Nachiarkoil lamp
Nachiarkoil lamp | |
---|---|
Geographical indication | |
Alternative names | Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku, Annam lamp, and Kammalar lamp |
Description | Handicraft (lamp) |
Type | Brass |
Area | Kammalar street in Nachiyar Koil of Tamil Nadu |
Country | India |
Registered | 8 February 2010 |
Material | Brass |
The Nachiarkoil lamp, also called Annam lamp or Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku, is an ornamental brass lamp made of series of diyas, a handicraft product which is exclusively made by Pather (Kammalar) community in Natchiarkoil town in Tamil Nadu, India.[1][2][3] The lamp, which is hollow cast, is made in different sizes and consists of four parts which are screwed together. The central pillar that crowns at the apex is called the "Prabhai"; it is generally in the form of a hamsa or swan.[2][3] The lamp may also be made in the form of a female figurine holding a shallow bowl in a standing posture, or in the form of branches of a tree; the bowl of these lamps has five V-shaped spouts which hold cotton wicks, and is filled with oil for lighting. The ornamental lamps are widely used in temples in South India.[2][3][4]
This product has been registered for protection under the Geographical indication of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. On 8 February 2010 it was registered as "Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku (lamp)" under the
Location
Nachiarkoil Lamp is made in Nachiarkoil, a town in
History
The lamps were originally made in the Nachiarkoil by the particular community known as Pathers, who were practising this art form made of brass and
Process
The Nachiarkoil lamp is made both in bell metal and brass; brass is more in vogue now since it is easily available and cheaper. The lamp has four components which are: parts—base "Keezhbagam (base plate), "kandam" meaning pivotal post, "Thanguli" a bowl with five groves to hold wicks and oil for lighting, and the "Prabhai" which is the crown. The lamps that are made in a standing form or a pedestal form are given the prefix of Nachiarkoil. Other forms of lamps are hung from the ceiling in temples or "deepams". These lamps are extensively ornamented.[3][4]
The materials used to make the lamp are box-moulded, wax-moulded, or loam-moulded. These are made in an open space where fire hazards are of the least concern. To facilitate proper moulding, the key component materials used are: the brown vandal sand exclusively drawn from the Cauvery river bed about 1 km from the Nachiarkoil town used in all types of moulding; "Karuman sand" (used for wax moulding) of pale red colour, available in the town itself; "Savuttu sand", available in light grey colour, used in wax moulding and available in the tank beds in the vicinity of the town. The admixture used in box-moulding is clay powder in certain proportion depending on the type of moulding used. Other materials used are white dammar, a type of resin drawn from coniferous trees, and castor oil. Cow-dung cakes are the common type of fuel employed to melt the metal before it is poured into the moulds. Parting sand is used to facilitate easy removal of the moulded product. Box-moulding is used extensively as it is a quicker and cheaper mode of manufacture.[3] Nowadays modern machinery is used to make the lamps.[2]
See also
- Other lamps
- Related topics
References
- ^ PM Narendra Modi gifts Xi Jinping Annam lamp, Times of India, 11 october 2019.
- ^ a b c d K. Lakshminarayanan; R. Kannan (2004). A Guide to the Exposition on the Progress of Industries and Handicrafts of Tamilnadu, Government Museum, Chennai. Commissioner of Museums, Government Museum. p. 28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Geographical Indication Journal No. 47" (PDF). Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ a b Sivaraman, R. (7 March 2013). "GI tag for Nachiarkoil brass lamp, Pattamadai mat". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Where artisans learn intricacies of handicrafts". The Hindu. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ISBN 978-81-224-0797-6.