Much interest is shown in the diet of the Gods and of the Vanar (monkey) army. The Vanar sena’s diet as described in the Ramayana aligns with their nature as forest dwellers, relying on fruits, roots and honey for survival.

Sugriva was the son of Surya, and he was Hanuman’s nephew. He aided Rama in the battle against Ravana. A beautiful description is given of how Sugriva asked the Vanar chiefs to travel around the earth to fetch all the Vanar champions to his presence. Now when the chieftains travelled across rivers, mountains, oceans and forests and then to the Himalayas, they found divine fruits, tubers and medicinal herbs there, which they brought as gifts to Sugriva.

These fruits tasted of nectar because of the oblational food material splattered in the Vedic ritual for Shiva. If one ate even one fruit from there, one would be satisfied for a month. The Vanars had collected these fruits and Rama made sure that his army had sufficient resources for the long journey to Lanka. The army relied on these fruits, roots and honey. They carried large branches bearing clusters of blossoms. They were honey colored monkeys because they drank large quantities of honey from the honey combs.

What if, dear ones we could eat one of these fruits.

Food Culture in Valmiki Ramayana—Anil Dharmadhikari.

Aim Hrim Klim

Picture by Unknown author – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1880-0-2036, Public Domain, Link