Vinita Sidhartha

Ripples Of Life and Time


The Finishing Touch

I am always amazed at how much rubbish one accumulates when running a business. Kreeda was no different. We had damaged game pieces, throw pieces, boards, cartons and much much more. I never had the heart to throw out anything, but it kept adding up and taking valuable space. Something had to be done.

A number of exciting initiatives during the year had us upcycling much of what we had accumulated by creating a frieze like mural for our Experience Centre. I loved the idea as it was vibrant, colourful and appealing. Most importantly it recycled waste while creating something of value.

However, there were too many game pieces and throw pieces and samples and I was left with boxes of them.  I had the crazy idea of upcycling them to make jewellery for Laksmi’s soft cotton creations. They were perfect.

Every piece we make whether we use it or not has so much effort and time going into it. It has made us aware that these things simply could not be wasted and tossed. When I wear them, I feel the weight of responsibility – the responsibility to use what was created wisely, the responsibility to ensure they are not wasted and most importantly the responsibility to represent truly what they stand for as game pieces or throw pieces.

At that point, I am not merely an individual but a spokesman to promote and raise awareness not just of our traditional games but also the Indian spirit with which they have been played for generations and the artisans and craftsmen who give India its distinct and unique identity.

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Why Ripples of Life?

There is something magical about being on the water.
You are floating, subject to the vagaries of the current.
Somehow there is a sense of being alone with yourself.
And as you look at the ripples, the sun scatters its rays…
And the water infused with light, the droplets shining like diamonds.
In the shade are the shadows— beautiful in their own way.
To me this is very like life itself
With bright highlights — with highs and lows —
Truly the Ripples of Life.


Books by Vinita Sidhartha

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Newspaper Articles by Vinita Sidhartha

The New Indian Express – Just Play column
The lost game of cowrie shells from Kashmir
Poetics of playfulness
The lost game of cowrie shells from Kashmir
Back to the basics
Turning back time to learn about royal games
The treasure in our trees
Shells and the various games we played
The New Indian Express – Memories and Madras
Games inscribed in the past
Street side stories
Through the lens of childhood memories
Through the eyes of a child

In Conversation on YouTube – Memories and Madras

YouTube Links
Indira Parthasarathy – Memories and Madras
Ramesh Krishnan and Ramanathan Krishnan – Memories and Madras
Sriram Venkatakrishnan – Memories and Madras
Prabha Sridevan and Sita Sundar Ram – Memories and Madras
Sikkil Gurucharan – Memories and Madras
Padma Srinath – Memories and Madras
R U Srinivas – Memories and Madras
Sabita Radhakrishna – Memories and Madras
Pradeep Chakravarthy – Memories and Madras
Ranga Kumar – Memories and Madras
Priya Murle – Memories and Madras
Viswanathan Anand – Memories and Madras
Shylaja Chetlur – Memories and Madras
Amar Ramesh – Memories and Madras
Vidya Gajapathi Raju Singh – Memories and Madras
Timeri N. Murari – Memories and Madras
(15) C. D. Gopinath – Memories and Madras – YouTube
S. Sowmya – Memories and Madras
Letika Saran – Memories and Madras
M. V. Subbiah – Memories and Madras
Anita Ratnam – Memories and Madras
Dr B Krishna Rau – Memories and Madras
MCTP Chidambaram – Memories and Madras
Rakesh Ragunathan – Memories and Madras
Krishnamachari Srikkanth – Memories and Madras
Anil Srinivasan – Memories and Madras
Meyyammai Murugappan – Memories and Madras
Sivasankari – Memories and Madras
Mohan Raman – Memories and Madras
Lakshmi Krishnamurthy – Memories and Madras
Thota Tharani – Memories and Madras
Chithra Madhavan – Memories and Madras