Culinary traditions in India, as in the case of many intangible elements of our heritage, have often been passed down orally from generation to generation. It is, therefore, interesting to note that a medieval king of yore, Mangarasa the Third, from the area around present day Kallalli in Karnataka, tried to capture in cuisine of his region with his composition of the Soopashastra, a poetic work in the vardhak shatpadi meter. This treatise was transcribed into prose by S. N. Krishna Jois sometimes in the middle of the twentieth century. Through this work, now translated into English, we hope that readers will come to appreciate the continuing relevance of traditional cuisine as an integral part of our heritage. It is indeed comforting to realise that in the face of our everchanging modern lifestyles, some things remain the same.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR N P Bhat
Sri N.P. Bhat I.R.S (Rtd) former Chief Commissioner of Income tax (Delhi) has a genial personality and is gifted with rare creative insights and immense zest for life. Along with his service in Chennai, Surat, Indore and Delhi (22 years) he was a dynamic and successful organiser of cultural activities wherever he was posted, thanks to his acumen for selecting the right person for the right job and a clear perception of events, situations and personalities. Presently, he is the convenor of INTACH CHAPTER Dharwad. He has with him a group of dedicated workers and with their enthusiastic and active co-operation, within a short period, new life has been instilled into the Dharwad Chapter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nerupama Y Modwe
Nerupama Y. Modwel is Head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Division of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi.
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