Anna-daan, Food Charity in India

Eating together unites people and has a significant impact on their physical, social, and emotional development. This book looks at practices and traditions of sharing food prevalent among major religious communities in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, and Islam.

Food insecurity is one of the major problems every country in the world is facing today because of increasing population, climate change, agrarian distress, wars and conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Including case studies from across India, this book examines the necessity and effectiveness of food-sharing practices in temples, mosques, and gurudwaras, among others. Emphasising the importance of these practices for the social and physical well-being of the most vulnerable sections of society, it showcases how traditional religious practices of food sharing have contributed to tackling hunger, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The volume also offers long-term solutions to address underlying issues which cause hunger and food insecurity.

One of the first to study food sharing and alms-giving practices in India, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of sociology, anthropology, food studies, religion, security studies, political economy, public policy, and South Asian history and culture.

K. V. Raju is Professor Emeritus and Dean, Research at Chanakya University, Bengaluru, India. He has experience in conceptualizing and developing strategy documents, followed by action plans for large-scale strategic interventions for agricultural development and livelihood improvement. He has experience working as the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, and as Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh, as well as working on the conceptualization, design, and execution of innovative approaches to development in various sectors ranging from land and water management, biofuels, infrastructure, creating suitable policy, and enabling environment. He has published 24 books and 102 journal publications and recent publications include Urban Environmental Governance in India – Browsing Bengaluru, The Urban Book Series, Springer Publishers, Switzerland with A. Ravindra, S. Manasi, K.C. Smitha, Srinivas Ravindra (2018); Water and Scriptures – Ancient Roots for Sustainable Development, Springer Publishers, United States, 2017, with K. V. Raju; and State, Governance and Financing India’s Development with K. Gayithri, Foundation Books, an imprint of Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, India, 2016.

S. Manasi is Associate Professor at the Centre for Research in Urban Affairs, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, India. She has more than 20 years of research experience with interdisciplinary research. Her areas of research include urban environment and related issues, more specifically on water resources, waste management, urban governance, climate change, Indian knowledge systems, commensality studies, culture, and environment. She has published 7 books and 59 journal articles and chapters in edited volumes and her recent publications include Coping Mechanisms for Climate Change in Periurban Areas, Springer, New Zealand 2020 with K.V. Raju and Water and Scriptures – Ancient Roots for Sustainable Development, Springer Publishers, United States, 2017, with K. V. Raju.