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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
these two has not been made clear. Macchantiya is also mentioned as a sweetening ingredient.' According to Caraka' and Susrutas , it was a variety of sugarcandy, the crystals of which were globular in shape like the egg of the fish. These varieties of sugar have been mentioned by the earlier authorities also.
The abovementioned varieties of sugar were used in making various fine sweet-preparations. Among the various sweets a pupas or pūvas (cakes made of rice or barley-meal and cooked in clarified butter on slow fire)appear to have been the most popular. The pūvas were sold at the confectioner's shop, which was specially called pūviyaghara. Ghaya punna was another sweet-preparation. It was also called ghaya pūra? (Skt. ghệta pūra) or havi pūya (Skt. havispūpa), because a large quantity of clarified butter was used in it. ' Ghịta pūra has been explained as a cake prepared with fine wheat-flour mixed with milk and fried in ghee. According to Susruta, small pieces of coconut were also added to it. 10
· Itțaga (Skt. işțaka) was another variety of sweet, perhaps prepared from barley-meal by adding ghặta and molasses to it.il Khajjagasis and mandagasls, as mentioned before, were
1. NO. 3, p. 295. See also.-NS. VIII. 18. 2. Carakasanhitā, 27, 339. 3. Sušrutasanhitā, 45. 162. 4. Arthasāstra, 2. 15. 15. 5. Om Prakash, op. cit., p. 284. 6. STIFUUT Yaatrit at gå 57--NC. 2, p. 117. 7. Baitrit at tage Feui-NC. 3, p. 97; also Brh. Vr. 4, p. 1005. 8. हवि घितं, तत्थ जो पूतो पच्चति सो हविपूयो, सो य घयपुण्णो भण्णति संघायं घते
aftET-NC. 2, p. 280. 9. Om Prakash, op. cit., p. 145. 10. Sušrutasaṁhitā, 46. 393. 11. afë (ETÉ) Tagalori u savst-NC. 3, pp. 419-20. 12. NO. 3, p. 205; NC. 4, p. 115. 13. NC. 2, p. 282; NC. 3, pp. 207, 295.
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