“Childhood” the most magical period of a person’s life. It
is the time in a person’s life where most of the memories are formed, all the
senses prevail. It’s a wonderful world full of possibilities, where we are free
to express, create, explore, dream and hope to one day fulfill this dream. A
period where inhibitions are soon forgotten and bonds of a lifetime are created
and strengthened.
As any average Indian child I spent most of my childhood frequenting my Grandmothers place. And hence most of my childhood memories seem to revolve around that house. The house in which I spent the most wonderful and enjoyable days of my childhood. It was how i wanted my dream home to be.
I can actually see the house right
now in my mind’s eye. The quaint beauty of generations of artistic grandeur.
The
large hall where the entire family united to celebrate various
Festivals with great pomp and joy, the kitchens where we kids used to
smuggle Laddoo's and various eatables from right under our elders noses.
The vast courtyard, running around
which my little feet did not seem to tire. The “Tulsi” plant adorning
the center, where my cousins and I watched captivated, while our “Ajji”(as we
called our grandmother) adorned the floor with a bright floral Rangoli.
She
would even let us fill in the colors and reward us with a Ladoo when we
did a good job of keeping the color inside the Rangoli borders.
Another
room i can vividly remember is the Prayer room, which was also the room
where my grandmother slept. It had a serene and peaceful aura to it.
The room where she taught us many hymns and told us countless bed time
stories from the Ramayana or Panchatantra. Mostly stories of how Good
prevails over evil . In some way or other these stories and morals
imparted to us have helped us build a strong character and help us be
what we are today.
In
other words , it was the idea of a complete home for me and my childish
heart. And what made it so, was the people in it. My
Parent's,Grandmother, uncle's and Aunt's, cousin's, in short my "family". A place where i could feel safe and which had seen me at my best and worst.
Today,
those same walls have weakened ,marred by the tests of time and so have
the modern relations. But as they say, "Home is where the heart is" .
So in some way or the other, this little heart finds a way to make "my house" into "my home".
Today as i read about the contest held by "make my home" i was swept into this Nostalgia and began wondering, How would i re-decorate my house? The answer was right there.
I would choose the Ethnic style
to redecorate my house because this is the style that keeps me close
to my roots. it brings back a bit of the nostalgia that i left behind in
my grandmothers house as a child.
The Three items i would choose are:
I
will choose this Wall decor as it reminds me of the Tranquil serenity
of the Prayer room of my Grand mothers house. It will be a reminder that
Lord Ganesha will always keep us away from all harm and guide us
through life.
2) the second item i will choose is the Ghasitaram Shankh Rangoli, as it will bring to my house the same welcoming beauty that my grand mothers Rangoli used to bring. Plus this
unique transparent rangoli is made from pvc and adorned with beads and
hence there is no fear of it getting messed up. Way to be ethnic yet
modern ;)
and third i will choose Aapno Rajasthan Warli Painting on Large Mirror , An enticing work on a large wooden frame with mirror. Although this has a significant resemblance to a mirror at my Ajji's place, it will be a reminder to me that , however much we choose to remember the past, we have to live in the present. As the mirror only reflects what is infront of it, presently. it will remind me that we make a Home by the memories we weave into the walls , and they will stay with us forever, as a safe abode, a piece of our soul.
I may not be able to feel again my grand mothers soothing hand
on my forehead.The
intoxicating smell of talcum as she applied it in front of her mirror,
but i will always remember the soft brush of her crisp cotton sari as
she held me close.
I may not have the perfect house, but with all these memories and my own people i can make it my perfect home.
I may not have the perfect house, but with all these memories and my own people i can make it my perfect home.
*// all images used in this post belong to "makemyhome" *//
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