One’s heritage can be captured in many forms, but for a Durban grandmother, it lives in a set of antique silver jewellery that has become a symbol of her family’s history and resilience.

Chandrawathie ‘Dolly’ Reddy never had the opportunity to meet her paternal grandfather, Domun Dulam, but in her dining room hangs a framed set of jewellery that she believes he brought to South Africa from his home in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1893.

The 78-year-old says the jewellery is silver and quite heavy. “There is a set of jhumkas [earrings], two bangles, two anklets and a choker.”

Farmer

Her grandfather settled just outside Ladysmith in KZN, where he began working as a farmer on a maize plantation, and soon afterwards married her grandmother.

“It was an arranged marriage. They had nine children, including my father, Jadunandan Domun,” says Reddy.

Her father had only a primary school education due to the lack of secondary schools in the area. He began working at a petrol station and later became a foreman at a mill.

He also had an arranged marriage to her mother, Bhikia Doman, who lived in the nearby town of Estcourt.

Antique jewellery

“This is where the jewellery comes in,” says Reddy.

“My father gave the jewellery to my mother for their wedding day. I remember my mother once telling me how heavy it was to wear.”

Reddy adds her parents gave her the jewellery because she was the youngest daughter of their 11 children.

“They told me to have the jewellery melted down and made into new pieces,” says Reddy.

“But when I took it to a jeweller, he saw the beauty and uniqueness of the set and encouraged me to keep it as it was.”

Precious link to the past

“I am grateful I did, because it has become a precious link to my family’s past.”

The mother of four says she wore the choker twice. “It is not jewellery you can wear often because of its heaviness,” she says.

“After wearing the choker for the second time, I decided to frame the pieces to preserve them.”

Reddy adds that the framed jewellery now proudly hangs on the wall in her dining room.

“Whenever someone visits my home for the first time, the jewellery is one of the first things they notice and ask me about.”

Hardships and resilience

“To me, it is more than a gift; it is a family heirloom that carries our history. It reminds me of my mother’s hardships and my grandfather’s resilience.

“He died before I could meet him. Knowing he left his home in Varanasi and came to South Africa to build a new life makes me feel proud. His courage and sacrifices laid the foundation for our family and the generations that followed.”

With seven grandchildren, Reddy says the jewellery will eventually be passed down to one of her sons.

“I hope it is one day gifted to one of my grandchildren, so our family legacy can continue,” adds Reddy.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.