Mala (caste)

Mala or Malla (different from the family/last name Malla from Andhra) is a social group or caste mostly from the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Mala is derived from the Sanskrit malla, which means wrestler. Mala groups are considered as Scheduled Castes by the Government of India.

According to Government of India census data from 2001, Malas constitute a total of 41.6 percent (5,139,305) of the scheduled caste population of the state. They are largely concentrated in the Coastal Andhra region. During the Adi-Andhra movement of the 1930s, several Mala caste people, including few Madigas, especially from coastal Andhra called themselves as 'Adi-Andhra' and were recorded in the census with the 'Adi-Andhra' caste name akin to Adi Dravida of Tamil Nadu. (Adi-Andhra is synonym word instead of using MALA or MADIGA. In the ancient times, Malas were mostly village watchmen,domestic laborers etc., They were skilled workers too and were also recruited by the British Army because of their martial skills. Presently they don't have a specific caste profession and can be seen in many professions.It is directly the skill set which was identified by the upper caste people and segregation thereof. As such, Malas do not have any caste profession where the entire Indian castes were based on profession they have chosen to be associated with. Like kamma community who originally are farm workers, soldiers who are very much known for their bravery 'Padma saali' caste are the only people who are weavers. Malas have chosen to take up the profession of other castes which was at their reach.

Mala (Pakistani singer)

Naseem Nazli (Urdu: مالا; November 9, 1939 – March 6, 1990‎), popularly called Mala, was a Pakistani playback singer of Urdu and Punjabi films. In the 1960s, Mala was a 'hit pair for singing duet film songs' with famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and they gave numerous hits to Pakistan film industry. She sang many super hit songs in almost two decades of her singing career in the 1960s and 1970s. Mala's career suffered with the arrival of Runa Laila in the film industry.

Her Career

Mala's given name was Naseem Nazli. She was born in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. She was the younger sister of music composer Shamim Nazli. Mala was interested in singing and music from a young age. Fortunately, her elder sister happened to be her first music teacher and Naseem learned the essentials of music from her. On Shamim Nazli's request, music composer, Baba Ghulam Ahmed Chishti recorded two songs for the Punjabi film Aabroo (1961) in Mala's voice. However, the film flopped. Despite the fact that her elder sister got her a break in films, it was Anwar Kamal Pasha who persuaded Naseem to try her luck and not give up in the Pakistani film industry. Her first major break in films came in 1962. She changed her name to Mala and sang a simple Urdu composition, Aaya re dekho for the film Sooraj Mukhi (1962). The music was composed by Master Abdullah and the film went on to become a memorable film. In 1963, Mala rendered her voice to a tragic Urdu composition, Dil daeta hai ro ro duhai,Kisi sey koi pyaar na karey for the film Ishq Par Zor Nahin (1963). The music was composed by Master Inayat Hussain and the song was picturised on Yasmin and this film song ended up being a mega-hit of 1963.Film song lyrics were written by Qateel Shifai.

Mala sauce

Mala sauce is a popular oily, spicy, and numbing Chinese sauce which consists of Sichuanese peppercorn, chili pepper and various spices simmered with oil.

Regarded as a regional dish for Chongqing cuisine and Sichuan cuisine, it has become one of the most popular sauces in Chinese cuisine and spawned many regional variants.

Etymology

The term málà is a combination of two Chinese characters: "numbing" (麻) and "spicy (hot)" (辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce.

The numbness is caused by Sichuan pepper, which contains 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. The recipe often uses dried red peppers that are less spicy than bird's eye chili, which is widely used in Southeast Asian cuisines.

History

The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to night markets in Chongqing that targeted pier workers in the 19th to 20th century. The strong flavour and thick layer of oil helps preserve foods and removes the unpopular smells of the cheap foods, such as solidified blood, beef stomach and kidney, which were usually served to pier workers.