Rice Talk: The Occident, The Orient, and the Rise of Bharat

How do you take your rice? The West and the Far East know the small grains of white rice topped with other items of food. The Middle East knows the spicy biryanis and pilafs.

I have on my menu pongal, poha, khichdi, dosa, pakhalas, muri, bhaaths, saadams, chitrannas, sadya, zarda, appam, moa, akki roti, kheer, and a wide range of rice beers. I am a Bharatiya!

I come from the land of Bhava, Raga, and Tala — sensation, tune, and rhythm. From the senses comes experience and from experience comes passion. Tune your passion to the rhythm of life and you live to the fullest.

My ancestors also define the name of this land as “Bharam Tarayati iti Bharata”, which means this is the land that rids of distress.

When the “Occident” happened upon the “Orient” they first befriended the Bharatiya people of the time, only to ploy shackle the stretched arms. The next thing the conquering brains did was give the land a name that meant nothing to the people. This was not an Asia-specific thing. They did it to every people, every culture they crushed.

A country is defined by us based on something in common — language, race, ethnicity, religion, ideologies, or geography. But the oldest nation on the planet, Bharat or Bharatvarsh, had not been defined in those ways. It was more of a nexus of cultures. These cultures were based roughly on the ideologies and sciences of life and lifestyle that helped human consciousness burgeon to its fullest. As needed, there were moderations and modifications, mostly based on geography, biodiversity, and agriculture.

Mid-April is one example of the idea. The beginning of summer each year is considered auspicious due to the seasonal changes and agricultural situations. But each culture (now states), celebrated the day with variations suited to their geographies and agriculture. Bihu, Vishu, Baisakhi, Padwa, Aluth, Ugadi, and Puthandu are the different local narratives all the same at heart. In essence, they are all Bharat. So if you see a stack of warm naan bread or perhaps just a namaste, those are pieces of Bharatvarsh too!

Bharat is neither a land nor a people; neither religion nor nation. Bharat is just that ideology that promotes the best of life.

Now that the question of semblance is off-table, we have the geography of “Hindustan”. The land that is pillowed by the Himalayas and washing her feet in the Indu Sarovar (the southern ocean of moonlight) was named Hindustan. Water bodies, flora, fauna, celestial globes, and the air itself were worshiped as the sources of life. This nation has once existed on this subcontinent as a legion of about 200 political entities — a harmonious potpourri rather than a medley.

But beyond the geographical and cultural identity, this was a land of seekers of truth and liberation. Spirituality was the only twine that bound these self-contented entities. Bharat had been, then, an olio-cultural, multi-militaristic congruity that lived for the simpler things in life.

To the people of Bharatvarsh, the concept of this land and culture is the Mother Goddess Bharatamba. Give the land a seed; she feeds you. Till the land; she feeds you. Poison her, and she still tries!

As her children, our ancients too saw that life is about rising beyond the processes and worries of life itself rather than reigning upon someone. The credo of holding spiritual growth above other facets is what I am most proud of about my nation. All the other glory Bharat ever adorned — past or present, extant or extinct, artistic or scientific — has followed as out-turns of spiritual growth that teemed upon this land. And her humble children of the past used such outcomes only to rig further and ultimate spiritual growth until they were invaded.

As her child, I am privileged with all her assortment of lands, waters, cuisines, experiences, knowledge, wealth, culture, artistry, people, and spiritual ways.

I am just another rice-eater. I am just another Bharatiya — and a proud one!