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Aparigraha Was Here First (And She Sleeps on the Floor)

Before we imported minimalism from the west, our grandmothers were practicing it in BHARAT (India). Only we never called it a lifestyle โ€” it was just Life.

What are the biggest benefits of minimalist living?

Last week I saw an Instagram reel โ€” a “minimalist home tour.” White walls, one beige sofa, one ceramic vase. Six lakh likes. Congratulations flowing in the comments.


My grandmother’s house had less furniture than that and we never thought it was a lifestyle. It was just Life.


There’s an old Sanskrit word for this โ€” aparigraha. Translation in one line: don’t hoard what you don’t need. One of the yogic principles.


Three things I keep choosing the old way:


The bed. Why a king-size mattress, no? Who is it for โ€” me, or the guest who comes to admire it? I sleep on the floor more often than not. My spine thanks me. My back is straighter than it was at 25. The mattress industry has not forgiven me yet.


The vessels. We are now cooking food in aluminium and then wondering why our joints ache. Our great-grandmothers used clay and brass and lived to ninety. Modern problem. Ancient solution. The kadai is older than the UPI and a lot more useful.


The AC. Some nights I still climb to the terrace. Stars overhead, cool breeze, no remote needed. As a child this was the default. Now it’s called a “wellness retreat.” We are paying people to recreate what our childhood gave us for free.


Aparigraha was never about owning less. It was about needing less.


Big difference.

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