Why Gurus Wear Scarves (and the occasional neck brace) // a visit to The Old Prayer in India

Last week I wrote about how I find product for the Habitation Co. shop, which sometimes looks like having an hour-long conversation with a woman wearing a neck brace, in her tiny shop in a hotel lobby in New Delhi, India...

On the very last day of our two-week trip in India, my friend Erica, and I were meeting a few of the remaining girls from our group for lunch before departing on our long journeys home. One of the girls had just visited "The Old Prayer", the little boutique in the back corner of our hotel lobby, and was wearing the prettiest scarf that she had just purchased there. When Erica and I told her we were planning on stopping by, she asked if we could take a photo of the shop keeper for her. 

We step into the shop, a narrow room with a long rack of pastel cotton tunics and dresses along one wall, and pink floral wall paper along another. In the back, at her small desk, is Mrs. Singh, the shop keeper. Effortlessly chic in a silk jacket, chignon bun, and velcro neckbrace, she stands up to greet us. After a few minutes of browsing around the job, Erica asks Mrs. Singh if we could take a photo of her, explaining that it was for a friend who had visited earlier. Though baffled as to why these American girls would want a photo of or with her, and slightly self-conscious of the foam brace around her neck, she politely agreed. After a few minutes, we had gotten our photo and were ready to pick out a scarf and be on our way, but Mrs. Singh had other plans for us.

Erica, Mrs. Singh, and her neckbrace

One of us must have asked Mrs. Singh about the neckbrace (probably Erica, she asks about those things) and I believe her answer was along the lines of "the normal aches and pains of aging". But before we knew it, she was telling us a very personal story- about the premature loss of her father, husband, and son, and how she has since found peace, and even happiness despite her grief. "We must be worthy of our misfortunes", she explained, that loss and mourning is just as much a part of life as our blessings, and that they can teach us something if we are willing to learn.

At this point, Erica was in tears, and I was silently holding my cell phone camera as still as possible on the other side of the room, but Mrs. Singh had only gotten started. "India loves when white girls come to visit!" she continued, "because they are always looking for something- some answer, something outside of ourselves". Yes, we often believe that some Guru in a remote village has the secret to our happiness, or purpose, in life, and we have to fly to the opposite side of the world and eat a lifetime's worth of curry, to find it.

Mrs. Singh's take on these "gurus"? "What? They don't know shit!" she claims. She has our full attention now.

"What do they (gurus) know?! They've never done anything, been anywhere. YOU are the gurus, you are ones who are doing things, trying new things..." she continued. New "things" like leaving our homes and lives 12,000 miles away to travel in a foreign land with a group of strangers. New things like starting businesses, forging relationships, and learning new skills. New things that rip us out of our comfort zones, stretch us, test us, and challenge us. This is how we grow, this is where our "answers" are. 

In the end, yes, we each bought a scarf as planned, but left that little shop with so much more. It was truly the best way to end our two-week journey. Also the best? Spending our last hours in Delhi exploring the Gandhi Museum and having tea in the garden of our hotel. Followed by a delicious dinner (of chow mein, because enough with the curry already.) And the hour-long massages we opted for before taking a late night taxi to the airport where we had one last drink ("sweet lime") with one of our incredible hostesses Lisa before boarding our separate flights... Really, the last day of our trip was, in every way, just as amazing as all of the others. 

Last year, as I was preparing to order products for the shop, I knew that I needed to find a way to carry some of these "Old Prayer scarves". After a few months of sending Facebook messages and emails back and forth I received my first order of scarves last fall. I named each scarf for one of the amazing women I spent those two weeks in India with. Several have already been snatched up but there are still plenty of styles in the shop. 

When the first set of scarves started to sell out (and I started getting asked about when a new order would be coming!), I began the process of re-ordering and I am so excited to share that our new shipment has arrived!! Twelve more of these beauties will be making their way to the shop in the next week or so. 

the new scarves! watch for them in the shop soon!

The internet, photos, and my words cannot do these scarves justice but trust me when I say that they are the most beautiful and unique (truly one-of-a-kind!) scarves I have ever seen. They are soft, and light weight, and versatile, and high quality- made from the softest fabrics and finished with unique details like little hand-sewn buttons and seashell tassels. They are also big because what use is a tiny scarf. These scarves are easy to wear and seriously perfect for all weather, year-round, and can easily be layered over a dress, t-shirt, or sweater. 

I mean, look, they are scarves- you know how they work. I'm not here to tell you why scarves are fun- you probably already know that. What I am here to do is share stories about things that have been made with love and skill by people who value the same things as you and I. Not only do these scarves remind me of people like Mrs. Singh, the "gurus" I already know, and the interesting places I've visited- they are also just really beautiful. and comfortable. and high quality. and unique and something you probably need at least one of in your life.

But what do I know, I'm just a guru. 

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Enjoy the process!

Hailey

The "New" Old Fashioned Way!

I mentioned that a few weeks ago, that we attended a holiday cocktail exchange party with some of Dan's coworkers. The best part is that not only did we leave with a complete set of ingredients to make a new signature cocktail, we also were inspired by the other creative concoctions people shared. One of which was a twist on an old-fashioned known as a Ward 8 cocktail, which uses citrus and pomegranate juice. I knew right away that this would be the perfect drink to serve up on Christmas Eve, but I wanted to use ingredients that we had on hand, thus resulting in what I call the "New" Old Fashioned! The perfect drink to get you rockin' around the Christmas tree!

Ingredients: 

2 oz. Slow & Low Rye Whiskey Liquor

Juice from 1/2 each lemon, lime, and orange

1/2 oz. pomegranate syrup*

To Make:

In a shaker, combine 1/2 oz. simple syrup and 1tbsp pomegranate seeds. Muddle seeds well. Add fresh squeezed citrus. Add 2 oz. Slow & Low with ice. Sake well. Strain over ice. Pomegranate seeds to garnish.

Eat, Drink, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Hailey

A Visit to the National Handicrafts Museum in New Delhi

On the first day of our trip to India this past March, it was pouring rain so our planned visit to the outdoor pottery studios was cancelled (rain plus clay equals mud), which actually worked out perfectly because we were able to visit the newly renovated National Handicrafts Museum in New Delhi instead. The Museum includes several stone courtyard areas that encompass beautiful trees and a few structures with painted fresco walls, tiny doorways, and tile roofs.  I vaguely recall a tour guide attempting to shuffle us around, but he must have quickly realized that trying to maintain the attention of twelve foreign girls who had stepped off a plane only hours before, would be like herding cats, because for the rest of the time we were left to explore on our own. The rain must have deterred other visitors that day because we had the entire property to ourselves to explore, take photos, get to know one another, and embrace the fact that we were, finally, in India.

After seeing the Museum's large collection of bronze statues and a huge wooden chariot with head-high wheels, we discovered the hidden gem, the Indian fabric and textile exhibit which was spread throughout a two-story rustic concrete building. This was by far my favorite part of the visit, and where my art-history loving heart went wild. Huge embroidered tapestries, intricate tie-dyed silk fabrics, and beautiful saris were simply framed and hung along the walls or tucked behind glass cases. There was no special lighting aside from a few bare lightbulbs, no air-conditioning or climate-control systems, and only a few sparse information cards tacked to the wall. There were no elaborate galleries or displays, no security guards (except for the one that appeared out of nowhere every time I attempted to snap a photo) and ultimately no distractions, so the only things that commanded our attention were the textiles themselves. 

I stood, as I usually do when I visit Museums, as close to the pieces as possible, trying to study every stitch, every stroke, every layer, and every line on the surface, while my memory filtered through the photos, textbooks, and lectures I studied in school. But without the crutch of a shiny placard or visitor's brochure identifying the work, in this slightly damp concrete building in Delhi, my imagination simply ran wild. I thought about the hands that made each piece and who had taught them how to move the thread over the fabric. I thought about the design, and what inspired the patterns and symbols. I imagined the processes the artists used in creating the dyes from raw pigments, and spinning silken threads onto spools, and how they carved or forged the needles that pulled the colors through the layers of material. I thought of who may have commissioned the piece, who it was worn by, and on what occasion, or perhaps if it was used in a palace as a bedspread or in a temple as a prayer rug. 

Some of the tapestries contained narratives from the Quran whereas others featured Hindu gods and goddesses, and others were reminiscent of South Asian cultures, reminding us that India is as diverse in culture and history as it is in geography. Without looking at a map, it's hard to imagine that India's borders reach from the Middle East, to the base of the Himalayas, to Southern Asia, and into the Arabian Sea. And although we think of it today as a relatively peaceful place, thanks to the efforts of great leaders like Ghandi and Mother Theresa, India has served as the center of cultural, political, and spiritual unrest for most of its long history. In this way, the museum was a great introduction for us all to recognize how unique and diverse this beautiful country truly is. 

So often we attempt to understand or value artwork based on the actual piece itself- cocking our heads and scanning the surfaces of objects for meaning and beauty- when what makes art so important is that it is often less about the end result as it is about the process of creating it. Sure, a Caravaggio painting, Michelangelo sculpture, or an ancient Indian textile are beautiful to look at, but the artist's process of experimenting with raw materials, grinding pigments, testing out techniques, and even acquiring the commission to begin with, is where the real story begins. Unlike artwork today, ancient pieces were often as useful as they were beautiful, serving a religious, cultural, or political purpose in addition to being aesthetically pleasing or impressive. Part of a piece's value comes from not only who made it, or the materials that were used, but who it had belonged to and how it was used. Oftentimes, there may not be anything remarkable about an object itself, but if it was owned by a prominent figure, made using a unique process, or has survived catastrophic circumstances, it is inherently valuable as a tangible piece of history. 

Although our original itinerary did not include a visit to the crafts museum, I am so glad we were able (or forced by the weather) to go when we did because there is talk of the property being converted into an academy which may mean the museum's collection could be sold or lent to other collections. I hope this isn't true, but if you plan to visit Delhi sometime soon, make sure you put a visit to the National Handicrafts Museum on your must-do list. 

Thanks for reading!

Hailey