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The Art of Decluttering: Ancient Practices for Modern Living | Indian Wellness Rituals | Minimalist Living with Traditional Wisdom
Bagging seeds to relax our eyes, making a cloth pad as self-care, draping a saree like trousers to go upside down, drawing to feed can ancient rituals, practices and their objects work as modern ‘tools’ to ‘declutter’ our almost overloaded senses?
Clutter—real and virtual—is a part of our life now. These cleansing rituals and healing practices are believed
to have old-world history, rooted essence, purgative properties, health benefits, and zero or minimal waste.
If tweaked, it can even help us declutter to stay on top of our body–mind game.
Laced with nostalgia and punctuated with delightful memories, explorations and failures, The Art of Decluttering takes you through nine retellings of clothing, home and body, which make aspects of ancient Indian ritualistic life relatable to the modern reader.
Clutter—real and virtual—is a part of our life now. These cleansing rituals and healing practices are believed
to have old-world history, rooted essence, purgative properties, health benefits, and zero or minimal waste.
If tweaked, it can even help us declutter to stay on top of our body–mind game.
Laced with nostalgia and punctuated with delightful memories, explorations and failures, The Art of Decluttering takes you through nine retellings of clothing, home and body, which make aspects of ancient Indian ritualistic life relatable to the modern reader.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2025
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September 27, 2025
-Remembering the Art of Solidifying Memories-
Review of 'The Art of Decluttering'
Quote Alert
"𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 (𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜. 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥.'𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭."
People, it is said, are stories. But people in their own land are also rituals and practices. When uprooted or displaced, either by time or geography, they carry these practices with them. They embrace them as memories, and apply them in life as fiercely as faith. But these practices, as a rule, are not fierce. They are fragile. Delicate. They fade. They are prone to being smudged by something stronger that comes in the disguise of modernity, propelled by time and assisted by money, or the greed/allure/shine of money.
Bhawana Pingali is a memory walker. Every practice comes prefixed with a pack of nostalgia. Her personal memories. She has herded the memories of these forgotten, ancient practices, cooing to them lovingly, and has brought them right back into this era of modernity. Something that was a norm then, is a rarity now. The author makes us all remember the art of solidifying memories.
She writes: "This following of local rituals or practices in cultures, communities and countries is an innate sensibility. A knowing that exists silently everywhere and flows quietly like blood. It is a cognizance thriving inside their people for generations. It is never discussed, documented, questioned or analysed-apart from some of it being mentioned esoterically in various local religious scriptures, texts and epics."
Pingali talks about nine practices here. You might already be following some of them. Some of them you might find disagreeable. But is that so because the technology has made you believe so? But what are these practices that may have a polarising effect on you. A hint: they are associated with body hygiene. I am not going to tell you everything here. Pick up the book to find out more.
Pingali reminisces about a time from 80s when she asked why can't have food in plastic plates? Perhaps this memory egged her on to become a memory herder and bring back the past and pour it into the present. When I was a kid, my dadi had the softest of pillows. When I asked her why it feels so, she said it has semal. It was a soft, a slightly tattered thing, prone to leaking small brown balls. They were mustard seeds, I was told. And the author today, after so many years, reminded me of that pillow.
Apart from being a memory herder, Pingali also works as a myth smasher. She clears the confusion about shauch: "The word shaucha historically, say some religious experts, does not mean toilet, unclean or death. It means cleanliness, hygiene, health and 'purification?. It is considered as the first step towards happiness and general well-being of body, mind, soul, things, surroundings and the environment. The thought believes that we cannot relax and evolve if our mind, body, soul and things are unfitting, unclean, unorganized and undecorated."
Why do you think online markets are flooded with wooden toothbrushes and brass lotas? Charcoal toothpastes and khadi shirts? Because returning to roots is a roaring commercial activity now. What money once eroded, it is bringing that back now, dressing it up as a capitalist's ally.
You don't need to spend thousands to be able to follow the practices your dadi did. Just dive into that title duchatti of memories in your mind and some or the other trinket of past will fall from your memories. Just like I remembered about that soft, fluffy desi pillow.
My two and a half year stay in Dharamshala, Himachal as a serving army officer made me cognizant of many such practices. The collective daawat in marriages/parties/functions is called dhaam. Everyone except those who can't sit down and eat from a leaf plate. Food is served by hand and eaten by hand. Steel glasses are used to drink water. No plastic no waste. The weddings are surprisingly free of flaunt and dahej to a large extent. Ladkiwalas don't have a bent spine and son in laws of the family sit with the sons and help in cutting kaddus which are homegrown and will be used in the feast. A lot of people are farmers so they supply raw material for their own dhaam. I lived with a farmer family for an year and it was the best time of my life.
Reading this book reminded me why, in a certain part of country, not such a long time time Bishnois hugged trees and let themselves be cut away, hacked and chopped by axe. What memory will this book unearth in you? Read it to find out.
Review of 'The Art of Decluttering'
Quote Alert
"𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 (𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜. 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥.'𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭."
People, it is said, are stories. But people in their own land are also rituals and practices. When uprooted or displaced, either by time or geography, they carry these practices with them. They embrace them as memories, and apply them in life as fiercely as faith. But these practices, as a rule, are not fierce. They are fragile. Delicate. They fade. They are prone to being smudged by something stronger that comes in the disguise of modernity, propelled by time and assisted by money, or the greed/allure/shine of money.
Bhawana Pingali is a memory walker. Every practice comes prefixed with a pack of nostalgia. Her personal memories. She has herded the memories of these forgotten, ancient practices, cooing to them lovingly, and has brought them right back into this era of modernity. Something that was a norm then, is a rarity now. The author makes us all remember the art of solidifying memories.
She writes: "This following of local rituals or practices in cultures, communities and countries is an innate sensibility. A knowing that exists silently everywhere and flows quietly like blood. It is a cognizance thriving inside their people for generations. It is never discussed, documented, questioned or analysed-apart from some of it being mentioned esoterically in various local religious scriptures, texts and epics."
Pingali talks about nine practices here. You might already be following some of them. Some of them you might find disagreeable. But is that so because the technology has made you believe so? But what are these practices that may have a polarising effect on you. A hint: they are associated with body hygiene. I am not going to tell you everything here. Pick up the book to find out more.
Pingali reminisces about a time from 80s when she asked why can't have food in plastic plates? Perhaps this memory egged her on to become a memory herder and bring back the past and pour it into the present. When I was a kid, my dadi had the softest of pillows. When I asked her why it feels so, she said it has semal. It was a soft, a slightly tattered thing, prone to leaking small brown balls. They were mustard seeds, I was told. And the author today, after so many years, reminded me of that pillow.
Apart from being a memory herder, Pingali also works as a myth smasher. She clears the confusion about shauch: "The word shaucha historically, say some religious experts, does not mean toilet, unclean or death. It means cleanliness, hygiene, health and 'purification?. It is considered as the first step towards happiness and general well-being of body, mind, soul, things, surroundings and the environment. The thought believes that we cannot relax and evolve if our mind, body, soul and things are unfitting, unclean, unorganized and undecorated."
Why do you think online markets are flooded with wooden toothbrushes and brass lotas? Charcoal toothpastes and khadi shirts? Because returning to roots is a roaring commercial activity now. What money once eroded, it is bringing that back now, dressing it up as a capitalist's ally.
You don't need to spend thousands to be able to follow the practices your dadi did. Just dive into that title duchatti of memories in your mind and some or the other trinket of past will fall from your memories. Just like I remembered about that soft, fluffy desi pillow.
My two and a half year stay in Dharamshala, Himachal as a serving army officer made me cognizant of many such practices. The collective daawat in marriages/parties/functions is called dhaam. Everyone except those who can't sit down and eat from a leaf plate. Food is served by hand and eaten by hand. Steel glasses are used to drink water. No plastic no waste. The weddings are surprisingly free of flaunt and dahej to a large extent. Ladkiwalas don't have a bent spine and son in laws of the family sit with the sons and help in cutting kaddus which are homegrown and will be used in the feast. A lot of people are farmers so they supply raw material for their own dhaam. I lived with a farmer family for an year and it was the best time of my life.
Reading this book reminded me why, in a certain part of country, not such a long time time Bishnois hugged trees and let themselves be cut away, hacked and chopped by axe. What memory will this book unearth in you? Read it to find out.
November 15, 2025
Clutter and chaos is everywhere around us in the modern world. To handle this clutter, the natural course of the current generation would be to turn to AI or the internet but the experiences of our previous generations and their wisdom has solutions which are applicable to even the present day problems. This book brings together the colours of such old practices and adds them to the tapestry of modern life in a nostalgic way.
All readers esp millennials can relate to when our grandparents comment on the modern designed clothes which are torn/ripped at places judging them. Similarly squatting is a traditional practice in India whose advantages are only recently being identified by the youth but was known to our ancestors all along.
The author puts forth such and more ritualistic wisdom of a typical Indian household and presents them coupled with fun anecdotes and retellings. The significance of such practices in the contemporary world are beautifully depicted by the author while mentioning the essence of the practice and the benefits behind it. Each practice helps one counter a vice which plagues modern life like ego, distraction, restlessness etc. This portrays the depth of such practices.
This book juxtaposes customs and rituals of the Indian home with the frailties of contemporary life in a nuanced manner. The inclusion of researchers and studies as well as ways to include the rituals in one’s life makes this read informative and helpful as well as delightful and insightful.
All readers esp millennials can relate to when our grandparents comment on the modern designed clothes which are torn/ripped at places judging them. Similarly squatting is a traditional practice in India whose advantages are only recently being identified by the youth but was known to our ancestors all along.
The author puts forth such and more ritualistic wisdom of a typical Indian household and presents them coupled with fun anecdotes and retellings. The significance of such practices in the contemporary world are beautifully depicted by the author while mentioning the essence of the practice and the benefits behind it. Each practice helps one counter a vice which plagues modern life like ego, distraction, restlessness etc. This portrays the depth of such practices.
This book juxtaposes customs and rituals of the Indian home with the frailties of contemporary life in a nuanced manner. The inclusion of researchers and studies as well as ways to include the rituals in one’s life makes this read informative and helpful as well as delightful and insightful.
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