“Even as a child, I loved playing with the antiques at home. I would systematically arrange the bronze glasses and create sounds using a stick. It was my favorite activity! There was something mysterious about antiques that captivated me. However, I never imagined that I would grow up to become a collector.
In the 1970s, while working in Mumbai, I had limited space at home, but I still managed to keep my collection together. When my mother moved from our village, Someshwaram, to live with me in Chennai in 1970, she brought many old vessels and kitchen items. Each one had a story, a memory she associated with it. She didn’t want to lose or sell them. There was a small bowl in which my grandmother made payasam, a tawa we used to make brinjal curry—each item was linked to a story my mother would recite, leaving me nostalgic.
Every time I visited a village or pilgrimage center, I searched for unique antiques. I once saw an advertisement in the newspaper about a family selling their antiques in Chennai. I was apprehensive, but I went anyway. It was a beautiful bungalow. They had enormous trumpets and a beautiful copper candle holder. I took both! Later, I found out that they belonged to the family of the Vijayanagar Maharaja. I was thrilled!
Today, I have more than 700 pieces in my collection, gathered over the years. It has been an emotional journey, traveling from place to place, uncovering stories, and understanding culture and heritage. I have a typewriter and a camera from London that I bought in 1980. A close associate introduced me to blogging, and I started writing about my collection, which opened many doors. Once, I received an email from a gentleman in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, who wanted to get rid of some antique pieces.
It was a long journey from Hyderabad to Bengaluru to Madurai by train, then a bus to Srivilliputhur. I worried about police checks due to the laws related to antiques, so I clicked a picture with him and took a letter stating it was a gift to me because of my passion. It wasn’t an easy ride back home, but I would go any distance to get these pieces.
Over the years, my love for antiques has only grown, making me invest even more in this passion. Every vessel, picture, and idol tells a story about our culture. They deserve to be preserved for future generations. Imagine how people cooked without gas or a cooker. It’s a never-ending quest to understand our ancestors and our country better. I love sifting through mismatched parts, looking for a gem to preserve and cherish for a lifetime. Isn’t it beautiful to think about?”