Indian furniture has long been the perfect way to add a beautiful, exotic touch to your home or office. One can find furniture made in India for almost any use, be it inside the kitchen as a kitchen cabinet or as a center table in the office. However, it is important to know the Indian names for the different types of furniture, or else you might end up looking for something and buying something else! For example, a cot is called a charpoy or khatiya, and a sofa is called a diwan. In the same way, a cabinet is called an almirah. Here is some more information about the almirah, or wardrobe:
The Almirah has a special place in Indian culture and tradition:
Contrary to the cabinets of Western cultures which are simply storage devices, the Indian Almirah has a special place in the Indian family. Generally speaking, in an Indian family, the almirah is a place where jewelry, money, and even other daily family items such as clothes, etc., are stored. Of course, jewelry and cash are stored in a separate locked compartment in the almirah and it is hardly ever opened except if the situation arises.
For this reason, the Almirah is a piece of furniture built in such a way that it can be used both for daily use and for security and storage. The almirah usually has a tall compartment for storing shirts on hangers and smaller lower compartments for storing folded clothing such as trousers, skirts, sarees, etc. there is a separate, albeit small, lockable compartment in which the family’s valuables are stored.
The Almirah is quite Strong and Robust:
As noted above, an almirah has a special place in the Indian family, and buying an alimrah is normally something that happens with a special event, such as a wedding or someone else coming into the house. Therefore, the almirah has to be built very robust and strong as it has to withstand the wear and tear of daily use as well as offer the strength and security that a family would need for their valuables and things.
The Almirah can be made of various materials:
Traditionally, the almirah, or almari as it is pronounced in Hindi, is made of wood and wood only. Even today, in rural India, an almirah means a piece of furniture made of any kind of wood, be it teak, rosewood, etc. However, with the changing of the times, almirahs have been made of iron, steel, and other materials. However, the true aristocracy and beauty of an almirah can only be experienced in a wooden almirah.
