The Journey
Mārīcī: The Turmeric Journey
From Ancient India
Turmeric, the healing power used in India for centuries, first discovered in South India 2500BC. Turmeric eventually emerged as an important part of Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient Indian system of natural healing still practiced today. Ayurveda meaning 'life knowledge' in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit.
The use of turmeric in ancient India was extremely favourable, especially for cultural customs both in root and dried powder form. With its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it was used on the skin to brighten, repair and glow. Turmeric also had a role in every ritual as it signified purity, fertility, good health, and while taken as a drink, could ease mild anxiety and depression. However, the importance of turmeric went far beyond medicine and beauty as Hindus especially still see turmeric as auspicious and sacred.
The golden powder was also used in Punjab, to the North of India. A key part of Punjabi weddings involved the 'mayian ceremony', normally performed one day before the wedding. The bride is seated on a wooden plank and a paste consisting of turmeric, flour and oil is rubbed on her face, arms and legs. During this ritual, women sing traditional songs aimed at blessing the bride and groom with radiant, blemish-free skin.
From 130BC, turmeric had slowly trickled both East and West across the ancient Silk Roads, travelling on the backs of thousands of camels to China and Babylon (modern day Iraq). Rumours of its benefits had also reached Ancient Rome, and it soon became 'the' beauty treatment for Roman women.
During the late 16th century, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived in India having discovered a new sea route from Europe to Asia. This connected the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which in turn connected the West to the Orient — marking global multiculturalism. Spices, treasures and civilisations found in India's heartlands now travelled even further by ship from Calicut (modern day Kozhikode) to markets in Africa, Europe and beyond. Turmeric had found its way into the new world.