Assosications through stories

ASSOCIATIONS_ THROUGH STORIES

Sometimes there are mediums to carry stories, objects which acquire relevance for just being present. Their association with certain period or events of the past imparts meaning for their existence. “The significance of objects in our process of remembering is the main reason why we like to collect familiar or peculiar object around us; they expand and reinforce the realm of memories, and eventually, of our very sense of self. Few of the objects we possess are really needed strictly for utilitarian purpose; their function is social and psychological” (Pallasmaa, 2012, p. 27).

Sometimes their value comes from a particular event for an individual or a group, or acts as a reminder for being a part of their tradtion.

What we came across a built notion of the past for each individual, helping them anchor to it. Sitting in one of the houses listening to an old lady as she blabbered about her achievement of holding the family together through generations, my eyes went to a very old trunk at the corner. The faded color of the wood and the rusted metal ties were a proof to the age of it. There were ornamentations on it made up of brass and had a broken vintage lock hanging. The pile of newspapers and books above it suggested that it was not used much. As I asked about it, I came to know that it has been in their family since ages. One of the household members started to clear the junk above it for me to see, the lady started to talk about it with enthusiasm. It was gifted to her by her father in law. At times it was used to store jewelry and copper and silver utensils, now is a dumping station for old books.

Similar kind of units were present in each individual house at one point of time but only few have survived. A person in the same neighborhood showed us old manuscripts in Sanskrit which were used by his grandfather and generations before that to perform religious ceremonies in the city. Though he is a banker now and does not practice such occupation, he takes pride in talking about it. There were exceptions to this, as for some, these were items of decore bought from a flea market. From stories of how people from the neighborhood gathered to listen to radio which is now an abandoned piece in the corridor, to old family photographs and the story of how a person was fascinated by a camera, each were well engraved in people’s mind. The values of these were evident from the keenness with which the story tellers were describing us the details.

The main protagonist varies from story to story; it is place, event or people in most, whereas in some it was beliefs or cultural practices.

These act as souvenirs imparting significance to their presence, giving particular identity to it.

© Photograph by: Kevin Standage A sense of identity emphasised through cultural involvement.

© Photograph by: Kevin Standage Sense of self highlighted through traditional architecture.