Do you still ask, “What’s your hobby?” when striking up a conversation in 2026? M.L. Rajesh of the Gandhi World Foundation believes the question is not used that often any more, and that many people, irrespective of demographic groups, spend much of their day on electronic gadgets for reasons aplenty. His recurring thoughts on the dwindling culture of hobbies made him organise a three-day “Hobbies Thiruvizha” at the Egmore museum. “A hobby brings discipline. It is a way of life, indeed,” he says.

On Friday evening, beyond the live activity zones with painting sessions, the festival was flooded with niche collectibles. Swarup B., a Class 11 student, was browsing a stall that had a collection of rusty manual typewriters for a long time. “It is true that a typewriter is not a ‘need’ for my generation but it certainly fascinates me. I’m super eager to know how it works because I’ve never seen one up close before,” he says.

Alongside the typewriters were collections of stamps, pens, and coins, and quirky collectibles such as decades-old Horlicks tins, vintage timepieces, matchbox covers, movie posters, and musical instruments preserved over the years.

“I am not a hoarder of everything. I strictly collect only pallankuzhis,” says Nithya Shree, a Class 11 student who is on a spree to revive traditional analogue games, and has so far collected over 50 of these game boards in the shape of fish as well as miniature 15-cm versions. “I used to play this game a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. I first started collecting pieces from my family and later sourced them from across Tamil Nadu with the help of my father. Having a hobby shapes you indirectly,” she says. Just a few stalls away stood S. Raju’s collection, which had everything from typewriters to wooden design television sets that he started collecting since the 1980s.

Meanwhile, 22-year-olds Krishna Priya V. and Naviya Sree, who were browsing through these displays, say in unison that their screen time is nearly eight hours a day. “We need more hobby festivals such as these in Chennai because we might, perhaps, spend less time on our phones. We also get to learn about how our elders lived and the kind of utensils they used, like the cast-iron weighing machine here,” adds Ms. Krishna Priya.

A parent of a 11-year-old, who did not wish to be named, said more parents should introduce their children to tactile hobbies. “At a time when much of childhood is spent digitally and regular schools focus mostly on academics, we need to show our children what hobbies they can develop, whether it be playing an instrument, painting, or collectibles like these,” she adds.

The event will conclude on June 21.