The Konkani Sambharḍe (or Sāmarḍe) is the regional wooden spice container of the western coast of India. It is carved from a single block of wood, with the compartments hollowed out one by one. The craftsmanship isn’t decorative; it’s structural. The wood has lasted for decades. The beauty of the box is that it breathes – it lets the spices stay dry without trapping moisture inside.
This stone-carved vase was purchased by my maternal grandmother’s paternal grandparents in the 1920s from Benaras. It has been in my family for around five generations, travelled across countries, multiple cities and wars.
I was fifteen when I first saw Mani. Twenty-five when I found him again. Rummaging through the wardrobe, I came across a box. Not a wooden chest of treasures, but a measly cardboard box filled with junk. I’m convinced that every household has one.
Many of these objects – the Dori Danda, the Sev Sancha, the Hamam Dasta – are no longer used, but sometimes I find myself using them intentionally, just to remember my grandmother. At first, I was drawn to moments where we were together in the kitchen, the small rituals. Over time that turned into an interest in the kitchen itself.
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