TRACING A MEMORY
Grazia|March 2022
What much-loved objects can tell us about the lived past
TISHARA RAJAGOPAL, ARJUNVIR SINGH,RAJITA BANERJEE
TRACING A MEMORY

From the cultural diasporas of the recent past to the increasingly location-independent present, humans are on the move like never before. We’re sharing our cultures, customs, and languages in an increasingly connected world, and it’s a beautiful thing. At the same time, it’s also important to step back and remember how we became who we are today. Our roots and heritage inevitably shape our identity, and it’s up to us to ensure that they are not lost to time and to keep them alive for future generations.

The Museum of Material Memory, a crowdsourced, digital repository of the material culture of the Indian subcontinent, aims to do just that. Tracing family histories and social ethnography through heirlooms, collectibles, and objects of antiquity, founders Aanchal Malhotra (the idea for the Museum stemmed from her research on objects that migrated across the border during the Partition, on both sides) and Navdha Malhotra tell me that the premise of the project is to promote the preservation of material memory infused within objects and further advance the knowledge and appreciation of it as a significant resource in understanding culture and civilisation. It is interesting to note that the objects in the archive are from or before the 1970s.

LEELA CHANDER’S BIRYANI POT

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

This brass cooking pot belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, Leela Chander, and its story was told to me by my grandmother, Sabita Radhakrishna. Referred to as a dekchi, it is a wide-mouthed pot, that sits obediently in my grandmother's drawing-room. I've walked past it countless times and traced my fingers across the fern that now grows wildly out of it, rarely looking down the repurposed planter.

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Grazia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Grazia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA GRAZIASe alt
Under The Needle
Grazia India

Under The Needle

With filler-face phasing out, we are embracing the natural aesthetic but not how you might expect it

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
BUILDING A LEGACY
Grazia India

BUILDING A LEGACY

Driven by passion and a commitment to quality, this brand is making a mark in the luxury furniture market with a perfect blend of local artistry and global design

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
A WALK DOWN FIFTH AVENUE
Grazia India

A WALK DOWN FIFTH AVENUE

From high fashion to historic landmarks, this coffee table book explores how Fifth Avenue became the heartbeat of New York's cultural and social scene

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
NO SEX, MO' PROBLEMS?
Grazia India

NO SEX, MO' PROBLEMS?

At a time when sex seems to be everywhere, women are experiencing a dip in their sexual desires. We find out why

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
MORE THAN IT SEAMS
Grazia India

MORE THAN IT SEAMS

Who says lace can’t be hewn from leather? Or that paper can’t sit on the body like a weathered old sweater? In a time of rampant production and boundless creativity, is material the final frontier for designers? When all else seems lost to the algorithm, fashion’s deceptive ingenuity requires us to look a little closer

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
TABLE FOR ONE, PLEASE
Grazia India

TABLE FOR ONE, PLEASE

In a world obsessed with couplegoals, here’s why taking yourself out for a date might just be the ultimate love story

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
THE DREAM CANVAS
Grazia India

THE DREAM CANVAS

In the city that wholeheartedly embraces its role as a global cultural hub, the second edition of Art Mumbai promises to redefine creativity and innovation

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
SPRING FORWARD
Grazia India

SPRING FORWARD

Of hits, misses, and everything in between this season at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
LUST-WORTHY LUXURY LABELS
Grazia India

LUST-WORTHY LUXURY LABELS

To Light Up This Wedding Season

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
ICONIC DESIGN MEETS A MOBILE FUTURE
Grazia India

ICONIC DESIGN MEETS A MOBILE FUTURE

The new Dell XPS is designed for new age content creators and suave C-suite

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024