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Old is Gold - recycling

It was an interesting time at Holi last month. This festival is celebrated with full involvement of participants but with two view points.

There are ones who celebrate it with a religious fervour and so wear new clothes etc.
Then there are the ones who play with colours with same amount of intensity but use old clothes as clothes need to be discarded after all the colours that are used.

This led to a clear thought as to how Indians are apt at recycling almost everything at home. This is not accounted for the carbon credits but is quite a phenomenon in both urban and rural India. It has become a part of the social norms as well. In a random manner, I recall instances where this has become a thread in Indian fabric.

- ALL Indian households are visited by a कबाड़ीवाला ( a trader in discarded goods). Old newspapers, magazines, clothes, utensils, plastic goods are all sold and subsequently recycled
- Every city has specialist tailors who have mastered the art of making clothes of children from elders. Defence Colony in Delhi has become famous for the same
- Darnering as a profession is patronised by many to increase the usage of a damaged garment
- In Rural India (and also in Urban in parts of country), cow/buffalo dung is used for lighting the stoves

I am sure there are millions more examples that readers are aware of. But the more interesting part is as to how it has become a part of our culture

- a new born baby is wrapped in a piece of cloth taken from the one worn by grandfather (because it is soft with the usage)
- welcome to a daughter-in-law is done by passing the family owned necklace that has invariably been worn by three generations
- A multi colour stole (सतरंगी चुन्नी) is an auspicious piece of cloth but the core purpose is the usage of the same with garment of any colour.

More stories are welcome.
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Comments

  1. Gunjan7 April 2009 at 13:26

    I think its not purely re-cycling but a lot of traditions and sentiments are attached to lot of these life examples cited above.

    1.If one gets a dress made from an old material (could be a mom's saree used to make a traditional suit for both mom and daughter then its not recycling but the feeling of wearing it together on some occassion)when you may in fact cab buy a more expensive dress from any of teh kids store.

    2.If the younger kid is wearing the elder kids clothes its not just recycling but re-living your older times again.Although its shouldnt be always but could be sometimes.

    3.If your mom in law gives you a necklace which her mom in law gave it to her (whom you would have never met during her lifetime)you are able to connect to her indirectly in spite of the fact that there are many other jewellery which are given by your parents, in - laws, guests etc but this one would be unique in itself
    4.In rural areas cow dung is used for preparing food because it is related to the cow which is worshipped In India just like food and is in fact used in many festivals like Holi, Navratras etc. for puja.

    It is rightly said that tradition lots of times takes the name of recycling but not ALWAYS


    2.

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