Film by Gaurav Krishna
Bengaluru resident , Danny Mehra is a former Financial Markets Executive, who has spent half of his life abroad and half, in India. He moved back to the city part-time in 2005 and full-time in 2013. His vast carpet collection comes from the Old Silk Route – countries between China on the East and the Roman Empire on the West. They were woven together by nomadic people dyed with natural substances like fruits, vegetables, plants and even insects! This collection is different from a coin or stamp collection, since the collector often doesn’t know the gaps to be filled in until he sees it. This collection started as a hobby, picked up by him from his late mother-in-law, when he was gifted two carpets from her for his wedding. Since then, he has acquired these intricately designed textiles through auctions, other collectors, museums and as deaccession pieces. Hunting for these imperfectly perfect pieces, Mehra takes pride in curating a collection of unique carpets whose beauty increases with time.
