A 'Septi' Pin Saga

The ubiquitous 'septi' pin, (written the way it is prounounced) in most Bengali households, found an indispensable position in the lives of middle class families and my grandparents' home, wasn't an exception. 

These simple septi pins made inroads into our everyday lives. You could find a bunch of shining septi pins  sitting  conspicuously within a small bowl or tray on the dressing table or lazing around carelessly, on study tables and glass or wooden shelves in the restroom. 

They found a place of pride along with the creams , hair clips, bangles and intricate vermilion holders; ones that seemed popular were holders with the carvings of ' Lokkhi thakur' ( Goddess Lakshmi), the fish or the elephant's head, each considered to be auspicious in our culture.

Then of course, you could find some septi pins enclosed in a tiny container and kept in the ' Thakur ghar' . These were kept aside for our ' Laddu Gopal's (infant Krishna) wardrobe.
What amused me was the versatility of the septi pins that ranged from miniature to finger length sizes. You could depend on these shining minions of steel for multiple activities , from fixing diapers to wardrobe malfunctions!

You could have a neighbor dropping in for tea and while he engaged in an animated discussion on Marxism or his appreciation for Bossa Nova , the eyes would invariably be drawn to his sling bag held together by a pair of septi pins. 

The average Bengali woman's obsession for starched cotton sarees that were pleated to perfection, lent the septi pin even more reason for reliable companionship. They dangled from gold bangles for ready use. ' Ay ! Amar septi pin gulo ke niyechhe ? ' (Hey! Who took my safety pins?)was a question heard too often. 

Some septi pins however, outlived their use , lying rusty and bent in less visible corners , but never discarded and while they were strewn with intentional carelessness, they waited; just in case they could be used for a rainy day!

Then, it was used by young creative minds in the household, looped together as  neck chains or  danglers for the ears. Simple and effective! There was no shame in using septi pins , they were essential to routine everyday life.

Such was the thought association with septi pins, that a house bereft of these seemed alien. Whoever invented the safety pin , couldn't have possibly imagined that it would weave itself into our cultural fabric. 

Septi pins are still found in our homes , perhaps not used as frequently as before but I can say with conviction that they're far from being redundant yet. They've seen generations go by and they've served  their purpose most effectively. They can still be found on dressing tables, alongside imported perfumes and sunglasses now..