BENGALURU: Collecting souvenirs while travelling allows people to cherish memories and be reminded of their time there. However, it's not always feasible to keep up with this hobby, due to various reasons. But city-based Vidya Shree M understands this problem and decided to bring a little bit of the place for people who want to own it. Named
Travel Trinkets, these are small souvenirs from different countries that depict their culture and heritage. The idea of Travel Trinkets came to Shree when people started enquiring about the souvenirs she collected for herself. "Usually my travel posts on my Instagram are quite long and elaborate which is why I prefer doing it after my return. But people reach out with requests to pick up somthing for them," says Shree, who is an HR professional.
She also adds that this box of goodies is ideal for those who don't get to travel as often as they'd like. "Not everyone gets to travel as extensively as we do. It could be for various reasons. This way, you can get your own little piece of handicraft from a different country," she says, adding that it’s a way to support local artisans as well.
So, what exactly is there in this box? "It completely depends on the place I am visiting. For instance, I travelled to Turkey during Christmas with my friend Divya Iyer, and the boxes also came from there. It ranges from fridge magnets, postcards to ceramic items which come from the local artisans," says Shree, who likes to call it a 'surprise box' as no two boxes contain the same items.
"It does not make sense to buy the same items. The contents of the boxes will be approximately the same price. And this way, it becomes fun for people to reveal the souvenir once they receive it," she explains. The boxes were priced at Rs 1,200; they are sold out now.
"Initially, we had decided to come up with 10 such boxes but we got sold out in one hour. We then increased the number to 25 but that too got sold out in four hours. Since I was visiting various places, there was a limit to how many I could have got," says Shree, who mentions that she had planned to start this in mid-2021 but due to the second wave of the coronavirus, she was unsure how things could have worked out.
Even if her souvenir boxes are currently sold out, she is looking forward to travelling again soon. “My next travel might be in February. I am still contemplating the places because there is Khajuraho and Odisha on the list. Both are rich in culture, heritage and handicrafts. I am just waiting for the Covid situation to be under control,” says Shree, adding all the information about these souvenir boxes will be on her
Instagram handle @vidoutboundaries