Rumal
In a world of tissues and wet wipes, we look back to the good old times of Rumal
The ones that mothers tucked in their sarees around the waist and pinned on pockets of our school uniforms with a baby safety pin. The ones that collected salts of tears, drops of sweat and also smelled of Eu de cologne. The ones that had embroidered initials and the ones where roses bloomed in french knots and satin stitches.
We have always been awed by the floral patterns on Rumals
be it a lone hosiery store in Gariahat, a huge mansion in Pondicherry that houses Cluny Embroidery Art society, Sarah Cohen’s embroidery shop in Jew Town, Kochi, The Good Companion on Russel Street, Calcutta or the bunch of hankies that a local seller carries on a train.
We have created a world where we want to live in mentally - where there are peonies and roses, french knots and laces and the smell of Grandma - Yardley Lavender, Cuticura and Eu De Cologne.