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ABSTRACT
During my college days, an interesting phenomenon caught my attention. On the one hand, there was a growing popularity of booze. Boozing amongst the peers was seen as modern, liberal, progressive. On the other hand, back home parents viewed drinking liquor as a social evil, undesirable influence of western culture, associated mostly with social discrepant. Parents often were haunted by the horror of their children giving in to boozing there by ruining their reputation and future. The question thus arises, are these only two available perspectives on booze and social drinking or do we have any other value system around the same prevalent in a society? Is social drinking a sign of the modern liberal society? Is it a foreign influence hazardous for Indian culture? Do we have an alternative story on the culture of drinks from within Indian community? I found that there are historical documentations on drinking habits in royal courts, merchant guilds, etc. However, it was among the tribes of India that, I found the most extensive cultural practices, and a holistic value system on indigenous drinks and drinking habits. In this paper, I would like to describe the role and use of indigenous drinks in the life cycle and various ceremonies of one of the identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, called the Bondo Highlanders.
DRINKS
A standard drink is any drink that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (about 0.6 fluid ounces or 1.2 tablespoons)1. However, the meaning and practices of drinking and intoxication prove to be ambiguous, evading definition (Heron, C 2003). 'Spirits', 'Liquor', 'Liqueur', 'Hard liquor', 'Booze', 'Hooch', 'Moonshine', 'Aperitif', 'Digestif', 'Cordial', are some of the many modern terms used to convey drinks of different made, taste and use.2 Gately, I. writes, 'Throughout history, the place of alcohol in our meals, medicines, and leisure activities has been a matter of fierce debate. Whereas some cultures have distinguished it as a sacred fluid, whose consumption should be limited to ceremonial occasions, others have treated it as a kind of food... and a few have even tried to exclude it from society altogether' (2008, 1).
Brewing and drinking practices in ancient India were matter of elaborate art. World's oldest alcoholic drink named the Madhu Madya, whose patent is...