Man who brought curry and shampoo to UK honoured
Royal Pavilion & MuseumsThe gravestone of a pioneering Anglo-Indian man, who is claimed to have introduced curry and shampoo to the UK, has been restored.
Sake Deen Mahomed is also reported to have been the first Indian to publish a book in English.
Mr Mahomed, who lived in Brighton for four decades on Grand Parade, passed away in 1851 and was buried at St Nicholas' Churchyard.
The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove (RSBH) said his grave had become overgrown and in a state of disrepair.
But the group have now restored the headstone, reinstated the kerbs and footstone, and cleared the surrounding area to preserve the city's "rich and diverse heritage".
The Regency Society"Sake Deen Mahomed is one of the most interesting and enterprising people to have ever lived in Brighton," said Frances Lindsay-Hills, RSBH committee member.
"Ensuring his grave is properly maintained is a fitting tribute to his life and work."
Born in 1759 in the northeast Indian city of Patna, he opened Britain's first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostane Coffee House, in London in 1810.
Mr Mahomed's contributions to Brighton were "particularly significant", according to RSBH.
He opened indoor baths in Pool Valley on the seafront in 1814, where he introduced the therapeutic Indian massage technique known as champi, which he called "shampooing".
Getty ImagesMr Mahomed's business thrived and attracted wealthy clients.
He was appointed "shampooing surgeon" to King George IV and King William IV.
James Tulley, Vice Chair of the Regency Society, said the restoration of Mahomed's grave "ensures his story continues to be told and his legacy preserved for future generations."
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- Dean Mahomed: Born in Patna, India, he was a soldier for the East India Company before moving to Britain, where he opened the first Indian restaurant and became a shampooing surgeon to Kings George IV and William IV.
Web results
The Travels of Dean Mahomet (1794) is the first book published in English by an Indian author, Sake Dean Mahomet (1759–1851). Written as 38 letters, it chronicles his life as a camp follower and soldier in the East India Company, documenting travels across India, cultural observations, and his subsequent 1784 immigration to Ireland and Britain.
- Content: The narrative details his early life in Patna, his service under Captain Godfrey Evan Baker in the Bengal army, and descriptions of cities like Kolkata and Varanasi, along with personal accounts of military conflicts, Indian customs, and wildlife.
- Genre: It is a hybrid of travel literature, autobiography, and memoir, providing an Indian's perspective on the British conquest. Significance: It documents the vital role of Indians in the colonial process and provides a firsthand account of 18th-century India.
- Sake Dean Mahomet (also spelled Mahomed) was born in Patna, India, in 1759.
- After immigrating to Ireland, he later moved to London and Brighton.
- He became famous as the "Shampooing Surgeon," introducing therapeutic bathing (steam bath/massage) to England and opening the first Indian restaurant in England.
The travels of Dean Mahomet : a native of Patna in Bengal, through several parts of India, while in the service of the honourable the East India Company
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