India, Aug. 29 -- The use of food as a symbol is a common phenomenon across cultures, representing personal and social relationships.

On September 29, 1929, the Marathi newspaper "Dnyanaprakash" published a letter written by Mr Keshav Ramchandra Kanetkar, Principal of Fergusson College, to the parents of the students. It concerned some events that had occurred during the Ganeshotsav celebrations in the college that year.

Since the beginning of college, students had formed "clubs" in the hostel that were divided along the lines of academic streams, regions, or caste. Some of these clubs celebrated Ganeshotsav every year, for which the college authorities had laid down some rules. The festival was to be celebrated for not more than five d...