09:21 PM
13 August 2009
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Unusual Heirlooms
Posted By radhika
Sitting in the Ganges View, I noticed a betel cutter on the side of a small table. I hadn’t seen one of those in years… My grandmother used a betel cutter which was always by her bedside. The beetle nut with the tobacco wrapped in the betel leaf had a very curious smell to it and is a smell I still associate with her. Her betel cutter was in steel and plain and I had never given it any more thought until I saw some of the extremely well designed collection at Ganges View.
Derived from the Malayalam word vettila mallu, this one hinged instrument holds an important role in entertainment, marriage and other rituals.Dating back to about 2600BC, chewing the betel nut is a part of the tradition in India and other parts of Asia. Having started as a part of royal customs the betel nut and its paraphernalia slowly became a part of the local culture in Asia. These instruments made of brass and iron(embellished with silver or ivory) with a cutting edge of iron have a variety of designs ranging from plain, embellished to grotesque. They mirror the wealth and taste of the owner and like Shashank, form a part of heirlooms especially in North India.
P.s- The culture of chewing the betel nut is slowly dying out in most parts of the world. With this tradition slowly fading away so will the betel cutters.
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13 August 2009
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13 August 2009
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14 August 2009
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14 August 2009
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14 August 2009
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14 August 2009
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14 August 2009
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That was absolutely lovely Radhika. You took me back in time half a century, with the humble..and from your pics, not so humble!...karowntha (that’s the picturesque hindi word that I am familiar with).
Preparing the paan in which the shredded betelnut is used, is a very elaborate affair, and the process is slow and long drawn, totally unhurried, as if time is standing still, the person either indulging in light conversation, or just letting his thoughts wander aimlessly!!
Sadly, gone are those days of the genteel life!!