Meat Eating

An accepted part of the diet for most
Hindus. A 1996 poll of urban Hindus
found that only a quarter of the respondents were vegetarians. However, this
figure may be higher in villages, where
people tend to be more traditional and
conservative. As the product of a dead
animal, meat is seen as impure, and
those who are concerned about religious purity (particularly brahmins)
will generally avoid it for that reason.
Even nonvegetarians recognize a hierarchy of animal foods. Some people will
eat only eggs; others will also eat chicken
and/or fish, whereas others will also eat
mutton. Pork is generally avoided by all
but the lowest-status people; pigs are
considered scavengers and deemed
unclean. Beef is taboo for religious
reasons, except for a very small Hindu
community in southern India. Even
those who eat meat generally do not eat
it in large quantities. Because of its
relatively high cost, it is generally
prepared as one dish among many,
rather than the central part of the meal.