With Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, Easter Eggs are probably the last thing on your mind. But things are different in India. Legendary works by Carl Faberge are in New Delhi for the first time as part of the finale of a year-long celebration

The exquisite pieces are stirring both nostalgia and emotion in the subcontinent.

“As a child, I used to study magazines and in I saw photographs of the Easter eggs. As I was passing by, I recalled those moments and so I came in here with my family,” said one of the visitors Sharat Chandra Tyagi.

A total of 50 eggs were made for Russia’s Imperial family, of which eight are missing. Each one has a history attached to it, such as the coronation egg crafted in 1897 and given by the last Tsar, Nicholas II, as an Easter gift to his wife, Empress Alexandra.

Today, as the financial crisis bites, the Faberge exhibition of rare and priceless jewellery seems to be in stark contrast to everyday realities. But still, people are lining up to get in.

Exhibition visitor Alok Srivatava asked: “Why should everything halt or stop because there is an economic slowdown?”

He said the exhibition gave people an opportunity to “get out of that atmosphere and get into something that is available to us to see and enjoy.”

The display offers an escape from the mundane for some and a chance to dream of the impossible for others.

The timeless beauty of the artefacts left a more philosophical impression on others.

“Beautiful things are never dated, they will always have a place in the world and they will always continue to be appreciated by everyone,” Pratabjit Singh said.

Indians are in for a rare Christmas treat with some of the best Easter eggs in the world on display through the festive period. The exhibition runs until the 18th of January.