Fasting, feasting

(Published in The Bengal Post, Sunday, September 26)

Fasting is an integral part of religion, especially in India, where so many faiths co-exist, occasionally blending to create an entirely new concept with its own sounds, symbols and sensations. While to abstain from food is sometimes advocated for health reasons, it is most often a voluntary abstinence, done with one eye on heaven, but the mind firmly in the stomach. Perhaps ironically, many communities ‘allow’ foods that would generally be considered ‘junk’, from potato crisps to ghee-soaked fried bananas, making a day of fast rather more delicious than any other more healthy time!

The concept of restriction food in any way is not limited to India. In fact, almost every part of the world observes some kind of fasting period, with exceptions for the very old, the very young, the pregnant, the infirm and the unable (those travelling, labourers or people otherwise physically stressed). The Bahá'í faith, for instance, mandates fasting – complete abstinence from food and drink - from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ala (March 2-March 20). While Buddhists do not fast, per se, they do avoid eating after a meal at noon at least about once a week, as per the Buddha’s teachings: “Not eating a meal in the evening you too will be aware of good health... and living in comfort.” Christianity varies by denomination over the practice of not eating, but the most familiar is the Lenten period, when a partial fast is maintained for 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter to commemorate the time that Jesus went food-less in the desert. The Jewish faith demands complete austerity, with no food or drink, not even water to brush teeth in major fast days like Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av.

Islam upholds fasting as the third of the five pillars of the faith. Ramzan is the most notable time for this abstinence, where people eat before dawn or after dusk, avoiding food, water, fighting, lying, sex and more in between. It is believed that by this, a Muslim gains taqwa, or the awareness of God, along with protection from hell, brings about a feeling of brotherly love and teaches the virtues of control, charity and austerity. The Jains fast to attain a state of ahimsa, or totally non-violence, doing so primarily during Paryushan, a period that recently passed, mainly to decrease desire for the physical world and gain spiritual bliss. The Sikhs, in contrast, do not follow the practice, since the holy book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, states that “Fasting, daily rituals, and austere self-discipline - those who keep the practice of these, are rewarded with less than a shell.”

Hinduism, like almost any other faith, has complex rules of fasting and, of course, its polar opposite, feasting. Sravan, the holy month that was over a couple of weeks ago, was about a certain degree of abstinence, with no alcohol, meat or certain other foods and habits. Ekadashi, Pradosha and Purnima, for instance, are specific days of every month where people do fast. Different Gods demand different restraints: for Shiva, Mondays mean no food, while for Vishnu, Fridays and Saturdays are hungry. In South India, devotees of Mariamman do not eat between sunrise and sunset on Tuesdays, while in North India Thursday tends to be a day of abstinence. It is particularly at this time of year, when the major Hindu festivals like Ganesh Chaturti, Navratri, Durga Puja and Diwali come around that food finds centrestage. The mornings will be filled with the sounds and sights of prayer, meditation and ritual, while the evenings are a time of celebration – after the prayer lamps are lighted, the feasting begins, especially for Gods like Krishna (Gokulashtami) and Shiva (Mahashivratri). For Ganesha, the elephant-headed God who has just gone home (on or a few days before Anant Chaturdashi) after a ten-day stay at the homes of his devotees, it is all about food –bananas, sugarcane, modaks, all that any self-respective young elephant would relish!

Fasting has to balance need with the dietary restrictions prescribed by the ancient texts. This has given rise to a whole library of cuisine, from the peanut-rich recipes of Maharashtra to the arbi undhiyo of Gujarat and the roti kootu of South India. Favourites will include elements such as sago, potato, sweet potato and banana. Here are a couple of easy and familiar recipes:

Sabudana khichdi (sago pulao)
1 cup sago washed, drained and left to stand for 1 hour (should squash fairly easily when pressed between the fingers)
2 tbs oil
1 medium potato, cubed
1/2 tsp cumin
1-2 green chillies finely chopped
chopped coriander leaves to garnish
salt to taste
roasted peanuts
Fry the potatoes till brown and slightly crisp and keep aside. Crackle cumin, add chillies and sago. Stir constantly over medium heat. Add salt and potatoes. Sprinkle over with peanuts and coriander leaves. Eat hot.


Banana varuval (Kerala banana chips)
(Use red bananas or the raw green ones)
Peel the bananas
Slice directly into hot oil using a mandoline
Sprinkle salted water into the oil during the frying (CAREFULLY!)
Drain the crisp chips.
Add more seasoning if wanted.
Eat warm or store in an airtight container.