Pallava period (Social and Cultural History)
by S. Krishnamurthy | 2017 | 143,765 words
This study examines the Social and Cultural History of the Pallava period (as gleaned through the Sculptural Art). The Pallavas (6th-9th century A.D.) mainly ruled over the Tondaimandalam (Tondai Nadu) region in the Northern part of Tamil Nadu (South-India). The Pallava dynasty ensured a golden age of architecture, arts, and spirituality and while ...
Food habits (during the Pallava period)
Regarding the food habits of the people of this age, there is no direct evidence of any sculptural representation. The Govardhanadhari panel at Mamallapuram gives hint about the prevalence of milk and its products. From the literary and epigraphical sources, it can only be assumed that the people consumed variety of grains, cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and meat. Number of donatory inscriptions of this period refers to various food stuffs in connection with worship and religious ceremonies. For example, rice (arici)[1], pounded old rice (pala arici)[2], millet (adlu)[3], green-gram (paccapayarrup-paruppu)[4], vegetables (kay or kari)[5], tamarind (cinca)[6], coconut (nalikera)[7], tender coconut (ilanir), palmyra (tala)[8], milk (pal), ghee (ney), curd (tayir)[9], sugar (carkarai)[10], salt (alona)[11], saffron (kunkuma)[12], cashew nut (mutirai)[13], oil (ennai), banana (valaippalam)[14], asafetida (kayam)[15], etc. Usage of betel leaves (verrilai or ilai)[16] along with arecanuts (kramuka)[17] and lime (nuru) is also mentioned. Some of the sculptures in the Dharmar=ja-ratha, Trimurti cave temple and the smaller Bhagiratha penance panel at Mamallapuram show devotees, ganas and vidhyadharas carrying some offerings to the deity. This corroborates well with the several inscriptional evidences having reference to the practise of providing food-offerings to the deities. The larger Bhagiratha penance panel at Mamallapuram offers a rare portrayal of a Jackfruit tree (Artocarpus hetrophyllus), with its fruits hanging from its trunk. Both the works, Mattavilasaprahasana and Bhagavaddajjukam, authored by the king Mahendravarman I attests to the fact that drinking toddy was also popular.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Tiruvallikkeni inscription of Dantivarman (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. VIII, no. 29)
[2]:
Tiruvorriyur inscription of Aparajitavarman (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XII, no. 92, lines 15-16).
[3]:
Inscription from Nalajanampadu (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXII, no. 38).
[4]:
Tiruvadi inscription of Nrpatungavarman (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XII, no. 71, lines 23–24).
[6]:
Uruvappalli plates of Vishnugopavarman (Indian Antiquary, Vol. V, pp. 50 -53).
[7]:
Udayendiram plates of Nandivarman II (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. II, no. 74).
[8]:
Udayendiram plates of Nandivarman II (op.cit., no. 74).
[9]:
Tiruchchennampundi inscription of Nandivarman III (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. VII, no. 525).
[10]:
Ibid., no. 525.
[11]:
Mayidavolu plates of Sivaskandavarman (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. VI, no. 8).
[12]:
Velurpalaiyam plates of Nandivarman III (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. II, no. 98).
[13]:
Uttiramerur inscription of Kampavarman (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. VI, no. 371).
[14]:
Tiruvorriyur inscription of Aparajitavarman (op.cit., line 18).
[15]:
Tiruvadi inscription of Nrpatungavarman (op.cit., lines 28-29).
[16]:
Tiruvorriyur inscription of Kampavarman (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XII, no. 103, line 9).
[17]:
Udayendiram plates of Nandivarman II (op.cit., no. 74).