BENGALURU: I have just returned from a half-day jaunt to Shravanabelagola. This might have been my umpteenth short trip to the hallowed Jain pilgrim centre, where I’m most at peace. As always, apart from carrying home the bliss of climbing the two sacred hills and beholding the splendiferous monolith of Lord Bahubali, I have brought back small collectibles that now adorn my living space.
This is a little instance of my ideal travel plan to any place on earth coming to an end, culminating in one of the most satisfying moments of travel itself – ‘Souvenir-hunting’.
This time, I brought back little idols of the deity and a pack of postcards, among other things. In an era dominated by selfies and Instagram, one may be inclined to ask, ‘What is the need to have postcards – a souvenir tradition lost in time?’ But I think very differently!
As an avid traveller from a considerably young age, having made trips around India and a few countries abroad, I began to view travel as its own self-sustaining universe. On the one hand, there is the destination itself, with its sights, sounds, flavours, and most importantly, its people. On the other, is the journey, and not to forget the myriad experiences while on it. Finally, bridging these highlights together are memories. A tangible chunk of those memories is saved in a souvenir.
While souvenir-hunting is a very common pastime of most travellers, there is a lot of innate meaning associated with it. Souvenirs are not just incidental keepsakes or an impulse buy to tell the world of one’s touristy accomplishments. It’s a piece of a place you bring home, which constantly reminds you of what you learnt on your travels.
Postcards, miniatures, fridge magnets, local products, et al, relate different stories of your experiences and memories – from something as basic as what you picked up, from whom, from where, for whom, and why, to reflecting the magnificence of the destination it represents. In short, souvenirs are torch-bearers, with far-reaching influence on people, since they are acquired and carried to almost every corner of the planet, and into every home.
For me, a holiday comes to an end only when a part of it is carried home ‘hidden’ in some souvenirs. Over the course of my several travels, I have picked up a trove of mini-monuments, wall-hangings, magnets, sculptures, cultural relics, antiques, and clothing, among other things, while helping local economies too in the process.
Sometimes, I travel simply to hit the local souvenir markets, obviously after basking in the true glories of that place. My souvenir-hunting odyssey begins weeks ahead of departure. A lot of research later, I make a list of tentative trinkets I covet and where they are sold, followed by a separate souvenir budget. And off I go!
Today, my house echoes fascinating tales and fables from around the world, beautifully narrated by silent souvenirs. The exhibits from the personal museum I have thus created at home, constantly remind me about the diversity that our world represents, along with the unity and equality it stands for – of beauty, oneness, and nature. If only souvenirs could really talk, how much more would they have imparted?!