Luxury and heritage are inextricably entwined in ways that are not always obvious. MC Recommends mines stories of heritage and legacy with Rajasthan’s heritage liqueur, the revival of dying hand-blown glass art, reinventing Jodhpur breeches, how Indian curry influenced a Japanese classic, a tale of partition, the new spin to FENDI Baguette Bag, which is now 25, and how cruising to the world’s smallest archipelago is the winter experience you need.
The bag made famous by Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City is 25 years old. Its new collab with PORTER, a Japanese luggage expert known for its signature bonded nylon luggage, spans Baguette-themed anorak, as well as mini and regular-sized Baguette bags. The Baguette bag now wears PORTER’s proprietary bonded nylon look.
Author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has mined a tragic historical event for her new book, Independence. The book is anchored in Bengal, where the lives of three sisters—Priya, Jamini and Deepa, who live in Ranipur, Bengal—are thrown into disarray by violence, which leaves their father dead. The sisters, separated by partition riots, are caught up in events beyond their control. The search for each other and their bond sets the tone for this very personal partition story. The book narrates an account of India’s Independence that is exhilarating and devastating in equal measure.
We know that Italian Murano glass art is painstakingly hand-blown by artisans on the tiny Murano island close to Venice. But do you know that India was once famous for its art of hand-blowing glasses and vases—from Uttar Pradesh right up to Andhra? A movement to revive the art form by artisans and product designers has helped shore up its fortunes.
Examples include artisan Suresh Kumar’s delicate animal figurines; his glass birds look ready to take off. Smokey Cocktail sculptures, particularly its cool bulldog sculpture, are stocky and delicate all at once. Online home décor website Wall Mantra has a striking range of animal figurines and vases. Studio Klove, meantime, has glass accessories with a post-modern sculptural spin.
From the deck of the ship, the archipelago of Lakshadweep—300 nautical miles off Kerala, formed under the same undersea ridge as the one that produced the Maldives—looks like a beach destination that most Indian beach destinations are not. The waters are cerulean blue, the sand is white, there are only two hotels, there are no pubs or restaurants except for a little stall near the beach that sells sweet pancakes dunked in coconut milk, and the snorkelling and diving sites are pristine.
Cordelia Cruise’s winter cruise to Lakshadweep takes you directly to the destination, a two-day trip. The lure: snorkelling in the clean waters of Lakshadweep Islands. Even if you have not snorkelled before or don’t know how to swim, an expert diver will lead you below the surface to see fish that swim alarmingly close and coral that shines. For those who prefer a more tame experience, there are glass-bottomed boats that let you do the same but in a more limited manner.
The 2022 winter season is particularly special for Rajasthan’s royal liqueur heritage. Maharani Heritage Liquor—which has ferreted out and nurtured the royal liqueur legacy of Rajasthan—has launched the Shahi Gulab vintage edition, infused with the flavour and fragrance of Damask roses or Rosa Damascena that are grown in Pushkar. The roses are plucked early in the morning, and the fresh blooms are distilled into this flavourful liqueur.
There is also the mint-infused heritage liqueur I drank during my stay at The Leela Palace Jaipur when I travelled for the Polo in the Pink City event. The liqueur of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur is tangy and refreshing. Many of these recipes, guarded as secrets by royal families, have found expression through the new liqueur collections.
The Jodhpur racing breeches are a classic twist to the Indian churidar. Rajasthani royalty has worn them to play polo and as attire for evening soirees. Even today, Rajasthan’s elite either employ descendants of original tailors who once worked with royalty, to stitch a Jodhpur, or just buy it from designer Raghavendra Rathore from the Jodhpur royal family.
These breeches are almost always in solid black, white or beige. But trust Rathore to give vintage trousers a chic spin. His new collection of black silk, easy-fitting breeches end in a snug cuff, features geometric prints, and adds a touch of whimsy to the otherwise classic silhouette.
Indian curries are said to have influenced Japanese ones such as Katsu. Legend has it that some shipwrecked British soldiers, sailing back from India, found themselves marooned in Japan. Among their rations was curry powder or garam masala, which they cooked and shared with men from the Japanese navy, who took some home. So was born the Katsu curry, full of curry powder flavours. Tune in to Shrimoyee Chakraborty’s much-talked-about docuseries India Bites, streaming on Apple TV, for an offbeat take on Indian food.
