Paryushan is a Jain holiday. A quick background on Jainism... it is kinda like a more strict version of Hinduism. Killing is a big no-no, and as a result the devout Jains don't even eat foods that grow underground because you're killing insects or something... I'm not certain exactly. More can be read over at Wikipedia.
Jainism's stance on nonviolence goes far beyond vegetarianism. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many practice a lifestyle similar to veganism, due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude root vegetables from their diets to preserve the lives of these plants. Potatoes, garlic and onions in particular are avoided by Jains. Traditionally oriented Jains do not eat, drink, or travel after sunset, and prefer to drink water that is boiled and then cooled to room temperature. Many Jains abstain from eating root vegetables as the plant, which is a living organism is usually uprooted during the harvest. The purpose of these practices is to minimise the harm that may otherwise be caused to living organisms inadvertently.
Anyhow... potatoes, garlic, onions are no-nos for the devout (like my grandmother). They're a big part of my diet here, but whatever. Anyhow, for this next week (I guess less now... it's 8 days starting this past Monday), I'm partaking in Paryushan... a religious thing (which is kinda weird because I'm not really religious) that more or less means I'm not eating foods containing...
-Onions
-Potatoes
-Garlic
-Yeast
-Green Veggies (because they are root veggies)
There's more, but that gives you the gist of it. I'm like a vegetarian that can't eat vegetables. It's an interesting 8 days.
I am doing this on my own will for the 3rd straight year... before that, I didn't even know I was Jain, not Hindu (I'm sure my parents had mentioned it, but I'd never paid attention). There will be issues when we have to go to a wedding & reception on Saturday, but whatever.
Some more on Jain Vegetarianism.
It's really interesting to read.
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