The hidden treasure of Bandra

Rare five-headed deities, antique kettles, brass auto rickshaw models, singing bowls and turtle-shaped locks await you at Shaastra, Bandra's latest curio shop The curio shop Shaastra is Gauri Rao's labour of love. The 53 year-old keen collector took voluntary retirement from her job as a senior account executive at Bharat Petroleum to set up Shaastra. Over three decades, I have been passionate about collecting unique artefacts. They could be idols of gods and goddesses or antiquities or curios; the only criteria was that they had to be perfect models, with sharp features and intricate designs, says Rao. Brass Ganesha on a peacock palanquin, reading a bookWhile the shop in Bandra may lack in space, it makes up for it with a wide variety of items. All the products at Shaastra have been handpicked and were sourced from Thailand and Nepal as well as rural areas around India including Moradabad and Aligarh.u00a0 Spoilt for choice Resembling a mini-temple, the store has rare Panchamukhiu00a0 (five-headed) Hanuman idol as well as amazing Tanjore paintings from Tamil Nadu. Made from silver foil with 24 carat gold polish, they depict the childhood of Lord Krishna, the nine forms of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Balaji. Lovers of Puranic mythology will admire the beautifully carved, wooden statue from Tirupati depicting the story of Gajendra Moksham. At 7.5 feet, it re-tells the ancient legend about an elephant (Gajendra) who comes to drink water and is attacked by a crocodile (Makar). Being a devotee of Lord Vishnu, he appeals to him and the Lord comes down with his consort, Goddess Lakshmi, to deliver him from his ordeal. We also liked a 20 year-old idol of Radha Krishna on a swing under a tree, sourced from Madhya Pradesh. During our visit, we watched as Rao explained the story of Radha and Krishna to two visitors, so it might also be a great place to brush up your mythology quotient. Among the Bastar statues from Chhatisgarh, we loved the ones depicting the face of a tribal woman with a nose ring and flowers in her hair and the musical set with a Shehnai player, tabla player and a singer. The product list from Thailand includes Buddhas in various posesu00a0-- reclining, meditating and sitting. There are also welcome girls with folded hands that can liven up your entrance. In view of the Ganeshotsav celebrations, there are a bevy of Ganeshas on display, including terracotta idols from West Bengal, marble idols from Rajasthan as well as brass idols from villages across India.u00a0 With Diwali around the corner, Shaastra offers metallic lamps and candle stands with interesting floral motifs which are worth a dekko as well. Apart from idols, there are also bed spreads and wall hangings from Bikaner, brass auto rickshaws and bullock carts, as well as antique clocks and kettles from Chor Bazaar. Pick of the dayOur picks would be the singing bowl which emit meditative sounds, the Yali statue that wards off the evil eye and the turtle shaped locks that will keep your home safe. At Shaastra, Rizvi Mahal, Waterfield Road, Bandra (West).Call 26422303u00a0

The hidden treasure of Bandra

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