What does Bengaluru smell like? That will be up for discussion at a bookstore on Saturday.
The event will be mounted on Indu Antony’s new book ‘Vasané’, in which the city artist has recreated 12 smells reminiscent of Bengaluru. These range from the appetising smell of sambar to filter coffee, from the fragrance of the Mysore Sandal Soap to Karaga, a local festival marked by jasmine, vermilion and turmeric, from the stench of the toxic foam of the Bellandur lake to ubiquitous garbage, etc.
Four-five jars of these smells will be kept at the venue for the audience to sample and share the memories they evoke. Singer MD Pallavi will be in conversation with Indu, and together, they will discuss the importance of engaging with cities through their smells.
Science is on her side as it says smells can trigger profound memories. “But it is the most underrated of all senses,” Indu sighs.
She can say that well because, in the course of three years and more than 200 interviews, she profiled 137 smells that remind people of Bengaluru. A third-generation supplier of perfume ingredients came on board to recreate 12 smells that have made it to the book. Others did not want to “make bad smells”, she quipped.
“People kept talking about how the Mysore Sandal Soap reminds them of their grandmothers who used to bathe at 4.30 am. Some told me that Church Street reminded them of breakups. When I asked why, they pointed to the smell of burnt cigarettes (thrown) in puddles of water,” she said, recalling the interviews.
As for herself, Indu can’t narrow down one smell that is uniquely Bengaluru. It has many smells unlike Chennai, which has a sea salt smell in the air all year round, she explained.
A limited edition book, ‘Vasané’ comes with 12 vials, research notes, postcards to write and share a memory triggered by a smell, a map of Bengaluru, among other things, and is priced at Rs 3,500 a package.
On April 8, 5 pm, at Champaca, Vasanth Nagar. For book orders, write to mazhibooks@gmail.com