Decluttering, Indian style

Decluttering has been a global obsession ever since Marie Kondo told us to keep only what sparks joy.

- SUDHA TILAK

Closets were emptied, storage boxes sold out, and minimalism became a lifestyle. But what if India already had its own wisdom traditions around order, balance, and mindful living, long before tidying up became a trend? That's the proposition in Bhawana Pingali's book that looks inward to find solace in nine rituals, granny practices, and crafts that modernity pushed aside.

At the heart of Pingali's work is the concept of shaucha, or cleanliness, as understood in Indian philosophy. Not just scrubbing surfaces, but a deeper purification of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Decluttering, she argues, is about freeing our senses from overload, creating space for mindfulness, and reconnecting with ecological rhythms.

The book spotlights forgotten practices that reveal how Indian homes once embodied sustainability and balance. Mustard seed pillows that ease the body and offer better sleep for infants and adults, squatting toilets that align the spine, and cotton sanitary cloths handmade by mothers all make an appearance. Far from nostalgia, Pingali suggests these embodied wisdoms, erased by a generation that sought westernised practices, but remain valuable in an age of disposable living.