The love for everything old or ancient probably started with tales of mythology, grandeur and valour we heard as kids. Visits to forts and monuments were happy glimpses of history and I absorbed not only the stories of people but the art, architecture and art on offer, The sheer grandeur skill and artistry mesmerized me.
The Belur Halebid pillars, the art in the Salarjung Museum, the Mullik palace, the Sheesh Mahal and countless other beautiful shrines, places became abiding reference points for my life as collector. This carried onto my real world and my home reflects my love for these bits of history. Fragments of wood and glass broken but intricately carved and embellished were collected and have been converted to objects of use. Furniture, lamps or just scattered around as bric a brac.
I love my trivia collectibles, nothing of real value as I really cant afford treasured heirlooms, nevertheless they are as valuable as perhaps my gold and stones.
I am and always will be an avid heritage enthusiast always drawn to anything which is old, maybe not whole but intrinsically beautiful. My in laws came from a rich ancestry, they had many antiques lying around , never valued as they had a plethora of them always. For me it was an enticing possession, with myriad possibilities. A few months into my marriage a favourite refrain in my married home was anything that is marble wood or glass even if broken should be taken to “Bouma”.
Happiness for me! These objects speak of an unimagined luxury, a lifestyle that is the envy of any rich Mogul in the world! Alas!
As I watch the youngsters of today I find that as technology advances they are becoming immune to their environment. Insensitive to genuine problems of the have-nots, lackadaisical about gaining true learning or knowledge. We grew up hearing stories of our ancestors albeit unreal but they added to the fabric of our identity and found roots in our country. A pride in our heritage is essential to look ahead and respect our present. The freedom we enjoy is due to the selfless sacrifice of our freedom fighters. Maybe it is this apathy which prompts them to abuse this essential ingredient of our existence – freedom and liberty.

We need to treasure our traditions and past to be able to carve a better future to learn from antecedents and maybe prevent history from repeating itself.