Sushruta and the Ladoo: A sweet connection through the ages
Ladoos are top rated Indian sweets of all. They ’re so popular that every region in India has its own concoction of the ladoo. From the motichoor ladoo in the north to the coconut ladoo in the south, there’s no escaping the sweet, wherever you travel in the country. Nobody can celebrate any good occasion without Indian Ladoos.
Interestingly, very less people are aware that this Indian sweet was originally a medicine. Oh Yes! It was invented by an ancient Indian surgeon.This is how the interesting story goes.
Around 300- 500 BCE our great surgeon Sushruta conducted multiple new and complicated surgeries on humans. Post Surgeries our bodies are prone to multiple side effects and infections. To Fasten their recovery process Sushruta made sure his patients were well looked after so he gave them small spherical balls mixed with some antiseptic ingredients rolled into a sweet like laddoo. which the patients ate without hesitation.
These dainty sweet balls were easy to keep track of their recovery. He used a creation of medicinal ingredients with rich nutritive benefits like sesame seeds, peanuts and jaggery to make ladoos that we fondly call ‘ Til Ladoo ’. Indeed, now this nutritive kind of ladoo is savoured only on occasions.
Sesame seeds and jaggery themselves are considered in Ayurveda to have numerous health benefits including healthier bones, acting as a cure for indigestion, maintaining blood pressure as well as treating cold and coughs.
The size of the ladoo also made them easy to carry far and wide. For instance, Coconut Ladoo which hails from Southern corridor of India is said to have come into actuality during chola period. It’s believed that these sweet treats came in handy when the army had to travel to far distant lands. That time they used to carry ladoo with them as a part of their diet.
