Utensils Museum

Surendra Patel, an interior designer by profession, has initiated a unique culi experience. He has set up on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, a quaint rural cr where visitors can savour authentic Gujarati village cuisine, before wandering through the grounds to see a museum devoted to Indian utensils. Here the different utensils have been placed in a simple structure set around an open courtyard. Collected from all over India, the endeavour is to demonstrate the purity of form and shape in these objects of utility. The pot to store water in, utensils to cook and serve in, spoons, rolling pins, a huge vessel in which buttermilk was churned, each object is beautifully conceived and created to prove that beauty lay not only in the large and the splendid hut also in the simple objects of everyday use. These then were the objects that were an integral part of every household and formed the basis for community life. The artisan created each piece for a specific purpose and this catered to a person's every need including worship. Yet today most of the vessels have been discarded, sold and melted down. However, this museum sponsored by a trustJormed to create cultural awareness, celebrates the simple but perfectly designed objects of everyday use.