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Abstract
The cultivation and use of brinjal (eggplant/aubergine) is of great antiquity. It is from
India, as philological studies indicate, that brinjal moved to West Asia and Europe.
The early inhibitions to its consumption by certain population groups could be because
of the suspicion of the presence of anti-nutritional/poisonous substances. One of the
unique varieties of brinjal, Mattu gulla, cultivated for its special taste and unique flavor
in the Udupi district of Karnataka (South India), is a perfect example of the man-
plant-God-science relationship. The different regions of India offer a diversity of
accounts, documented as part of history, of the availability of brinjal and ancient
food preparations of brinjal during medieval times.
Brinjal – an Indian
contribution to the global
palate
The brinjal has many Sanskrit names:
bhantaki, darada, jukutam, hingoli,
Figure 1. A fruit of brinjal variety Mattu vartaka, vartaku, vrutaka, vaantaki,
gulla. Arrow points to the characteristic vantika, and vatinganah. The present-day
spine on the stalk. names of brinjal in many languages can be
traced to the ancient Sanskrit vatin-ganah.
been dated at around 3000 BC (Acharya, Names also throw light on how the brinjal
2003)]. Buddhist and Jain works, sutras such traveled to various countries from India.
as the Uttaradhyana Sutra and the First, it moved to Persia where it was called
Prajapana Sutra, and jatakas have badin-gan, and then onto the Middle East,
recorded the occurrence and use of brinjal where its name evolved into Arabic al-
(Om Prakash, 1961). Brinjal finds mention badinjan. When the brinjal reached Spain
even in ancient Tamil literature from South through the Arabs, its Catalan name
India (Aiyangar, 1930). alberginia was changed to the Spanish
albadingena, which is very close to its
During the medieval period, the Persians
present French name aubergine.
took spices from India by land in their
caravans, and sold them to the Phoenicians
of Sidon and Tyre (coast of present-day One of the Sanskrit names of brinjal,
Lebanon), who traded them all along the vartaku, is considered to be a pre-
Mediterranean coast, from Alexandria to Sanskrit word, derived from an
Rome. Later, the Arabs traveling in dhows ancient Indian language spoken by
in the Arabian Sea took up the trade from the Mundas or Austrics (one of the
India and sold the produce to Venetian oldest inhabitants of India), who now
traders in Damascus, Istanbul, and Beirut. live mostly in the state of Jharkhand.
These traders introduced brinjal into Iran
Asian Agri-History Vol. 12, No. 3, 2008 171
characteristic metallic taste and bitter-to- a relationship (Fig. 2). The following
harsh flavor. The average solanine contents paragraph illustrates the traditional belief
for long-, oblong-, and round-fruited types held by the Madhwa community, the
were 13.20, 11.33, and 8.8 mg/100 g, followers of the 13th century Vaishnavite
respectively. saint His Holiness Shri Madhwacharya who
established eight mathas (abodes of
Plant-man-God-science ascetics) or temple-centered religious
organizations in Udupi. During the 16th
relationship: the example century, Saint Vadiraja Swami was the
of Mattu gulla pontifical head of the Sode Matha, one of
the eight mathas.
According to Mehra (1996), “The cultural
history of India is associated with religious It has been recorded that Saint Vadiraja used
beliefs and any emphasis on or arguments to offer a special sweet confection called
dealing with the plant-man-God relationship hayagreeva (or maddi) to the golden icon
appeals to people even today.” The history of Lord Hayavadana; the Lord used to
of Mattu gulla, a unique variety of brinjal emanate in the guise of a white horse to eat
grown in the Udupi district of Karnataka the offering, leaving a little behind as
(South India), is a perfect example of such prasadam for Vadiraja. Some people began
to doubt this divine occurrence, and decided January among the eight mathas of Udupi,
to test it by secretly mixing poison into the the tradition of offering the Mattu gulla
confection. An unsuspecting Vadiraja variety of brinjal to Lord Krishna continues
offered it as usual to Lord Hayavadana, who unbroken to this day, after more than four
ate the entire hayagreeva without leaving centuries.
behind any prasadam. Perplexed, Vadiraja
spent the whole day wondering why the Saint Vadiraja traveled extensively in India
Lord was upset with him. That night, the and wrote the Tirtha Prabandha, the first
Lord explained the reasons for the incident known travelogue in Sanskrit, which
to Vadiraja, and told him that the poison in describes the various places of pilgrimage
the hayagreeva would make the golden icon in India. One such place is Navadweepa, in
turn blue. present-day West Bengal, where the river
Ganga joins the Bay of Bengal
Lord Hayavadana also advised Vadiraja to (Gangasagar). According to historical
offer a preparation made from a special type record, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–
of brinjal known as gulla. Vadiraja called 1534), the well-known Vaishnavite monk of
the people of the village Mattu (now in Udupi Navadweepa and contemporary of Saint
district) and asked them to cultivate gulla Vadiraja, was once offered a feast that
(hence the term Mattu gulla). When consisted of “shali rice drenched in yellow
Vadiraja offered the naivedyam prepared ghee, surrounded by leaf cups, dhal, sag,
from gulla, the icon of Hayavadana regained and vegetables like . . . the brinjal” (Achaya,
its golden color. However, a blue mark 1994). In the Krishnamangala of the same
remained on the neck of the icon, to serve period, the poet Krishnadasa mentions the
as a reminder of the incident for posterity. brinjal in the preparation of various food
To this day, the golden icon of Lord items by the gopas and gopis at Brindavan,
Hayavadana with the blue spot on its neck at Lord Krishna’s request (Achaya, 1994).
is worshiped at the Sode Matha in Udupi. These accounts might have influenced Saint
Moreover, on the occasion of the festive Vadiraja to bring home brinjal seeds from
ceremonies of paryaya held every alternate Navadweepa. It is interesting to note that
the green brinjal, round in shape with spines
and resembling Mattu gulla (though not
The brinjal is known to contain
several anti-nutritional substances
such as steroidal alkaloids (solanine, Lord Hayavadana also advised
solasonine, solamargine, and Vadiraja to offer a preparation made
solasodine), trypsin inhibitors (in the from a special type of brinjal known
fruit peel), phenols, amide proteins, as gulla. Vadiraja called the people of
etc. It also has a high polyphenol the village Mattu (now in Udupi
oxidase activity and contains district) and asked them to cultivate
anthocyanins. gulla (hence the term Mattu gulla).
Asian Agri-History Vol. 12, No. 3, 2008 175
placing on red-hot coals to make bhartha; More scientific studies are needed to
cutting into small pieces and cooking with unearth the several interesting features
jaggery, etc. (Achaya, 1994). During 1485 about brinjal, and to document the traditional
AD, Terakanambi Bommarasa wrote about practices that have contributed to higher
royal feasts, describing brinjal bhartha made yields, unique flavor, and special taste.
with coconut shreds, curry leaves, and Above all, there is an urgent need to further
cardamom, mixed well and flavored with explore the concept of genius loci (spirit of
citrus juice and a little camphor (Krishna Jois, the place), and to preserve the geographical
1969). identity of selected varieties of brinjal. It is
only through such an effort that we can
In his work Manasollasa, written about safeguard for posterity the great heritage
1130 AD, King Someshwara of Kalyana, so carefully nurtured for centuries by the
central India (Basava Kalyana, near Bidar), local farmers.
refers to a non-vegetarian preparation of
mutton, jackal meat, etc., to which brinjal
Authors’ note
pieces are added (Shrigondekar, 1939). King
Basavaraja of Keladi (Karnataka), in his Several websites recount the story of Saint
work Shivatattvaratnakara written around Vadiraja and the miracle wrought by the
1700 AD, mentions brinjal fried with rice Mattu gulla brinjal. A simple search on
grits and chopped onion (Achaya, 1994). ‘Mattu gulla’ through Google® or Yahoo®
Shankaradeva’s Shreeramabhagavata would yield a great deal of information.
refers to the popularity, in medieval Orissa
and Bengal, of boiled rice covered with References
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