Towel
It was famously told in the cult classic about hitchhiking across the galaxy ( The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams written in 1981) that when an inter-galactic highway was about to wipe out the planet, and especially the main person’s home, he should never panic and always have his towel ready. Setting aside the panic part for a moment, I dwelled on the towel a lot. It signifies a regular need in most cultures, it also defines an identity, and it is a signifier of the culture itself. From the traditional “gamcha” of rural Bengal to the unique “peshtamal” in the hammams of Istanbul, towels define a place and culture. At the same time, it could also be something quite personal to some people, which is why sharing a towel could become the sign of things that go far beyond the towel itself. In some ways, to me, who is continuously on a journey, the towel segments life into manageable pieces because the towel defines the space I am in at any moment in time. Even when all ...