The Westernization of Indian Hygiene

When the British were trying to civilize Indians in the 19th century, their own air back at home was foul and stinking. When the British first set foot in India, one of the things that most disgusted them was the way Indians practiced open defecation in fields. Soon enough, the entirety of the Western world followed this example and the practice soon became a symbol of poverty and overall lack of knowledge.

As of this year, a massive Swachh Bharat campaign is aiming to end open defecation in all parts of India, targeting rural districts and metropolitan suburbs. To understand why this practice existed in the first place, we must understand the roots of the Indian scriptures in reference to hygienic practices. The heavy emphasis on “purity” and being “clean” was always given importance. Hence, open defecation happened as far away from the house as possible- in open areas like fields and meadows. More often than not, a hole was dug and covered up, leaving no smell and giving back to the Earth natural manure. Washing oneself with water after the act was non-negotiable and most castes insisted on a bath and clean clothes after. Think now of urban toilet commodes, that are not not far away from the house but attached to it, where everyone uses the same spot over and over.

This is not to say that western style toilets are less hygienic. We have advanced and have functional flushes and clean water everytime we need to use it. However, the principles of both are clear. One encourages that excretion be an act that requires cleanliness and appropriate sanitation while one does not.

The development of Indian toilets is also seen as unhygienic and strange. However, the posture needed to to use these toilets has been proven to improve bowel movements, leg muscles and helps waste pass easier. The filth that is found in these toilets is not a function of their design but more a function of no awareness and education.

Water has always been a holy symbol to most sects of Hinduism and even worshipped in some places. Other tribes or sects that did not use water with so much fervour and passion were branded as “barbarians”.

Most western civilizations had no fixation with water and cleanliness in this way. The cold weather and heavy garments made baths irregular, even with access to clean water. Aromas, fragrances and scents were always in huge demand for this reason- the debilitating smell of human odour and excretion needed to be covered up. Soaps and detergents were never considered important to most western colonies and one notable case of this includes a surgeon in 1847 who suggested that doctors in Vienna wash their hands before an operation. He was considered crazy and thrown into prison where he died at the age 0f 47.

When hygiene is looked at in reference to dental/ oral care, Indians have a long history of ayurvedic treatment- from neem twigs to guava leaves. Each natural substitute has been proven to help cleanse and heal oral cavities.

In Western colonies, however, oral care is a fairly new and idealistic concept- because even though it did exist before, it served no real purpose ( readers may refer to our blog post “The Artistic History Of Hygiene”)

Incidentally, both germs and bacteria were virtually unknown until Louis Pasteur could prove that germs really existed and caused disease. The advanced West believed till the mid-19th century that ‘miasma’ or vapors brought disease. But it took almost thirty years thereafter for Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch to discover bacteria and its treatment. Viruses were discovered another decade later. How then did Indians associate disease with excretion? Val Curtis and Mícheál de Barra explained that instant revulsion at pathogens was a genetic safeguard. They also stated that “human excreta are both a major source of pathogenic viruses, bacteria and helminths and an important elicitor of disgust”.

In India, this was embedded in its cultural software, and hygiene was hammered in by religion—like the repeated insistence in Puranas such as the Vayu, Skanda, and Garuda. They prescribed diets and insisted on total hygiene to combat jwara or fevers and disease. The Garuda Purana, for instance, is clear that illness is caused by santapa atmapacharaja or unhygienic habits, which included toilet ones. Indian traditions have roots in science that is only being discovered now and there is lots to learn from it. Stay safe!

Maya Ribeiro

SHARP