Heritage at Home: Heritage is to value objects and qualities and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations.

Heritage is to value objects and qualities and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations. It could also be property that is inherited.
In Sanskrit it is विरासत Virāsata, in Hindi it is known as परंपरा paranapara . In Bengali it is ঐতিহ্য Aitihya.

1. a presentation on everyday objects in our home by Prof. Aloke Kumar at …… Oxford B ook on the invitation of AISHEE : an NGO actively engaged in the documentation, preservation, and conservation Heritage at Home

2. Heritage is to value objects and qualities and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations. It could also be property that is inherited. In Sanskrit it is विरासत V irāsata, in Hindi it is known as परंपरा paranapara . In Bengali it is ঐতিহ্য Aitihya. Heritage at Home What is Heritage?

3. The general belief when you think of conservation of heritage is to look outside your home. The crumbling terracotta temple, the preservation of a site. But never at home. Heritage at Home Heritage is Not only preserving crumbling edifices.

4. How can Heritage reside at home ? However like Lakshmi it does. There is a saying that charity begins at home. And so does heritage. Heritage is your culture and the many Objects left behind by your ancestors. Heritage at Home Heritage is also preserving your culture as much as artifacts.

5. I am not talking about the identifiable objects like the furniture, books and paintings. My subject encompasses objects which we do not identify as a part of our heritage and culture. Heritage at Home Household Objects

6. Let us start at the very beginning. Now that you have sold your ancestral house to the property developer to move to a South facing 10 th . Floor flat may I ask you : Where is the stone name plate? Heritage at Home Marble Name Plates

7. I have saved mine But like many of us the family of U N Sen of Suburban Hospital Road did not. But the family of National Professor Satyandrath Bose of Ishwar Mil Lane Calcutta 6 ,did. Heritage at Home Your Lineage is your identity

8. Now let us see some of the others. Our kitchen utensils and eating plates. রান্নার বাসন, রন্ধনপাত্র, বাসনপত্র have been replaced by modern kitchen wares and crockery. The old bell metal ones being carried in rickshaws to be sold away to the ‘baswanwallah’. Heritage at Home Household Kitchen Utensils

9. But all of these are hand crafted and most of them are a part of our heritage . If you look around your home, you will find a number of things used everyday that represent the heritage of Indian crafts. Heritage at Home Household Kitchen Utensils

10. Here are some utensils preserved by a middle class family. It contains rare containers of Ganges as well as Drinking water. There are several water glasses made of bell-metal and one Flower Vase. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Household Kitchen Utensils

11. This is not the case with the utensils used for Puja. Contrast to the earlier instance the Puja utensils are preserved well. Is it because the gods like them ? Or we do not want to displease them by substituting them. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Household Puja Utensils

12. One of the most prized kitchen equipment was the Mortar & Pestle or Hamal Dista. Made of iron to brass. Bell-Metal to Marble it had a pride of place usurped by the modern kitchen equipment like mixer grinder. Most of them have been relegated and thrown out. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Household Kitchen Equipment

13. Here are some writing equipments usually found at home but neglected. The one on the left is an inkpot with cover for the quill. Then there are the ink pots and at the bottom is a glue bucket. In fact the ink pot at the bottom has the dried ink. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Writing Equipment

14. More near at home we have given up our fountain pens for the ball points. Many a dropper fill fountain is lying at your home. Make attempts to use them. If not preserve them. Pass on to your next gen as fountain pens give the best handwriting. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Writing Equipment

15. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Hand Written Letters One of the fastest item that evaporated from the face of the planet, with e-mails is hand written letters. Completely disappeared and is a rare specie. Needs to be protected. Frame family letters and preserve them. There is a particular style of framing these letters which I have instituted and have named it ‘sandwich framing’.

16. With letters can reading glasses be far behind ? From Pince-nez t o Rim less . With Silver to Wooden covers. Covered with velvet . Or leather cases. They are a delight. Usually sold at a pittance as the glass power is of no use and the frames give you very little monetary return, yet destroyed everyday. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Reading Glass

17. And off course while reading the letters with that dainty glass you need the paper weights to keep them from flying off. From brass to glass: you have them all. And they come in all shapes and sizes. The common once just a blotch of brass to the coloured bubble glass. I am sure you will find many hidden in your old writing tables. Heritage at Home

18. With photographs being digitalized old albums are being discarded with photographs. Do digitalize for posterity but preserve the photographs and Album. They are priceless. Photographs of your neighbours and that shot of Calcutta from your terrace. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Photo Album and Photographs

19. Most are being left under the nearest Banyan tree where there is a Shib Mandir.These are priceless Oleographs printed in Germany or our very own Chor Bagan in Chitpore. These are printed in late 19 th . and early 20 th Century. There are many which are hand coloured. The image of Swami Vivekananda is a Chromo Lithograph Poster printed in Chicago traded by many for the laminated one. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Old Prints of Gods,Goddess and Saints

20. Along with the prints there are innumerable porcelain idols of Gods and Goddess in homes. These came from Dresden , Germany around 1895 and were bought by the upper middle class households. With the lapse of time they have been related to an isolated place in homes many of them sold away. Heritage at Home Porcelain Gods and Goddess

21. There are number of items in our household related to Ladies Vanity Ware which are part of our old tradition. The Silver mounted comb, brush and mirror. Then there are the Attar bottles of old . All very delicate and need preservation. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Ladies Vanity

22. We all have old Sarees at home. Benarasi, Jamdani. Brocade. With Gold and Silver embroidery. Inherited from our mother and grandmother. Most of these are used for exchange of kitchen utensils of Stainless Steel or sold to the ‘pheriwallah’ shouting : ‘purano saree bikkiri ache’. These are priceless and worth preservation. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Sarees

23. Old watches and clocks are in abundance at our home. As your father of the marriage watch he received and get it repaired and oiled to wear it. Yes, off course you have to wind it everyday without fail. Bit it is worth it. As you raze your hand all yes will follow. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Watches and Clocks

24. Most Gold coins at home are grabbed by the ladies to remodel it into Jewelry. The Silver still gets some attention. The rest has no value. Earlier there used to be a plate where you threw in coins which are commemorative, rare and fading. The art is lost along with the preservation of medals. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Old coins, medals and memorabilia.

25. Have you accidentally broken one of the glass lamp shades lately and taken an identical to Poddar Court Market to buy another? You must have received a shock. The older glass lamp shades have been replaced with plastic ones. Glass lamp shades are rare. Even if you have one make arrangement to preserve and hang it . Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Glass Lamp Shades

26. Many Calcutta household have old Gramophone and records. With the world going digital and first the Walkman and then the Mobile phones the way we listened to music changed. With this the record player and the vinyl records were stored first in the back room and then sold away. Many of them have found their way to collector’s home. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Gramophone and Records

27. Are you mad ? Asking me to preserve old bottles. They come in dime a dozen and mother tells me to throw them away. There are many which are rare. The first Coca Cola bottle fetches you $2,40,000. No I am not talking about it. Simple old bottles left at home by our ancestors. With plastic making an inroad make a collection of them and keep them. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Old Bottles

28. Many of us had tin toys. With the plastic invasion this is long gone and past. Search your homes and put them together. That tin soldier, The Fire Engine and the Taxi. They are a delight and have become collector’s item. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Tin Toys

29. The history of Pad Lock dates back to 25–220 AD in China since the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The locks are changing into cheaper versions and digital. The decorative lock is long lost. Preserves old locks at your home. I have seen some astounding ones in Calcutta ones , specially the brass ones. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Lock and Key

30. Now don’t tell me to keep one of these at home! Is this what you are going to tell me. Most of these iron safe either the miniature or the full fledged have been melted for their iron. If you have one think of restoring and preserving one of them. Much stronger than the current ones and safer than the digital. Not naming any brands. Heritage at Home Iron Safe

31. Every other day an Ezraj is destroyed. An instrument of antiquity which was popular at one time has become an instrument of disuse. With the Harmonium gaining ground many old instruments are finding their way to the junk shop. From Sitar to Ek tara. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Musical Instruments

32. The presentation does NOT include the obvious which are recognized as Heritage and respected. These include antique Books, Maps and Prints. Furniture and Fitting. Most household are aware of these and try their best to preserve or sell them to collectors. My father being an antiquarian I have always being aware of such preservations. Heritage at Home Books,Maps and Prints

33. What am I saying ? To turn your homes into museums? No. Try to preserve our Heritage by identifying objects which are lying in your home. If you find it of interest club them thematically and place them in a show case. If you are not interested sell them to collectors or if you are not interested in the money donate them to Repository making a point that it is preserved as a contribution from your family. Do not allow it to be destroyed. Try to keep them your next generation will thank you. Heritage at Home Heritage at Home Repository

34. Heritage at Home Repository The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum . It is in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It contains the collection of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896–1990), dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja. The museum's collection depicts the skills of the Indian artists of the time. The door frames, vessels, Utensils, ornaments, musical instruments, lamps, paintings and carvings represent outstanding examples of their art.

35. Heritage at Home Home Collection Heritage at Home is a matter of pride. This is a part of my home collection housing artefacts from everyday use. You need not have item of the same genre to build a collection. It could be just one item each of several artefacts placed to gather thematically. For example all items related to the Buddha could be together. All Puja Saramjan could be placed in one place.

36. Heritage at Home Home Collection

37. Heritage at Home Home Collection Heritage at Home is a matter of pride. This is a part of the Collection of Mill Labels of Tirtha Tanay Mandal. Labels used by different cotton Mills in Maharashtra. Chika, Mill Label Chromolithograph, Published by Chika Ltd . Bird Mill Label, Chromolithograph, Published by Ratanchand Chunilal and Co., Printed in India, late 19th century

38. Heritage at Home The Presenter Aloke Kumar is a Faculty Member lecturing in Communications at the University of Calcutta, in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications. He is also a Visiting Lecturer at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmadabad and various Universities, among them are the Institute of Mass Communications, New Delhi, and International Management Institute, Calcutta. He is an avid He is collector of antique books and materials having inherited a legacy from his father Nirmal Chandra Kumar. He loves teaching, plants, classical music and literature but not necessarily in that order. You can be in touch with him at : https://web.facebook.com/prof.alokekumar https://twitter.com/ProfAlokeKumar

39. Prof. Aloke Kumar D 560 Lake Gardens Calcutta: 700045 The End