Annapurna - Goddess of Food

Roti, Kapda aur Makaan (food, clothing and shelter) were the basic necessities of man for ages. But lately, we are seeing a shift in this trend. We are witnessing many young homeowners, they seem to be eager to own property soon after starting their career, might be for investment purposes. We see many owning houses before marriage and brides preferring homeowner for life partner. Earlier it was a joint effort where husband and wife planned and built their house with care to suit their needs and it was a lifelong commitment. Now it has become a commodity and like anything else in life can be replaced when the need arises. So looks like Makaan has taken the number one spot on the priority list.

The less I talk about Kapda the better, it seems to be shrinking in all dimensions except cost. We seem to be reinventing the wheel and it won't be long before we see people dressed like cavemen or worse a la Adam and Eve.

Coming to the topic of today's rant - Roti. Growing up meals were the most important time of the day. An effort was put not only in the preparation but also in consumption. Cooking was an elaborate process which has been considerably simplified with the arrival of various gadgets and methodologies. So has consumption process. Earlier entire family used to gather and eat without distractions. The concentration was totally on the process of eating which I believe enhances the process of digestion and assimilation. Even with the advent of nuclear families, it was still a family time - a time when father shared office tales, mother gave family updates and kids shared their experiences. It was fun.

The advent of the TV to some extent spoiled the fun. Everything became TV-centric. People started abandoning dining table for couches in front of a TV. No one paid attention to what they were eating any longer. Right from infancy parents started feeding kids in front of TVs, using it as a distraction to force food into the poor kid's mouth. The kid has no idea of what they are eating. They do not know any other way of eating. I realised this when I insisted on switching the TV off during meal time and my friend's son wondered how they can eat without TV!!!!! Now with smartphones, people feel obligated to be on social media all the time - including mealtime. Visit any restaurant and you will witness people glued to their phones. 

All this clubbed with the fad of eating less has made people not respect the first and basic need of the body - sustenance. Food has become a pastime, more for fun than for nourishment. In case you are having health issues have supplements but not proper food. Food is to play around with - throwing pieces of food across to catch someone's attention or smear their face in the name of fun - seems to be the motto.

The most saddening part of the whole scenario is that the respect for food has been displaced. Be it as a career option (agriculture) or as a sustenance. I cringe whenever I see all the food wasted. Not only because we are in a country where more than half the population goes hungry every day, but also because I feel that it is a sacrilege to disrespect food like that. Every meal used to end with a blessing to the provider - 'Annadaata sukhibhava'. Such is the importance of food. It's Annapurna Devi - Goddess of Food.