Influences

Historically, Indian cuisine has had many influences, one of the biggest being vegetarianism, brought about by religious beliefs. Buddhism and Jainism came to India around the 6th century BC and though they faded as major religions in India, they were particularly successful in converting people to a way of life in which living beings are considered to be sacred. Hinduism predated both these religions but early Hindu texts such as the Mahabharata show that meat was not originally prohibited. Meat is still occasionally eaten by some Hindus. Over time, vegetarianism slowly pervaded Indian culture and today it is practised by many people, particularly in the South. The sacred status of the cow, a Vedic idea from before Hinduism, also remains to this day.