Hindu Food Culture Flashcards
Sanatana Dharma /Hinduism
• Sanatana Dharma = (Sanskrit) “the eternal law”
• The oldest living religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism, Oct 18, 2011)
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml, 07 October, 2016)
• Not founded by any prophet (http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf)
• A religion, a philosophy, and a way of life
• Simple, ascetic life & environment friendly
• Many converted to Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Islam, Christian …
• Sanatana Dharma = (Sanskrit) “the eternal law”
• The oldest living religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism, Oct 18, 2011)
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml, 07 October, 2016)
• Not founded by any prophet (http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf)
• A religion, a philosophy, and a way of life
• Simple, ascetic life & environment friendly
• Many converted to Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Islam, Christian …
• a diverse religion, many faiths, various forms of
worship & kinds of rituals & customs, (not
universal)
• 330 Million gods & goddesses
• 100s of Sages, Saints, & Gurus
• Many followers, cults, sects, devotees
• Incarnation/Rebirth
• Hindu scriptures‐ Veda, Puran, Geeta, Ramayan,
Mahabharat
Origin of Hindus
• Indus (Sindhu) valley- now it is pakistan
Himalaya
‐‐ a repository of medicinal & food plants
‐‐ the Sindhu, the Ganges, the Bhramhaputra
‐‐ the birthplace of ancient Hindu culture and
civilization
Hindu Population in Canada
Province Hindus Ontario 217,555 British Columbia 31,500 Quebec 24,525 Alberta 15,965 Manitoba 3,835 Saskatchewan 1,585 Nova Scotia 1,235 New Brunswick 475 Newfoundland and Labrador 405 Northwest Territories 65 Prince Edward Island 30 Yukon 10 Nunavut 10 Canada 297,200
Hindu Population in Canada
- Association for Canadian Studies
- 372,500 (2006)
- ~1.2% of the population of Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Canada (October 18, 2011)
- 75,300↑(2001‐2006)
Religious affiliation in Canada %
National Household Survey, 2011
• Christian‐ Two‐thirds of Canada’s population
• Muslim‐ 3.2
• Hindus‐ 1.5
• Sikhs‐ 1.4
• Buddhists‐ 1.1
• Jewish‐ 1
• No religious affiliation‐ nearly one‐quarter of the
population (https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs‐enm/2011/as‐sa/99‐010‐x/99‐010‐x2011001‐eng.cfm, accessed 07 October, 2016)
Hindu Trinity
The 3 supreme Hindu Gods:
• Brahma (The Creator)
• Vishnu (The Preserver)
• Mahesh (The Destroyer)
Worship (Puja)
- idol/picture
- lamp, incense, bell, conch
- mantra (religious verses)
- aarati (hymns)
- bhog (food offering)
- prasad (blessed food)‐‐ distributed
Water in Hinduism
• a purifier and a rejuvenating agent for
religious acts
• practice of bathing in sacred rivers during
pilgrimages, e.g., Kumbha Fair
• Rivers are god, bring water and food
The Ganges & The Chhath
Holy water from the River
Ganges‐‐ sprinkled onto
the food
sacred fig
gives off lots of water
dogs
gods
Bol Bom pilgrimage
No meat or fish in the month of Shravan (July‐August).
‐‐‐breeding season of fish
‐‐‐ample green grass for animals
Preserve the nature/environment
Hindu festivals:1
- Maghe/ Tila Sankranti (Mid January)
- Saraswati Puja (February)
- Maha Shivaratri (February)
- Holi (March)
- Ramnawami (March)
- Navabarsha/Joor Sital (14 April)
- Nag Panchami (July/August)
- Guru Purnima/Raksha Bandhan (July/August)
- Krishna Janmasthami (August)
- Teej (August/September)‐ by women only
- Ganesh Chaturthi/Chaurchan (September)
- Durga Puja (October) – Some fast for 9 days
- Deepawali & Lakshmi Puja (November)
- Chhath Parva (November)
- Vivaha Panchami (December)
Body composition: Panchtatwa
Body is made up of 5 natural elements: earth, air, fire, water, sky The proper balance = good health imbalance = discomfort, disease Ayurveda, Meditation & Y
Ahimsa(non‐violence)
- Hinduism = a doctrine of ahimsa
- respect all creatures, all life is sacred
- live non‐violent lives, not harming animals
- vegetarianism is advocated
Food hierarchy in a Hinduism Chigateri, S.(2008). ‘Glory to the Cow’: Cultural Difference and Social Justice in the Food Hierarchy
• vegetarianism, • meat‐eating (no beef) • beef‐eating 23 Hinduism prohibits killing of any female mamal for food
Caste system in Hinduism
1. Brahmins ‐‐ priests, teacher, maintain purity by avoiding foods touched by those of lower castes 2. Ksatriya ‐‐ rulers, warriors 3. Vaisya ‐‐ farmers, merchants 4. Sudras ‐‐ servants, labourers caste‐‐ inherited at birth depending on Karma (deeds) of former life
Issues relating to food
Hindu Dharmashastra and people: care “what one is permitted to eat, how one should prepare food, when and how much one should eat, from whom one can accept food, and with whom one can eat”
Food beliefs
Food is God
Annapurna = Goddess of food & nourishment
Sanskrit, Anna = food and grains
Purna = full/complete
• Food: a gift of god, treated with respect
• Food is for feeding body, mind & soul
• Food determines our physical well being &
mental makeup.
• ‘You are what you eat’.
• Avoid all foods thought to inhibit physical,
mental & spiritual development.
The Bhagavad Geeta ‐‐ eat only wholesome clean foods
that are fresh and simply prepared in moderate
portions.
• Food affects both body (chemistry) & mind
(emotions)
• A proper diet‐ vital for spiritual development
Food categories
Based on the food’s effect on the body and the
temperament, the Hindu diet code divides food into
3 categories:
1. Satwik
2. Rajasi
3. Tamasik
Satwik ‐ the most desirable type of food
pure food, non‐irritating to the stomach, e.g., fruits,
nuts, whole grains, vegetables
• increases longevity, health, strength, taste, happiness
• purify the mind, produce calmness & nobility
Rajasi ‐ believed to produce strong emotions
e.g., ambitious, temperamental, egoist etc
‐restlessness in the mind
• hot and spicy, salty, sour, bitter
‐ energetic or exciting
• meat, egg, fish, spices, onion, garlic, chilli