uLundhu vs muttai---one more example of Brahminical contradiction

"Traditionally made during death ceremonies, but nowadays in most festivals in Tamil Nadu, a specific type of vadai called uddina vada(uLundhu Vadai) is served. This is made of Urad Dal or ulundhu, which has one of the highest protein contents among all dals (100 gms of uLundhu has 24.0 gms of protein), and is thus one of the main protein sources of the meal. Historians today believe that this food item is proof of a certain change in the habits of Brahmins which took place around 500BC. The advent of Jainism which emphasised vegetarianism, is supposed to have caused this change in food habits. The Brahmins had to compensate for the loss of proteins from meat by eating uLundhu."

My friend send me this interesting question from an IITM open quiz. My mother says that Yogis, Siddhars and Gyanis are prohibited from eating uLundhu. They eat aval and pori instead. Further she quotes Balakumaran. And to add to this my Yoga teacher asks me to not eat Vadai if I care to reduce my weight. One Vadai is equivaent to 2 eggs he claims.

Now assuming that all this is true, what on earth are the Brahmins(and other junta too) of today doing eating, Idly and Dosai (both contain a lot of uLunthu) on Viratham(Vrath)days? Devarukke telusu..

My dear Miriam

I try my hand at translation now and then. So this is my version of the song Mayakkam enathu thayagam from Kunkumam. I have tried to retain the essence of the song, without trying a word by word translation. The original is by Kannadasan.


My dear lovely Miriam,
Who cares for me so well.
An unfortunate man I am,
Listen to the story I tell.

Dazed, I dwell
permanently in the state of confusion.
Choked, by sorrow,
silence is the language I speak often.
Tragedy alone,
reigns supreme in my composition.
Alas, I am
just a portrait of lamentation.

Noble though your intention be,
Stop trying to make sense of me.
My life is a riddle impossible to solve.
A Gordian Knot that God alone can resolve.
I am my own foe my dear,
The only enemy I fear.
I enact the play I have written.
But honey, I also am the curtain.

That destiny takes one,
where sagacity won’t,
is life’s prime lesson.
This I have learnt.

My feelings for you are not spurious.
But the ways of fate are mysterious.
It overtakes me fast and furious.
And blocks my path to you , my precious.

Forget me my dear Miriam.
A very unfortunate man I am.