Fri Feb 06 01:31:21 UTC 2026: # “Indian History, Thali by Thali” Video Series Launches, Exploring History Through Food

The Story

A new video series, “Indian History, Thali by Thali,” launched by the Historically Tempered Collective, explores Indian history through the lens of food. The 15-episode series aims to examine how food is intertwined with culture, hierarchies, religious rituals, and global trade. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, the series begins by asking experts what people were eating in specific historical periods, such as the Harappan civilization. The initiative seeks to move away from nationalist discourses and focus on the history of ordinary people, offering a more accessible and engaging approach to learning about the past.

Key Points

  • The series is an initiative of the Historically Tempered Collective, including Meera Iyer, Janaki Nair, Saisudha Acharya, and Ajay Cadambi.
  • The series was formally launched last week at Sabha BLR.
  • The series explores the relationship between food and various aspects of Indian history, including culture, hierarchies, and global trade.
  • Experts featured in the series include Supriya Varma, Jaya Menon, V Selvakumar, Romila Thapar, Ruchika Sharma, Mahmood Kooria, Tanika Sarkar, Kunal Chakrabarti and Charu Gupta.
  • The videos employ storytelling, interviews, illustrations, animation, and voice-overs.
  • The collective hopes the series will serve as a useful learning resource for educators and students.

Key Takeaways

  • “Indian History, Thali by Thali” offers a novel approach to learning about Indian history through the perspective of food.
  • The series seeks to move away from traditional, nationalist-driven historical narratives and focus on the lives and experiences of ordinary people.
  • The video format aims to make historical knowledge more accessible and engaging, particularly for younger audiences.
  • The initiative highlights a perceived gap in current educational resources for Indian history and aims to provide supplementary learning materials for teachers.
  • The project relies on collaboration between historians, archaeologists, and educators to present a well-rounded and nuanced view of the past.

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