The Case of the Hindi Towel

Since it's 2019, let me start with a disclaimer that the title is not a Typo. This is not the case of A Hindu Towel, or The Hindu Towel. Whatever that contraption may be will likely generate copious Nationalism sweat (enter Towel) or offend someone's secular towel beliefs. This is about an innocuous labeling system which was followed in my family right up till around 2005.

As a brief foreword, we are a Tamilian family, my father was an officer in the armed forces for over 20 years. In my childhood years we were living across multiple North / East India cities. There was the expected amalgamation of habits, traditions and even household items that straddled North and South Indian culture. The two cultural systems had to co-exist.

I guess my parents were apprehensive that in this confused upbringing their children may lose perspective of those cultural roots passed down over a thousand years, and those adopted recently. Or maybe it was just to avoid the inconvenience of using verbose descriptions. So this necessity gave birth to an ingenious labeling system. Categorization Marie Kondo would be proud of.

To simplify, things from the South were "Tamil".
and things from the North were "Hindi".
Things with roots in the North became Hindi Thing.
Things with South Indian roots became Tamil Thing.
Note this was pure stereotyping without the heavy burden of racism.

To illustrate:

Murgugan calendar with the pleasing countenance of the Lord was "Tamil Calendar"
Any other 12 month generic calendar was Hindi Calendar.

Tamil Calendar	Hindi Calendar

The kitchen had an amalgamation of cutlery - chinaware, Yera glass sets with a piece or two missing and lots of steel stuff. Within these, the steel coffee glasses with a distinctly short height and small base were 'Tamil Tumbler'. Tall glasses, suitable but rarely used for serving lassi, were 'Hindi Tumbler.

Tamil Tumbler	Hindi Tumbler

We experienced a mix of Hindu religion traditions. Ceremonies at home, in the neighborhood, and a bunch of temple visits over years in our place of stay and in hometowns. So to classify temples - Bright white marble temples with the Ram/Sita/Durga gods decorated with red bling were 'Hindi Kovil'.
Somber, darker stone temples, typically featuring navagraham were 'Tamil Kovil'.

Tamil Kovil	Hindi Kovil

Back at home, describing daily dishes became simpler. Hence dal with tadka became "Hindi Dal". Plain dal consumed with fresh rice and possibly rasam became 'Tamil Dal'.

Tamil Dal	Hindi Dal

Now, you may say that there is a descriptive word for every such category - parrupu vs. dal, Gi-laas vs. Tumbler and so on. But to quote a famous dead guy "Innovation is not about saying "yes" to everything. It's about saying "no" to all but the most crucial features."

Well what about the damn towel you ask ?

Well I think eventually it was inevitable for the system to have 'Scope Creep'. The two types of towels in the house (fluffy hotel style thick towels, thin cotton towels) were also classified as Hindi Towel and Tamil Towel; Although neither have any deep North/South cultural roots.

Tamil Towel	Hindi Towel

I grew up comfortably using this terminology at home. Then on an odd day in college around 2005, I referred to my towel as 'Tamil Towel' and had to provide some embarrassing explanation. It was then I also had the profound realization that the rest of the world doesn't operate the same way.

I still stand by this robust system though. So if you are a democrat living with a republican , or a Caucasian married to an Indian, feel free to use this methodology. As commission you can treat to a nice hot bowl of Hindi Dal and Hindi Parantha.

P.s: not to sound racist, but between Sarvana Bhavan 'Tamil' Parotta and Normal 'Hindi' Parantha, the latter is definitely tastier. Discuss.

Tamil Kothu Parotta	Hindi Parantha