Sake Dean Mahomed-Google doodle on author of ‘The Travels of Dean Mahomet’

Google honors Sake Dean Mahomed with a beautiful doodle who is still remembered today for his several contributions in bringing Indian culture abroad. He is a highly renowned early non-European immigrant to the Western World who introduced Indian cuisine and shampoo baths to Europe including the therapeutic massage. He is recalled for being the first Indian to publish a book in English.

The Anglo-Indian traveler, Sake Dean Mahomed was born in 1759 in today’s capital of Bihar, Patna, which was then a part of the Bengal presidency. He at his early age served the British East India Company’s army as a trainee surgeon and honorably served against the Marathas. His travel book titled ‘The Travels of Dean Mahomet’ published in 1794 accumulated widespread popularity. It (the book) commenced with the praise of the dictators Timur, Genghis Khan and Babur including descriptions of several important Indian cities.

Sake Dean Mahomed initially opened a restaurant in London. Before that, he had worked for nabob Basil Cochrane (a businessman in the early 19^th century). who had installed a steam bath for public use in his house in Portman Square and promoted its medical benefits. He gets the credit of introducing the practice of using shampoo in Europe. His life and career were precisely recorded by Michael H Fischer and Rozina Visram. He learned much alchemy and had several techniques to manufacture varied types of soap, alkali, and shampoo.

Sake Dean Mahomed died 1851 at the age of 92. He was buried in a grave at St Nicholas Church, Brighton, where his son Frederick was later buried.