Whose Samosa is it Anyway? : The Story of Where 'Indian' Food Really Came From & Banaras : City Of Light (Set of 2 Books)

This combo product is bundled in India but the publishing origin of this title may vary.Publication date of this bundle is the creation date of this bundle; the actual publication date of child items may vary.In this book accompany Sonal Ved on a journey of taste through the various timelines across the Indian subcontinent. We go from the banks of the Indus in 1900 bc to the great kingdoms of the north many centuries later from the time of the Mauryans to when the Mughal Sultanate reigned supreme. Meet the Europeans merchants desperate to trade in Indian treasures be it the deep-blue indigo or the pricey pepper. On this trip discover answers to such questions as What are the origins of chutney or of the fruit punch and how are they connected to India? Who taught us how to make ladi pav and kebabs and how did the Burmese khow suey land up on the wedding menus of Marwaris? The author takes us through the food history and traditions from the mountains in Kashmir to the backwaters of Kanyakumari from the ports of the Bay of Bengal to the shores of the Arabian Sea where traders and travellers arrived from the world over. And finally we find out whose samosa it truly is . . .A luminous work as befits this City of Light. I know of few books that capture the soul of a sacred city to the degree that this one does'-Huston Smith Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Syracuse University One of the oldest living cities in the world Banaras is also where Shiva the Lord of All is believed to have made his home since the dawn of creation. There are few places in India as traditionally Hindu and as symbolic of the whole of Hindu culture as this city where God is imagined and imaged in a thousand ways. Through her account of the history geography and art of the city its elaborate and thriving rituals its myths and literature Diana Eck brings out the significance Banaras holds for the millions of pilgrims and seekers who have been coming here for over 2500 years. About the Author Diana L. Eck is professor of comparative religion and Indian studies at Harvard University and is master of Lowell House and director of the Pluralism Project. Her book Banaras City of Light remains a classic in the field and Encountering God A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras won the prestigious Grawemeyer Book Award. In 1998 President Clinton awarded her the National Humanities Medal for the work of the Pluralism Project in the investigation of America's religious diversity. Her latest book India A Sacred Geography was published in 2013.