Let's talk about "Preserving traditional furniture"

  

There have been days when I pondered into the past for long and certain things always brought back those traditional smells hitting my nostrils. Just like the feel of rotis cooked on earthenware and coal and the taste that you still crave for...there are more things to add to your childhood memories. 

I am in the process of changing the furniture of my house and I keep searching for new and affordable designs. I came across a lot of beauties on the net and actually confused myself with 'what' and 'what not' and 'what if' kind of questions with the vast variety of furniture. The lavish designs gave me the feel of possessing everything, but the price tags were not good enough for my pocket. I want something different for my home sweet home and this forced me to go down the memory lane... my childhood days. Those were the days when almost every house had this beauty which had all the comfort, no fear of wear and tear and scratches, no fear of the kids carrying them around as they were light weight. 

Well, if anyone has guessed this then you are right. I am talking of those bamboo cane muddhhas and small muddhhis (the stool shaped ones) which are light enough to be carried by just anyone. You find them being used as garden furniture but back then these were seen in every house. They occupy less space, you need not call upon for help and carry them from one room to other, they are the most comfortable of furniture and people who have trouble in getting up from a chair after sitting for a long time are at comfort on these traditional single seater sofas. 

Of course quite beautiful furniture is available in the market these days, yet the beauty and comfort of these traditional furnitures stands unbeaten and they don't even cost much. With our elders at home seated comfortably in this traditional furniture, we can once again live those old days... give the feel of our desi culture to our kids...
Another point here to be noted is that this furniture blends in just any interior. Made up of bamboo sticks tied neatly with colourful ropes made from either natural stuff or plastic and bordered with colorful rexine these chairs can be used anywhere from your drawing room to your bedroom to your kitchen or the verandah. Carry them up the rooftop and enjoy a lovely evening.

The sad part is that this furniture is likely to be lost as it is on the verge of extinction. It is the bread and butter of many villagers. We need to encourage people into buying this comfortable furniture, preserve the ancient tradition (of course I am not asking you to give up on new fashions), but just the way we are trying to maintain other Indian traditions, we must also give a good thought to this. And need I mention again that it is light on the pocket as well??