The East Indian Memory Co. is part of a journey that began in my childhood, listening to the stories shared by my grandparents, parents and uncle and aunts.
It was Ms Lorraine Fernandes, my history teacher at St Joseph’s Convent, Panchgani, whose passion for the subject and encouragement to question and critique all things old and bygone, made me consider taking my fascination with the past further.
I went on to study Ancient Indian Culture and completed my Bachelors of Arts while studying under the knowledge and expertise of Dr Anita Rane-Kothare and Dr Radha Kumar at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
When the internet took off in India (late 2000s), I was preparing to marry and migrate to a new country. The lack of any substantial information about my community as well as the larger Christian community of Mumbai, especially in terms of the marriage customs, kicked off Plan M where I began documenting my wedding preparations.
The interest this blog garnered, inspired an informative bridal blog, Bombay Brides, that profiled married Christian couples and bridal vendors, in addition to documenting the vintage weddings of the Christian communities populating Bombay.
Both these spaces are currently dormant, but they have been instrumental in laying the foundation for the East Indian Memory Co. (EIMC), which I started in 2017 while living and working in Brisbane, Australia.
I’m currently a student of Museum Studies at the University of Queensland and volunteer my time for various history organisations in Brisbane. I actively pursue opportunities to understand better the connections between religion, culture, society, ideology, and heritage.
EIMC has been conceptualised as an online repository and a digital album about the East Indian people, and you are welcome to browse it like you would a magazine.
East Indian Memory Co. 