What is the definition for evolution? Trying to use more advanced tools and techniques shows the evolution. Well this is just a standard available definition. It is all about the brain and its progressive activities. As you read the post you will realise the definition of evolution is not really what we are experiencing. 

When I used to attend any functions. I remember in my childhood days we used to eat in the Pangat system. What is this pangat system? For those who don’t know. Like today we have banquet halls and buffet gala dinners. Earlier there used to be a function area under the pandals. There used to be a dining area under the pandal.  Everyone in olden days used to wash their hands and come and sit to eat food. Food is ready on one side of function. So, this pandal is basically divided into sections. Function area, food preparation area and dining area. By the time the function is over. Food is freshly cooked at the function venue by traditional caterers. 95% it is vegetarian meals. The moment function is over. People will finish, greetings, gifting, photo sessions and then move to the dining area. In the olden days dining will be sitting on the floor in parallel lines. First the plates will be placed and then people who serve will start serving the food in sequence along with water. The thali is a full menu cooked at the venue right from salads, main course and sweet dish everything from scratch. Check my blog on Thali – understanding food. The serving persons will do rounds. They will keep rotating all the items. Food is not taken by the guests’ own hands. Food is served by the servers. The quantity of serving is small portions but not limited. You can take as many times you like any item. But serving portions will always be small. The food is also seasonal, traditional and regional. There is a system who sits in the first line up. The cooks of the function will always finish eating first. Later as event guests in the sequence of kids, elderly people, women and then rest of the people will sit in the pangat lines. The hosts will be walking along with servers and insist guests to eat full and take more. They may occasionally serve an extra sweet dish to your plate. There will be asan. A long strip of cloth for all to sit on the ground. From sitting on the ground, it changed to sitting on tables and chairs. Rest of the system was still the same. Everyone will sit in lines.

  The time used to be followed strictly. Kids who need parental assistance will sit with parents. Then as per the tradition of thali serving will start. Either there will be caterers to serve or the hosts participate in turn to serve. Serving sequence goes traditionally and not haphazardly. Serving basics remains the same. It starts from left hand side of the thali as you are eating the thali so on Top left corner in clockwise arrangement, it starts with, salt, lemon, salad, chutney/s, pakora or fried items, then one watery (with gravy) vegetable, one dry vegetable, lentil soup /daal till then we have reached at top right corner it will be always sweet dish in this corner. As we enter the inner circle there are two scoops of rice one has daal with ghee over it and the other one will have curd/yogurt on it. Then there will be chapati/bread. The person serving will serve very little portion of the food. No one will touch food until full thali is served along with water. Then everyone will recite prayer and then start the food. There is one person who keeps coordinating and keeping an eye on the process. Sometimes the serving person stands and chit chats with the guest, which hampers the flow of the serving particular item. The food serving persons will keep going in rounds and keep adding whatever anybody finishes or needs. In the villages there used to be plates made of collage of leaves. These are called patrawali.

For auspicious occasions mostly food will be served on banana leaves. Serving was repeated but not in big portions. The host will take rounds and insist on having more sweets to be served to the guests. This is a kind of hospitality manners for guests to feel loved and respected in a public forum.  There would be no non vegetarian item or alcoholic beverages served in these pangat. Not even any carbonated packaged cold drinks. Once the person finishes eating food they will pick up the food dropped outside the plate, along with a glass and spoon and remove the food in a place kept in one big vessel meant for the garbage food bin. While putting plates for washing by himself or herself. Then the next pangat will sit and then the plates and sequence follows. This time those who have finished eating in the first round of pangat will take charge of serving. food In the Indian pangat system the server goes to each person, moves to each person sitting and asks and serves food. Hair must be tied up, no loose clothes. Before serving, hands must be washed well. This system also ensures that the person eating gets whatever he/she wants. Without getting up from one place. In this case no one touches the food serving units directly. All five star hotels during the pandemic had someone to serve at buffet counters. The system of a dedicated person to serve is coming back again. 

Once I attended a pangat system very recently. There was a non Indian lady looking or monitoring the pangat system. Her concept wise she was watching everyone’s plate and was sending servers as per what she felt someone was needing the food item. This says that the pangat system is so related to culture that even if a person is replaced in the process everything changes. The outcome changes and interpretation of guest changes. There was another non Indian very old lady in the same pangat shouting that she needed more okra vegetable. She doesn’t want anything. She just used to pile up the vegetables on her plate. As per tradition if you like something you can ask for 10 times and you will get it 10 times but the server will not give anything to you in bulk portions at a time. As the lady was sitting next to me, I explained to her that this is the system. Unless you finish the existing portion, the server will not put more food on your plate.  So, finish and ask for more. They will happily serve you. Finally she agreed and did as I mentioned. 

Only the cook  with his or her helping staff is supposed to enter the cooking area and the host to check on the making status or if they need any item to be brought. In the earlier days the pangat system in the entire Indian subcontinent was sitting on the floor. Slowly it changed from floor to long tables and chairs. Still the system remained more or less the same.  

  The Pangat system ensures that food is finished in less than two hours and the rest of the program is carried out. So, if there is some entertainment program arranged, everyone will attend. If food is set to be finished from this time to this time. It will be carried out at the same time. On the invitation card it used to mention function time and food time on it. Entire public present will be sitting for food. In recent years the functions started this buffet system. In the buffet system everyone touches the serving spoons. People tend to serve more food and fill plates of children and sitting arrangements go on toss. While everyone does not get premium seats to sit. From start to end people are just eating starters, snacks and dinner. Mixing food. While the program gets a messy feel where nothing appears to be in sync. Also it does not fulfil the correct way of eating food habits. Pangat system ensures least food wastage. In today’s world where diet, plans, and fitness are taken care of. Soon the people will have to switch to this traditional system. Today’s function ensures you are eating and drinking Right from the time you enter the venue. Whilst the entire evening you just keep hogging over the food, from start to end. If you are a health conscious person. Please read  my blog on understanding food. It will help you understand if the current way of functions and celebrations is better or traditional ways are better. Here I am a bit confused on the definition of evolution. Either the definition is incorrect or the current adaptations of celebrations need to be appended.

  Even if I remember those functions I attended, The taste of those dishes still lingers over my mind. Most of the time it used to always be black-eyed kidney beans, potato and brinjal vegetables with jalebi, gulab jamun, rasmalai or Ice Cream as sweet and during summers we used to get freshly made butter milk or jal jeera or panha or sarbat to drink. The buffet it is difficult to get a chair, hold the plate in hand and eat. Even if you manage to get the chair a senior citizen or a lady with a toddler may appear with a sympathetic face and you being a good person you would end up giving up your chair and hold the plate in hand, stand and eat. The most important part of an Indian function or celebration is nice colourful dresses, fresh flowers decorations to welcome guests, music, dance, return gifts and belly full with amazing food. 

Luckily in my household we have one and half days of Ganpati celebration where our entire family comes together. We still practice the Pangat system at home. There is traditional thali is served on banana leaves. This traditional practice is still followed in temples and gurudwaras (Langars) where fresh food is made and served to everyone for free of cost in the Pangat system. Anyone rich and poor will sit in the same line and get the same unlimited food. My own culture is a mystery and magic for me. The more I see the outside world, the more I like its traditional ways. What do you feel? Next time I host. I am arranging only the pangat system. I want to make people happy and content. What do you feel? Do you like to sit and eat your food or do you like to stand and eat with a plate in hand?

If you have pictures of pangat system you attended. Please send me on kanchanz.tr@gmail @03kanchan I would love to share those orignal pictures on my blog. The pictures or video cliping where you can see people preparing and also serving food in apngat system. Why I would love to share? Because I am part of that culture and society.