Every place has some distinctive features for which it is known. The Union Territory of Pondicherry is known for its tourist attractions of the old French settlement, lakes, marble silk cloth, hand made paper, pottery, Pondy lamps, etc.
The Pondy lamp shades are made of specially made light transmitting rough paper around the light source at the centre. These lamp shades are in shapes of a dome, rectangle, square, etc. The paper is heat resistant and its shape is held by scaffolding made of finely split pieces of bamboo. It is one of the commonest decorating item tourists look for in Pondicherry. They are sold in different cities in India and overseas.
It is difficult to trace its history. Some say it has been a common sight at the Pondicherry homes for over 100 years. Its origin is connected to the French nationals who had some special tastes for interior decoration. It is an ideal way of illuminating a room when you want a uniform diffusion of light without the light source blinding the eye.
This is made by many families as part of cottage industry. Many women's self help groups are involved in producing it and marketing it. Of course its price is variable with popular shops charging even three times its actual prize.
I have learned something from this example of making an item of utility a branded item. It is made of naturally available components and recycled paper. It highlights the prospects of finding different ways of using less expensive, locally available and easy to maintain components for making something of much value. In an industrialized world, there is an invaluable place for handcrafted items as they represent human ingenuity, creativity and imagination. I feel challenged to support artisans and traditional craftsmen as they are threatened by machine manufacturing. We need to preserve a vast resource of experience that is associated with traditional handicrafts.
M.C.Mathew( text and photo))
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