The Surprises in the Aroma Exercise
Sayantoni Dutta
We got a short time between the first and second wave of COVID lockdowns to physically visit communities and interact with the women’s groups being formed by our young leaders Sarifa and Roshenara in the village. The idea of bringing these groups together was to create supportive communities, and hold well-being workshops.
In one such short visit, to Dwarkanda, we began a discussion with women, on what their needs were, how they were managing their lives and discussing our well-being.
Getting conscious of our senses and what it does for us.
‘Touch’ has become a controversial sensory experience for women and men, post the pandemic. For women, those from backward castes, ‘touch’ has always been controversial. In the same way ‘smell’ too is an important sense for us. The new young recruits into Jaladarsha Collective had just finished a course on permaculture at, a place ironically called “The Smell of the Earth”. Since then, we kept asking each other about ‘smell’ and ‘smells’. Smells can be very unique sensorial experiences, and not always liked by each and everyone, smells are also closely related to memories and experiences. I had no idea that a very simple exercise on smells could actually unleash such a vast amount of information and experience from among the women.
The Exercise
The instructions for the exercise was simple. We divided the larger group of women into smaller groups of five, and we asked each of them to look for their favourite smells. They could then share with us a memory or why they loved the smells. Women went out of the room and walked far and wide around the area where the sessions were being held and came back with all kinds of leaves, barks, flowers with them. Essentially most of what they had got was from the natural surroundings. No perfumes, no cosmetics, nothing artificial.
The surprises
I was surprised to find the rich biodiversity in the village. Not a single person had brought a leaf or flower that was the same as the other person. To list a few varieties, there were mango leaves, leaves of different fruit trees(lime, lichee, pummelo, woodapple, papaya, pulses) and barks of trees, hay, soil and flowers.
The aroma exercise also helped to bring forth a lot of discussions on food and their childhood. Some spoke of their memories of childhood and some of a tree that they would find solace under. Not only did women discuss this, but the process helped to break the ‘taboo’ on discussions on food and what we liked to eat or did not eat.The group also crossed a religious barrier. Women from the Muslim community started discussing their favourite ‘beef’ preparations. Some of the Hindu women spoke about the leaf of the bel tree and its place in rituals. Through the exchange there was a cultural exchange of food and religious customs between the women from different communities and coming to a better understanding of each other’s and the communities we belonged to. Many of them were able to look at these objects, as something that helped them heal.
Did you know that the Pummello leaf has the most beautiful smell?
It works well for an uneasy stomach.
That lime leaves put in curries and the bay leaf and Elaichi.
Are women’s favorite aromas for a festive family meal.
That while we like the Himsagar fruit, its leaves smell good too.
And the neem, tulsi and Bel tree.
Act as air fresheners around our houses
That the leaves of the marigold, like its flower
And of the lime and lichu, like its fruit
Also smell good
And surprisingly the ‘Arhar’ flower which we never get to see
But it’s seeds we eat, is special
And like this are the other parts of a plant
that might give us joy, if we bothered to see them
And along with this, the smell of soil
And freshly cut hay
Carry memories of a fertile land, and fresh harvests
And to this do, add
Lime, neem, tulsi, turmeric,
And you have a garden of everyday medicine.
Jaladarsha 