A History of Agriculture in India v2.c84.s7.1

v2.c84.s7.1

The pilgrims and other travellers rested in sarais during their journeys. From Sher Shah onwards sarais were built for the use of travellers along the Grand Trunk Road. Some of these sarais have crumbled, but a few are still in good condition. The sarai at Shambhu about eight kilometres from Sarhind is typical (Fig. 64). Inside are the cells in which the travellers rested along with their goods (Figs. 67, 68). Food was cooked by women of jhiwar caste. A Mughal painting provides us a glimpse of a cooking scene in a sarai. The woman is making chapatis. Scattered around her are cooking implements and utensils. One of the travellers is kneading flour. Their leader is resting on a charpoy, which is surrounded by chickens. The expression on the faces of men shows that they are more interested in the charms of the cook than in food (Fig. 69).