Lakshmi Bai at the table

In the Maratha Brahmin family where Lakshmi Bai grew up, meals were taken seated on the floor, in a pangat (row of diners), before a large metal plate called a thali. Small portions of rice, dal, a flatbread, vegetables, and a little sweet were arranged on it, and a ladle of melted ghee was always poured over the rice. The meal is sattvic: vegetarian, pure, without garlic or onion as per royal and Brahmin kitchen custom, to nourish the body without agitating the mind. Each flavor has its reserved place on the plate, and one eats with the right hand, using the fingers.