Muniya’s benda
Benda is a common term used for a maang tikka in central India and Uttar Pradesh. In 1961, Mrs Prakashwati Misra, my great-grandmother, travelled all the way to Lucknow from Raipur by road to get this made for her daughter-in-law.
On the Road to Mandalay
In 1960, Shashi Kapur, a young woman in her early 20s placed an order with a leather worker in Mandalay for a handcrafted leather purse, along with a request to have her name engraved on the inner flap, complete with the title yet to be earned: Dr. Shashi Kapur.
The Bengali Bonti
The Bonti is a kitchen instrument that is used in Indian households to peel, chop, shred, slice and dice vegetables and fruits, especially in the states of Bengal, Assam, Orissa.
The vanity set from my mother’s trousseau
This vanity set of four included an oval-shaped mirrored tray, a powderbox, a photo frame and the ittardan, all made by an American brand called ‘Stylebuilt’, which rose to popularity first in the 60’s, with its signature metallic gilding.
Bauji’s red file
Durga Prasad Ummat, Bauji as he was fondly known, was born on 25th April, 1896. After my father passed in 2015 there was lot of paperwork to be attended to. It was on one such day, while rummaging through documents that I came across some documents and letters with Bauji’s name.