Beauty in small things

Far away from the great grimy city of Mumbai (and its slightly less grimy satellites like Thane) lies a gem of a home - perched out on a cliff - overlooking the Dehra Dun valley.

Shanti Kunj is not only a welcome place for weary souls - Mum and Dad see to it that every person who enters the door is welcomed heartily - and fed well too! That Alcove of Peace also abounds in small beauties. Tucked into every nook and cranny.

At a time when all around us we see so much despair - it is good to remember that God engineers beauty as small scales too.

Each flower is a miracle. The way that these temporary blossoms burst into colour for their short lives defies logic. More so the joy for Mum, who after caring for her cactuses for years came back from a holiday once to find the lower flat a riot of hues - the dear prickly things had actually bloomed. Since then she has been an expert at coaxing out flowers from all things prickly.

Besides the ubiquitous books, there is also plenty of room at Shanti Kunj for things historical. A few of the artifacts from my grandfather Elmore and grandmother Alice still float around. A prize possession is a portable spinning wheel - complete with some cotton fibres and what looks like the beginning of a thread of khadi.

I always remember Opa Eicher (to me that is) as a bit of a stern man. It seems fitting, therefore, that one of the lamps has a wooden carving of a bull fiercely guarding the stem of the lamp.

Shanti Kunj has a strong bias towards wood. If Mum gets her hands on some wooden item, sooner rather than later it is stripped of whatever paint it had and a coat of varnish applied. The place fairly glows with wood (we pray no fires will take place of course)

But perhaps the greatest beauty on a small scale takes place in that temporary canvas of the table.

A great meal is made more of the love that is shown rather than the taste of whatever morsels on offer. Love is present in buckets through Mum and Dad and the other members of the Shanti Kunj family (we are thrilled that Premi is there now). What better place to see love made visible than in the way food is presented.

Thus ends our mini-tour of the small-scale beauty we have tasted (many times literally) at Shanti Kunj. A home is always far, far more than a house - and this home has been a beacon of hope and a haven of rest for many.

Long live beauty. In big and small ways.