Antique Large Brass Rice Cooking Pot – Gundiga

A three line design running throughout the circle of the belly of the pot.

In olden days, temples and big houses used to keep huge brass rice cooking pots to cook and serve rice for important occasions. In Andhra Pradesh, these huge brass rice cooking vessels are called Gundigas (plural). In Vaishnavite temples, it is a common practice to cook rice in large quantities for preparation of Pongal (rice […]

Antique Punjabi Lassi Brass Tumbler Glasses

Large and small brass lassi glasses shown together.

Punjab is known for its great culture popularly depicted in Bhangra folk dance and spicy dhaba food.  Punjabi food is not complete without a thick creamy Lassi. Lassi is a special Punjabi drink made with Curd or Yogurt or Dahi churned with sugar and spices to form a smooth thick liquid and is best served […]

How To Acquire Antiques from Genuine Sources – Top Three Tips

Beatiful stone sculptured statue of a lady drummer purchased in a sale.

The real joy of acquiring an antique lies in identifying an antique at its original source, persuading the owner to partake it and adding it to your collection. In this process, you get to know the source of the item, the genuineness of the item, the owner of the item, the history of the item, […]

Anthills – One of Nature’s Wonders

Anthills

I had visited J. Krishnamurti Foundation India located in a deep forest near Bangalore recently. My friend Mr. Sekhar Rao recommended this place for me to attend their three day course appropriately called “Retreat”. It is a marvellous place full of forest greenery, variety of colourful birds, and wild flowers. In the evening, one has […]

Copper and silver Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Trumpet

In Hindu and Buddhist religions it is a common practice to offer sound to god along with other offerings like flowers, fruits, water, incense and fire by way of lamp. Hindus offer sound by blowing conch or ring a bell. Buddhist, particularly Tibetan Buddhists offer sound by blowing a trumpet. This trumpet is called Tibetan […]

Antique Copper And Brass Indian Ethnic Narsingha Trumpet

Trumpet ready to go on a procession

The trumpet shown in the picture is known as Narsingha or Ransingha trumpet and is mostly used in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kullu Manali in the Himalayan ranges. This curved “S” shaped trumpet is hand made out of copper and brass combination. The main trumpet is made with copper and the trims and embellishments […]

Antique Brass And Copper Kamandalam

Side view of Antique Brass and Copper Kamandalam.

Kamandalam is a water pot with a handle used by Hindu religious sadhus, sanyasis, munis, yogis, ascetics, Buddhist monks and Hindu mendicants to carry water. Kamandalam represents a self-contained and simple life. Kamandalam is also called as Kamandal or Kamandalu. It is traditionally made out of ripe bottle gourd, or pumpkin, or coconut shell, or […]

Sambrani Incense Brass Pot

Sambrani smoke from charcoal fire in brass pot.

Do you know how ladies used to dry their hair after a head bath in those good old days when electric hair driers were not available?  Yes! They had a traditional style of drying the hair with perfumed hot air. Sounds romantic and feels cosy doesn’t it? In the old days, when modern gadgets had […]

Vintage Bronze Drinking Water Glass

One of the wonders of creation is water. 90% of the human body is water. Without water, there is no life on earth. The entire species on earth have learnt to drink water in their own way. The primitive man started drinking water from his cupped hands and with progress in civilisation the man started […]

Antique Copper Water Storage Pot – Pani Ka Ghada

The dimensions of the pot: 15” diameter at the belly,  4” diameter at the mouth, Height – 12” This antique copper water storage pot is from the state of Rajasthan, India. Most part of Rajasthan is a desert or arid land and water is a scarce commodity. It is a common sight in rural Rajasthan […]