India’s earliest ways of living reflected wisdom in simplicity. Many of these household aids, machines, objects and age-old practices are slowly vanishing. Can you identify any of them?
The mud stove was once the heart of every home. Made from clay and cow dung, it symbolised warmth, togetherness and the slow art of traditional cooking.
Ever wondered how farmers once prepared animal feed before modern machinery took over? Meet the bichali. A traditional chaff cutter, it converts coarse grass, hay and straw into smaller, easy-to-chew bits for cattle and livestock.
What could be more inviting on a hot summer afternoon than a nap on a breezy charpai under a shady tree? The four-legged woven bed was known variously as charpaya, charpoy, khat, khatla, or manji.
Remember those picturesque cosy huts with roofs of dried grass? The thatched hut, once a common sight across India, was built using locally available materials like straw, bamboo, and mud.
Can we forget the rhythmic squeak of a hand pump, or chapakal as it’s fondly called in many Indian villages? Before electric motors arrived, this humble iron lever was the lifeline.
In the olden days, grain was stored in containers made of mud and husk, naturally protecting them from pests and moisture. What a contrast to our plastic containers fo today!
Before modern closets and cupboards, people used wooden wardrobes to store their clothes. These hand-crafted chests, some very attractive, were often made from solid timber.