshema
Kutuhal is another sanskrit book on the subject of cookery. Malini Bisen
also refers to another book the 'subhruta samhita' a medical text
written between 2nd and 4th century BC that prescribes seasonal foods
and flavours.


Regards

Asha



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com