A Historical Journey with the Banana

Unearthing the Hindu annals, we get a fascinating, enlivening and instructive picture of the history of the ubiquitous banana. The first of a multipart series.

IN BHARATAVARSHA, THE PLANTAIN OR BANANA is not merely a fruit. It is a way of life, and has remained so almost since the dawn of the Sanatana civilisation. Among Classical fruits, it arguably holds the top spot. A handy formula to identify a Classical fruit is the sanctity attached to it in the Hindu annals. In one sense, the banana vies with coconut, …