Dehra + Dun = Dehradun ☺ but it ain’t that simple☺

Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj is situated in the heart of Dehradun city is a magnificent monument of great historical and religious significance. These two images will help you find the exact location when you’re in the city. The Foundation students of the School of Design, Doon University, Dehradun, were directed there by... Continue Reading →

Insights from LLDC’s Vibrant Winter Festival 2025

VarnikaDesigns collaborated with LLDC to present to the world their amazing Festival. The blog has videos of interviews with individual artisans. We conceptualised, planned and moderated an interactive discussion between upholders of generations old craft communities from Orissa and Kutch and their custodians - long video link in blog.

Reviving Dahod’s Tradition: Crafts, Culture, and Livelihood

This article was written by me in 2001 as the lead for the craft documentation team of 5 students. It closely observes the crucial role of craft regeneration in the creation of livelihood, leading to empowerment of women and education, health and hygiene for children and the whole community of Bhils there.

Water! We will always need you but we treat you bad :(

One morning in March, 2024, India woke up to a headline that shocked us beyond belief * India's pride, Bengaluru, had no water!!! Born and brought up in Rajasthan and having spent most of my life there and in Gujarat, both desert states of India, water scarcity was something we were aware of being integral to our lives.

International Museum Expo, New Delhi, 18 – 20 May, 2023

I was honoured to be invited by the Ministry of Culture as a speaker on International Museum Day to talk about the oral history documentation project called ‘The Museum Memories Project’ – it was found at the beginning of the Covid global lockdown that  to bring the world closer through sharing of personal memories from museums visited by anyone in any corner of the globe. It is a free digital archive and resource platform of histories, heritage, cultures of all people, making them accessible and inclusive to everyone 🙂

‘Impresario:A Heritage Foundry’ Interview with Stephen Barker, author and military historian

On Impresario: A Heritage Foundry we present an interview with Stephen Barker. A heritage advisor and museum consultant for museums in England, Stephen has been researching on the role of Indians as part of the British army during the World Wars. He closely examines their lives and activities on the battlefield and after. ‘The Museum Memories Project’ catches up with him on his latest book called 'Lion of the Skies: Hardit Singh Malik, the Royal Air Force and the First World War’ (it is called 'The Flying Sikh' outside India).

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