What aspects of Indian society and history get highlighted in the poem?
Kamala Das is a great literary figure who writes on status of women and sensitive issues of the society. This poem reflects various aspect of Indian society and history. I believe this poem has the degree of feminine, depicting various aspects of women of different ages.
It shows that one women can well understand an another woman and can connect with her on a personal level, maybe that is why Kamala Das, unlike her brother, could empathize with her grandmother so much.
The women (great grandmother of Kamala Das) who once bestowed with jewels - sandals (for perfume) - oils -elephant rides which are all symbolic of her extravagant youth and her marriage to a prince, and then the sudden loneliness after his death within a year of their marriage, plucked all those flower from her garland show the status of women in the society after loss of their better half.
People used to get attached to them inherit heritage. Like the 300-year-old house of poet which had eternal connect with her great grandmother.