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News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
Why Do Some Hindus Consider Masoor Dal As 'Tamasic' Or Even Non-Vegetarian?
Among some Hindus, particularly Bengali Hindus, red lentils or masoor dal, despite being plant-based, are often categorised as Tamasic or even non-vegetarian in nature Pulses are an essential part of the Indian diet. No matter where you travel across the country, you will find some form of pulses served on every plate, especially in vegetarian households, where they are often paired with rice or roti. However, among Hindus, particularly Bengali Hindus, there is one pulse that stands out for its controversial reputation: the red lentil, or masoor dal. Despite being a plant-based food, it is often categorised as Tamasic or even non-vegetarian in nature. In Hinduism, foods are divided into three categories: Satvik (pure), Rajasic (stimulating), and Tamasic (heavy or impure). Masoor Dal, like onions and garlic, are placed under the Tamasic category. These foods are believed to increase lethargy, cloud the mind, and promote negative or sensual thoughts. That is why their consumption is avoided by Brahmins, monks (sadhus), and ascetics (sanyasis), who strive for spiritual purity. Link to Hormonal Activity Masoor Dal were once forbidden to widows, especially in Bengali households, where strict vegetarianism was expected of them. Along with garlic, onions, and certain vegetables like pui saag, red lentils were considered taboo because of their high protein content. It was believed that they could stimulate hormones and increase sexual desire, something that widows were expected to suppress in the name of religious discipline. There is also a legend from the Mahabharata that adds a mythological angle to this belief. During the Dwapar Yuga, King Sahastrabahu Arjuna of the Haihaya dynasty tried to steal the divine cow Kamdhenu from sage Jamadagni. When the cow was wounded and bled, it is said that masoor dal sprouted wherever its blood touched the ground. Because Kamdhenu is revered as a sacred, divine being, anything linked to her suffering, such as red lentils, was seen as impure. Hence, some Brahmins chose to avoid consuming them. Gaudiya Vaishnavism Bengali dietary traditions are heavily influenced by Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In this tradition, masoor dal are often compared to meat and considered unfit for rituals or offerings. This might be partly because of their dark colour, which Vaishnavas typically avoid. Black or red foods are often seen as inauspicious, and this aversion is reflected in both their culinary and spiritual practices. Born of Demonic Blood Another belief relates to the mythological tale of Rahu and Ketu. When Lord Vishnu severed the head of the demon Swarbhanu, his blood spilled to the ground. It is said that masoor dal sprouted from these drops of demonic blood. For believers of this tale, this association is enough to label the lentil as impure or non-vegetarian. From Egypt To The Mughal Plate Historically, masoor dal is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt around 2000 BCE. In fact, the name ' masoor ' is thought to have been derived from the Egyptian word ' Misra '. Lentils made their way into India over time and became part of the Indian culinary tradition. When the Mughals arrived in India, they adopted red lentils into their diet—perhaps further adding to their 'foreign' or non-traditional status in some Indian communities. view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 13:03 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
'Implement CAA If You Care For Bengalis,' Himanta Sarma Dares Mamata Banerjee
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her statement on alleged harassment of Bengali migrants in the BJP-ruled states. Addressing the media late last night, Mr Sarma asked the Trinamool Congress leader to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in West Bengal if she 'cares for Bengalis.' The dare was laced with a belief and allegation that Ms Banerjee is only concerned about 'Muslim Bengalis.' "Mamata Banerjee should realise that in Assam, Bengali Hindus are not only protected, but they have also been assimilated into the greater Assam landscape ... They are practising their language, religion, and are part of a greater Assamese society," said Mr Sarma while responding to a question by a reporter. Mr Sarma boasted that there is no division between Assamese and Bengalis in Assam; however, he questioned the TMC leader's stance on Bengalis. "If you are at all interested in Bengali people, then why don't you implement CAA in West Bengal?" he asked Chief Minister Banerjee. "The question is whether Mamata Banerjee likes Bengalis or only Muslim Bengalis. In my answer, Mamata Banerjee likes only Muslim Bengalis and if she comes to Assam, for the Muslim Bengali, Assamese people and Hindu Bengalis will not spare her." असम में बंगाली हिंदू सुरक्षित हैं, लेकिन TMC को सिर्फ बंगाली मुसलमानों की चिंता है। अगर उन्हें बंगाली हिंदुओं से इतना प्रेम है, तो फिर उन्होंने CAA का विरोध क्यों किया? — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 17, 2025 Sharing the clipping on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), Mr Sarma reiterated his question and belief. He wrote, "Bengali Hindus are safe in Assam, but TMC is only concerned about Bengali Muslims. If they love Bengali Hindus so much, then why did they oppose the CAA?" This comes after Ms Banerjee took to the streets of Kolkata on Thursday to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali speakers in BJP-ruled states. Accusing the BJP-led central and state governments of targeting Bengali migrants, she said Bengal fought for India's freedom, and BJP should be ashamed. "What does BJP think? They will hurt Bengalis? They are calling them Rohingya. Rohingya are in Myanmar, not here. 22 lakh poor migrant workers are being targeted. I appeal to them to return home. They will be safe here. The BJP is sending Bengali speakers to detention camps. Is West Bengal not in India?" Ms Banerjee said. She asked if the BJP had forgotten the Bengalis' sacrifice and freedom fighters.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
West Bengal resident who got notice over citizenship is from Assam, says Himanta
GUWAHATI A resident of West Bengal, who received a notice from a Foreigners' Tribunal (FT), was a citizen of Assam but he should have informed the tribunal that his community has been exempted from citizenship cases, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswas Sarma said on Thursday evening. He was responding to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that an Assam tribunal issued a notice over citizenship to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a resident of Cooch Behar district's Dinhata for 50 years and a member of the Koch-Rajbanshi community. An FT is a quasi-judicial set-up that tries cases of people suspected and marked as foreigners by the border wing of the Assam Police. Depending on the FT's verdict, a person is detained and deported to the country of his or her origin. 'Brajabasi is not a citizen of Bengal, where he went temporarily. He is a citizen of Assam,' Mr. Sarma said. 'The notice he received is a judicial process, but the State government has recommended the withdrawal of citizenship cases against the Koch-Rajbanshi people. This is being processed,' he said. Mr. Sarma faulted Mr. Brajabasi and his two advocates for not informing the tribunal that he is a Koch-Rajbanshi. 'The case would have been removed if they had pleaded for withdrawal of the case according to a government office memorandum,' he said. The Koch-Rajbanshis are among several communities, including Bengali Hindus and Muslims, who have migrated from or taken refuge in Assam from Bangladesh. A few days ago, Ms Banerjee expressed 'shock' over the notice issued to Mr Brajabasi. She alleged that the man was being harassed on suspicion of being a 'foreigner/illegal migrant' even after he had furnished valid identity documents. 'This is nothing short of a systematic assault on democracy. It is proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction,' she stated. Ms. Banerjee sniffed a premeditated attempt to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities. 'This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people, and exposes the BJP's dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal's people,' she said. She further said that this 'alarming' situation called for unity among all Opposition parties to stand up against the BJP's 'divisive and oppressive machinery'.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
2026 polls fight for Bengali Hindus, nationalist Muslims to retain identity: Samik
1 2 Kolkata: Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said on Tuesday that the 2026 assembly elections will be a fight for Bengali Hindus and nationalist, educated sections of the Muslim community to retain their identity. "This election is a fight to retain the existence of Bengali Hindus and nationalist, logical Muslims in the state. The forces of election in Bengal will not be hijacked by political parties this time," Bhattacharya said. The comments come days after the Bengal BJP chief said his party was not against Muslims even though the minority community might be critical of BJP, in an apparent bid to dent the minority support base of Trinamool Congress . You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "We are appealing to fence-sitters and critics of BJP. When they set the Indira Gandhi Cultural Center in Bangladesh on fire, Abul Bashar's books burnt along with poems of Joy Goswami," Bhattacharya had said in his first public address after being elected BJP president. On Tuesday, he raised concerns about what he called "the rise of fundamentalist and fascist forces believing in Islam". He said Trinamool's policies have given rise to a situation in which Muslims were being attacked by Muslims. "We are fighting against the lack of education and poverty among the Muslim community. We want Muslim youths to get into govt jobs based on merit, not through quota. They should not follow the ways of Afzal Guru. If Trinamool retains power in 2026, Bengal will remind us of what used to happen in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. "I respect pluralism in politics and BJP believes in multi-party democracy. If pluralism and multi-party democracy are to survive in Bengal, the fundamentalist and fascist forces believing in Islam have to go," Bhattacharya added. The state BJP chief met Dilip Ghosh, the former BJP national vice president on Tuesday. After meeting Bhattacharya, Ghosh said, "I have been with BJP. It has grown because of the sweat and blood of party workers. More than 150 workers were killed. I cannot forget that. Neither can BJP workers forget that. We will uproot Trinamool in 2026." Bhattacharya, on his part, said party veterans will be frontrunners in the 2026 campaign. "There is no debate between veterans and newcomers. BJP advanced in Bengal only because veterans paved the way," he added.
News18
08-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Won't Allow Bengal To Become West Bangladesh': New State BJP Chief Targets TMC Govt
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya vowed that the BJP would never let Bengal become "West Bangladesh" or an "Islamic Republic". West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday accused the ruling TMC of yielding to fundamentalist forces and allowing a 'silent demographic invasion", asserting that the 2026 assembly polls would decide the fate and existence of Bengal and Bengali Hindus. He vowed that the BJP would never let Bengal become 'West Bangladesh" or an 'Islamic Republic". Bhattacharya, who recently took charge as the state party chief, said the political atmosphere in Bengal was 'frighteningly similar" to the volatile pre-Partition years of 1946. 'This is not merely a political contest. It is a struggle for identity, survival, and existence. Bengali Hindus are facing an existential crisis. The BJP is the only force standing in defence of Bengali Hindus' existence and Bengal. We won't allow the state to be turned into an Islamic Republic or West Bangladesh," the state BJP chief said. Bhattacharya, a Rajya Sabha MP, is known in political circles for his measured tone and cultural fluency. He did not shy away from deploying the full spectrum of the BJP's Hindutva rhetoric, invoking demographic anxieties, cultural pride, and historical trauma. 'The TMC has surrendered before fundamentalists. For the sake of vote-bank politics, they have opened the gates to infiltration. Since the 1980s, we have warned of a silent demographic invasion. If we don't resist now, the fate of Bengali Hindus may mirror that of Hindus in Bangladesh," he claimed. Emphasising that the BJP was not anti-Muslim, Bhattacharya appealed to 'nationalist and liberal Muslims" to join the party's mission to defeat radicalism and religious appeasement. 'Radicalisation is spreading, but we will not allow Bengal to be divided again. The BJP is not against Muslims; we are against those who pick up stones and swords. We want to give their children books and pens instead," he said. In a message to the minorities, Bhattacharya questioned what they had gained under the TMC rule. 'Nearly 90 per cent of political violence victims in recent years have been Muslims. The TMC has used them as vote banks but done nothing for their uplift. I urge my Muslim brothers and sisters to ask yourselves, what have you truly received in return for your loyalty?" he asked. 'There are large numbers of Muslims, who are against fundamentalism. We would appeal to them that they should come forward against this misrule of the TMC," Bhattacharya said. The BJP leader accused the chief minister of 'compromising Bengal's pluralism" for political expediency. 'She has now moved on from Maa Kali to Lord Jagannath. But she pursues appeasement politics. We don't need lessons in secularism or Bengali culture from TMC," he claimed. One of the key challenges before Bhattacharya is whether the Bengal BJP under his leadership will pursue a moderate, inclusive Hindutva line or continue with the combative, hardline posture championed by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Bhattacharya was quick to dispel any talk of ideological divergence. 'There is no binary of aggressive or soft Hindutva or any difference. There is no difference between the Bengal line and the Delhi line. The party has always believed in inclusive nationalism and unity without appeasement. We will make Bengal free from fear, corruption and violence," he said. The 61-year-old lauded Adhikari as a 'natural leader", asserting that there is no difference of opinion with him, but said the party line would be decided by the top leadership. His appointment as state BJP president, seen as an attempt to bring order to a faction-ridden unit, came amid growing concern in the party's central leadership over a shrinking support base, demoralised cadre, and lack of emotional connection with the Bengali electorate. 'The old generation of BJP leaders laid the foundations when we had nothing in Bengal. The new generation must value that struggle. Similarly, the old guards have to understand that for the party to grow we have to induct new people. There is no friction between the old and the new. Everyone will stand united to defeat TMC," he said. Ahead of the 2021 assembly election, the TMC invoked Bengali sub-nationalism to counter the BJP's Hindutva narrative, branding it a party of 'outsiders". Responding to the charge, Bhattacharya said, 'No one has a monopoly over Bengali culture. The BJP stands for every Bengali who aspires for development and dignity. We don't need lessons on Bengali culture from anyone in the TMC." Bhattacharya said his immediate priority would be to strengthen the BJP's presence in districts with untapped potential and re-energise the grassroots network. 'We have around ten months. A baby takes eight to nine months to be born, so there is time to deliver. People must not fall for the 'No Vote to BJP' campaign. This is a ploy to help the TMC. The real binary is BJP versus TMC. Everything else is noise," he said. Bhattacharya sought to position the BJP as a party with an economic and industrial vision. 'Industries have collapsed, investors fled, and youths are migrating for jobs. The TMC has failed Bengal's economy. We will reverse this decline. Bengal must rise again, both culturally and economically," he said. As the BJP aims to script a comeback in a state where it made impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but faltered in the 2021 state polls, the spotlight is now firmly on Bhattacharya's stewardship. 'This is not just about winning an election. It is about saving Bengal," he signed off. tags : BJP Samik Bhattacharya tmc West Bengal Location : West Bengal, India, India First Published: July 08, 2025, 14:57 IST News india 'Won't Allow Bengal To Become West Bangladesh': New State BJP Chief Targets TMC Govt
