‘Panthibhojanam’ was an act of revolution. When people from different classes and castes came together 100 years ago to eat together, it shattered the caste barriers in Kerala to a great extend and marked a social renaissance. The revolution triggered by Sahodaran Ayyappan is being commemorated in a different context in Kozhikode on May 10 under the aegis of a few artists led by Cartoonist M. Dileef.
The centre of attention this time will be a chapatti, 6 metres in diameter and weighing 175 kilograms. Arguably this would be the largest chapatti in the world till date and hence the organisers are vying for a Guinness World Records as well.
Panthibhojanam, also known as Mishra Bhojanam, in which people of upper castes dined with those in lower castes, was held on May 29, 1917 at Sahodaran Ayyappan’s house in Cherai.
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“Though it has been 100 years since, Panthibhojanam is still relevant. We still have caste differences in our State and there is a need to counter it,” said Mr. Dileef, curator of the event.
A protest
The organisers are planning the event also as a protest against the recent intrusions into one’s right to eat, dress and free movement nationally.
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The chapatti will be made by Mr. Dileef and his friends on a pan that is 6.5 metres in diameter. Later, the guests, estimated to be around 1,000, would sit together and eat the chapatti.
“We chose chapatti as the medium because it is very healthy, compared with the traditional dishes of Kerala. After all, in this era of globalisation, no food is ‘ours’ or ‘theirs’,” Mr. Dileef said.
Two representatives of Guinness World Records would attend the event, which will be completely recorded.
Mr. Dileef himself is a Guinness record holder for creating the biggest caricature in the world.
Pan unveiled
Meanwhile, Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly P. Sreeramakrishnan unveiled the pan to be used for the feat on Tuesday at Address Mall in the city, which will also be the venue for the Panthibhojanam on May 10.