Food and Faith

A Pilgrim's Journey through India

Why do we pray?

Why do we pray? What is the role of religion in your life today? Do you commune with the divine through rituals? Or is it a comforting routine, going to church or temple once a week or month? Are these questions making you uncomfortable? Do you think religion is a private act to be done in the confines of one's home, with family, and not something to declare publicly?

In Food & Faith, Shoba Narayan approaches faith through perhaps its most primal and nourishing aspect: food. She partakes of sacred food in shrines across India: Puri's bhog, Amritsar's langar, Palani's panchamritam, Mathura's pedas, Ambalapuzha's paal-payasam, Kashi's sweets, Jaipur's rabdi, Ajmer's kesaria bhat, Madurai's dosai, Jewish halva in Mumbai and communal feasts in Udupi, Goa and the Kumbh Mela.

Food & Faith explores this powerful yet intimate intertwining of food with faith, history, myth and identity.