<p>The fascination towards world culture and heritage led Githa U Badikillaya to collect fridge magnets and bookmarks from different parts of the globe.</p>.<p>She has collected 150 bookmarks and fridge magnets each, bought from countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Germany Singapore, Italy, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka and more.</p>.<p>“I’ve visited 27 countries and always try to bring a slice of the country back, in the form of these souvenirs. I also have magnets from India. Most of the pieces have a story to narrate or a fascinating fact about the country to highlight,” says Githa, who is the founder-director of Destination Heritage.</p>.<p>While most of the fridge magnets have been bought from stores or souvenir shops, the bookmarks were found at bookstores and marketing freebies. “I’ve tried to keep my collection distinct. I have some bookmarks made by mouth and food artistes, a collection of bookmarks from the India Post, three-dimensional ones from Malaysia and aesthetic bookmarks and magnets from Japan,” she details. Her collection includes striking pieces from different time periods, a map-like bookmark from Sri Lanka, a Madaba tile magnet from Jordan, doll-like bookmarks from Thailand, a set of bookmarks of Samurais from Japan, a set of UNESCO heritage places from Kyoto and more. Each of these pieces encourages Githa to talk about history connected to them and narrate stories from her trips.</p>.<p>“I remember buying a clog magnet from Hague in 2004. I came to know about why farmers used clogs in farmlands, and the whole story stuck with me. There are many such stories,” she says.</p>.<p>Githa’s biggest inspiration is her daughter, Karishma, who has a large collection of keychains. “These pieces always remind me of the fun times I had with family and friends while I was travelling and the new people I met during my trips,” she says.</p>.<p>The travel-enthusiast is looking forward to expanding her collection. But she doesn’t want any contributions from others. “I don’t mind having a small collection. I do not want others to gift bookmarks or magnets to me as I will not have a story to remember,” she says.</p>.<p>She hopes to visit Nepal, Bhutan, Hanoi among other places in the near future, and add to her collection. “Each piece I add to my collection is a visa stamping on my memory passport,” she proudly says.</p>
<p>The fascination towards world culture and heritage led Githa U Badikillaya to collect fridge magnets and bookmarks from different parts of the globe.</p>.<p>She has collected 150 bookmarks and fridge magnets each, bought from countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Germany Singapore, Italy, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka and more.</p>.<p>“I’ve visited 27 countries and always try to bring a slice of the country back, in the form of these souvenirs. I also have magnets from India. Most of the pieces have a story to narrate or a fascinating fact about the country to highlight,” says Githa, who is the founder-director of Destination Heritage.</p>.<p>While most of the fridge magnets have been bought from stores or souvenir shops, the bookmarks were found at bookstores and marketing freebies. “I’ve tried to keep my collection distinct. I have some bookmarks made by mouth and food artistes, a collection of bookmarks from the India Post, three-dimensional ones from Malaysia and aesthetic bookmarks and magnets from Japan,” she details. Her collection includes striking pieces from different time periods, a map-like bookmark from Sri Lanka, a Madaba tile magnet from Jordan, doll-like bookmarks from Thailand, a set of bookmarks of Samurais from Japan, a set of UNESCO heritage places from Kyoto and more. Each of these pieces encourages Githa to talk about history connected to them and narrate stories from her trips.</p>.<p>“I remember buying a clog magnet from Hague in 2004. I came to know about why farmers used clogs in farmlands, and the whole story stuck with me. There are many such stories,” she says.</p>.<p>Githa’s biggest inspiration is her daughter, Karishma, who has a large collection of keychains. “These pieces always remind me of the fun times I had with family and friends while I was travelling and the new people I met during my trips,” she says.</p>.<p>The travel-enthusiast is looking forward to expanding her collection. But she doesn’t want any contributions from others. “I don’t mind having a small collection. I do not want others to gift bookmarks or magnets to me as I will not have a story to remember,” she says.</p>.<p>She hopes to visit Nepal, Bhutan, Hanoi among other places in the near future, and add to her collection. “Each piece I add to my collection is a visa stamping on my memory passport,” she proudly says.</p>
