TO HEAL AND NOT CURE: INFLUENCE OF SPICES AND IKS IN THE NOVEL THE MISTRESS OF SPICES

Abstract

Spices form an integral part of Indian culture. They have shaped the country’s cuisine, trade, medicine, and rituals for centuries. Indian spices owe their quintessential exotic appeal to the country’s rich cultural heritage, history and diverse climatic conditions. These aromatic and delectable spices are not mere taste enhancers in Indian cultural ritual, but also are known for their therapeutic properties. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, recognizes the medicinal properties of spices and incorporates them into its healing practices. The goal of Indian psychological tradition is to heal, and healing is achieved through mental and spiritual discipline. Health in Indian Knowledge System indicates mental health and prioritizes holistic wellbeing of individuals, instead of temporary amelioration of pain of the affected part of human body. Individual health known as ‘swasthya’ in Sanskrit, indicates the rightful balance of the human body, soul, mind and senses. This paper is an exposition of the mystical and curative properties of spices in restoring health and harmony in the lives of Indian-American immigrants in Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni’s novel The Mistress of Spices. The Indian Spice shop acts as the centre where the entire Indian immigrant community converges and gets healed through the magical power of the spices administered by the mistress, as enigmatic and enchanting as India herself. The paper explores the themes of self-transcendence and self-identity, crucial to Indian philosophy and individual understanding of being.