Not only in Jainism but also in Vaishnavism, eating onions and garlic is prohibited. However, nowadays, Jains and Vaishnavas seem eager to consume onions and garlic, as if they were born in a Muslim household instead of a Jain or Vaishnav home!

In Jainism, onions are considered abhakshya (inedible) as they contain numerous microscopic life forms. Garlic is believed to excessively stimulate sexual desire, increase body heat and blood temperature, which in turn raises emotions like anger and leads to violence.

Vaishnavism states that the effect of eating onions and garlic remains in the body for 27 days, and if a person dies within this period, they go to hell. If onions and garlic are kept in a Vaishnav kitchen, all the items there become impure, and food prepared from such items cannot be offered to their deities.

Additionally, in Vedic practices, offerings to deities, meals during Navratri, fasts, pilgrimages, Shraddha rituals, and special festivals prohibit the use of onions and garlic. Onions are referred to as palandu and equated to beef in Vedic texts. The Yajnavalkya Smriti prescribes the same atonement, Chandrayana Vrata, for consuming both onions and beef.

According to Brahmin scriptures in Hinduism, when Lord Brahma was creating the universe, two demons, composed of feces and urine, were obstructing him. When Brahma killed them, pieces of their bodies fell on the earth and sprouted as onion and garlic plants. Hence, Brahmins are prohibited from eating onions and garlic as per scriptures.

These are scriptural references, but in ancient Egyptian religions, onions and garlic were also forbidden, and their priests and religious leaders avoided even touching them.

In China, conservative religions and Buddhist monks also refrain from consuming onions and garlic.

The Chinese traveler Xuanzang, who visited India between 629-645 AD, wrote that in many places in India, people who ate onions were not allowed to enter the city.

Until 1350 AD, even the English did not consume onions.

Now, science also discourages eating onions and garlic. It has been medically proven that consuming onions and garlic causes fat to accumulate in 55 vital points of the body, which diminishes the body's sensitivity.

Laboratory tests have shown that onions and garlic contain significant amounts of sulfur and urea, which are harmful to the body and health. Sulfur affects intelligence, and urea impairs cognitive abilities. Ayurveda and Homeopathy also classify these substances as having rajasic and tamasic qualities and advise against their consumption.

Pandit Kishan Golcha Jain