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I am collecting Indian Heritage and culture related vintage postcards, paintings, prints etc. and exhibited them at several locations across India in various events and also sharing them with school and college children by giving presentations to them on Indian Heritage and Culture with my collections and also documenting puppetry etc. intangible performances.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Lamps of India (భారతదేశములో దీపములు)






Lamps of India (భారతదేశములో దీపములు)

Lamps are playing vital part in our Sanatana Dharma. From the olden days since Vedic period Lamps are used in India in every occasion.  Our Indian Heritage and Culture is mixed with Lamp. One person Late Dr.Dinakar Kelkar from Pune collected several Lamps from all over India and also from foreign countries which used in India from the olden days and now these lamps are displayed at Dinakar Kelkar museum, Pune. The Publications Department of Government of India published 2 books in the year 1961 and in 2012 with the title “Lamps of India” by sharing the Lamsp images from  the collections of Dr.Dinakar Kelkar’s in these 2 books.

This is a post about Lamps of India. In this Lamps of India post I am sharing images from the Lamps collection of Dr.Dinakar Kelkar published by Publicatons Department in their 2 books of “Lamps of India”. Alongwith sharing the Lamps images of Dr.Dinakar Kelkar in this Lamps of India post I am also sharing my collection of Indian Woman lighting lamps vintage postcards. Through this Lamps of India post I am trying to share something about significance of Lamp in our culture. 

 

మన సనాతన ధర్మంలో దీపానికి చాలా విశిష్ట స్థానము ఉంది. మన భారతదేశంలో దీపములని చాలా ప్రాచీన కాలము నుంచి ముఖ్యముగా వేద కాలము నుంచి ఉపయోగిస్తున్నారు.  మన భారతదేశంలో దీపములని ప్రతీ సందర్భములోను ఉపయోగిస్తారు. మన భారతీయ సంస్కృతి మరియు సంప్రదాయములు యావత్తూ దీపముతో ముడిపడి ఉన్నాయి. పూణే నగరంలోని స్వర్గీయ డాక్టర్ దినకర్ కేల్కర్ గారు వారి  జీవిత కాలంలో యావత్ భారతదేశం తిరిగి వివిధ ప్రాంతములలో ప్రాచీన కాలం నుంచి ఉపయోగించిన అనేక దీపములని సేకరించిరి. కేల్కర్ గారు దీపములతో పాటు అనేక ఇతర వస్తువులు కూడా సేకరించారు. ప్రస్తుతము దినకర్ కేల్కర్ గారు సేకరించిన దీపములు మరియు వస్తువులు పూణే నగరంలో ఆయన పేరున నెలకొల్పబడిన దినకర్ కేల్కర్ మ్యూజియంలో భద్రపరచబడినవి. భారతదేశ ప్రభుత్వ ప్రచురణ విభాగము వారు దినకర్ కేల్కర్ గారూసేకరించిన  దీపముల యొక్క చిత్రములు మరియు వివరణలతో  “Lamps of India (భారతదేశములో దీపములు)” అనే పుస్తకాన్ని 1961 వ సంవత్సరములో మొదటిసారి మరియు 2012వ సంవత్సరములో రెండవ సారి ముద్రించారు.

Lamps of India (భారతదేశములో దీపములు) అనే వ్యాసములో నేను భారతదేశ ప్రభుత్వ ప్రచురణ విభాగము వారు ప్రచురించిన Lamps of India పుస్తకములలోని దినకర్ కేల్కర్ గారు సేకరించిన వివిధ దీపముల యొక్క చిత్రములని అలాగే నేను సేకరించిన భారతీయ స్త్రీలు దీపములు వెలిగించుచున్న చిత్రములతో ఉన్న పాత పోస్టు కార్డులని కలిపి  భారతీయ సంస్కృతిలో దీపం యొక్క ప్రాముఖ్యత గురించి వివరించడానికి ఒక చిన్న ప్రయత్నము చేసాను.  

  
Few countries can vie with India in the wealth of imagery and symbolism built around the lamp. Our ancestors associated the lamp with almost all important events and activities of mans transitory existence on earth. The birth of a child was greeted with a lamp and it was with it, again, that warriors were given a send-off and triumphant armies returning from the battle-field were welcomed home. In temples and other places of worship the lamp had a still more prominent role. Being the medium through which a glimpse of the deity could be had, the lamp acquired an importance commensurate with the faith of the devotee. Consequently it attracted a good deal of attention at the hands of artists and craftsmen.

This is a magazine article about Lamps of India from the collection of Dr.Dinkar Kelkar. 

The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Kelkar Museum in Pune contains the collection of Padmashree Late Dr.Dinakar G.Kelkar (1896-1990), dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja, who died an untimately tragic death. The three-storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th Century. There are also ornaments made of ivory, silver and gold.

Apart from several collection there will be marvellous collection of Lamps of India which collected by Padmashree Late Dr.Dinakar G.Kelkar  from several parts of India.

This is the website of Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum which is a Treasure House of Indian Heritage and Culture.

http://www.rajakelkarmuseum.com/index.asp

This is a magazine article on Lamps of India from the collection of Dr.Dinkar Kelkar.  In this article the author gave information about Raja Dinkar Kelkar museum and also sharing information about Lamps of India by using the images from the vast collection of Dr.Dinkar Kelkar from the which were exhibited in the Treasure House Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum.













Publications Division, Government of India published one book "Lamps of India" in 2 different editions. In these books Publications Division trying to explore the significance and history of Lamps in India by sharing rich illustrations from the collection of Dr.Dinkar Kelkar. 

The first edition of the book published in the year 1961 and now it is a rare book. At the time Government published only a few copies of this book. I am happy to say that i am a proud owner of a copy of this 1961 year book of "Lamps of India" published by Publications Division, Government of India.

These are the first and last pages of this 1961 year edition of Lamps of India book published by Publications Division. Soon i am sharing the complete images of this vintage treasure book.






Further Publications Division recently published its second edition of "Lamps of India" book in the year 2012. This is the "Lamps of India" book second edition release function video in Youtube.





I have a copy of this second edition of "Lamps of India" book also and soon i am sharing detailed and indepth information about Lamps of India by using the images from the 2 books which i have in my collection.

Apart from these Lamps of India books in my collection i have several vintage postcards on the theme of "Beautiful Indian Woman Lighting Lamps" on Diwali and other puja occasions. Also i have some Diwali vintage postcards and prints. I want to share these vintage postcards here because i felt that the subject "Lamps of India" require some additional information about the significance and role of Lamp in the daily life of Indian particularly Indian Woman because Indian Woman has great respect in the entire world for their traditional puja system, their traditional saree wearing, their ornaments etc. Hence by adding some vintage postcards of Indian Woman Lighting Lamps gave very much and in-depth information about Lamps of India.

These are my several vintage postcards and prints on Indian Woman Lighting Lamps and Diwali etc. which i added here now in this article on "Lamps of India".























These are some Deepa Lakshmi images from both books of Lamps of India.













































On Diwali night we light the lamps in a Divine Pattern Rangoli at the outside of our home. This is the photo of the same.




















These are the cover page and back page images of second edition of Lamps of India book released by Publications Department during the last year.





These are Arati Lamps images from the first edition vintage Lamps of India book published by Publications Division in the year 1961.










Recently on Vijaya Dasami festival on 4th October 2014 people lighting lamps in the form of Shiva Lingam in a Goddess Durga Maa emple in Kakinada. Many people taking photographs and videos with this beautiful Lamps Shiva Lingam. I am also taking some photographs and one video with my digital camera. I uploaded this video in youtube also. These are the photographs and video of this Lamps Shiva Lingam.








These are some photographs which i am taking on the eve of Diwali festival on 23rd October, 2014 in Amalapuram.

This is a Diwali Puja photograph.




















This is a Rangoli drawn in front of a house. In this Rangoli Lighting Lamps (Diyas) are drawn.






















This is a Swastik Rangoli decorated with Lamps.






































This is another Rangoli design decorated with Lamps (Diyas).






















83 comments:

  1. From the olden days Lamps are a part in the daily life of people of India. It is a great effort to compile information about various Lamps used on several occasions with pictures.Now a days most of these Lamps are vanished and they are visible only in Museums.

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  2. Subject: LAMP OF INDIA is good thought to show daily life in Indian day to day life.Thanks.

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  3. Very nice collection. we can find the history behind the lamps with your wonderful pictures.

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  4. xtremely useful info you have provided on Lamps of India.I appreciate your efforts and hv benefitted.Tks a lot.

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  5. Namaste and fantastic effort to take up an unique area that is still very much a part of our daily life.

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  6. Our Indian Heritage is only one of a Kind in the World. Any person can travel to many places in the world but for India, it is not possible to visit and learn all the miracles even in ten incarnations of life. It is ever ending surprise to past, present and future generations. With Best Wishes to Mr. Dokka Srinivas who brings some of them to light. Mantha V Sharma, Minjur / Chennai.

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  7. Quite unique.. Very interesting info..

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  8. Dr.Dinkar Kelkar has beautiful wide variety collection of lamps ... soo unique masterpieces.. vintage post cards and rangoli are wonderful.. Thanks for sharing the valuable info with amazing pictures on Lamps of India..

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  9. Nice Collection Srinivas Garu, "With out lamp we can't move forward in our life"

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  10. Dear Dokka Srinivas very appriciate collecting old Lamp Brochers , Now a days new generation lamp importance don' t know , at least some of information lamp importance knowing new generation people beacause of you. (Life partner is lamp / God is lamp)

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  11. Thanks for sharing, this is indeed an interesting post.

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  12. Beautiful, informative and pleasurable, thanks you for sharing this work

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  13. Appreciate your Lamps' collections as well as valuable pictures that are hardly seen nowsaday. Keep good jobs and continue sharing your valuable messages to the world my friend. :)))

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  14. Your blog is treasure and many interesting facts. Great job sir

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  15. Dear Sir

    Very nice blog and it is a Treasure House of Indian Heritage and Culture.

    Excellent message on Lamps of India. Present generation people did not aware much about these Lamps. Great effort to compile information about several Lamps of India which is very helpful to many people to explore about our glorious heritage.

    In the future generations your blog will be useful as a reference guide on Indian Heritage and Culture.

    with best wishes

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  16. Truly informative read... Thanks for taking effort to write this and sharing with us ...

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  17. A lovely blog to follow.....hats off to your efforts....Thanks for sharing with us.....

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  18. beautiful collection of images of lamps. Very useful for research scholars as well as laymen!

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  19. Lovely lamps. Thanks for visiting my blog. I am a new follower of your blog.

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  20. You have a very beautiful blog. I love to know about Indian heritage and culture.
    'Lamps Of India' is a very beautiful, informative and unique post on various kind of lamps. Keep up the good work!!

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  21. Very very beautiful pictures and a whole lot of information too. As you must have seen in my blog, I treasure old Indian brass and bronzeware. The lamps you have displayed are indeed very unique as are the images. I will be dropping by often to see your work.

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  22. Very nice collection Sir! Thanks for sharing such informative and unique post!

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  23. Your collection and presentation of Indian Lamps is excellent preservation
    of our Heritage. Collectors of Art will be benefited by viewing the images under
    one roof. Keep up the good work of sharing the valuable information.

    Best wishes
    Shrikant Parikh

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  24. Dear Srinivasu

    I sincerely appreciate you for preparing such an amazing blog on Indian Heritage and Culture. My hearty congratulations to you for your dedication in compilation and sharing together of various Arts,Crafts,Sculptures,Paintings,Traditions,Cultures etc. of India in a single platform through your Treasure blog. Great effort and best wishes to you.

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  25. Excellent Job, Heads of to you. Please collect more and more Indian Cultural Activities and upload. This site is very useful for this generation and coming generations also.
    God bless you.
    Venugopal - Kakinada - India.

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  26. Thanks for visiting my blog. Its really interesting to see the unique lamps. All the best for your efforts.

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  27. Hello Sir, Thank you for visiting my blog and thanks for all the wishes. You are hosting a wonderful blog and sharing a lot of information...i truly appreciate all your efforts in taking time to consolidate such wonderful images and interesting information and sharing it all with us. I wish you the best in all your efforts. Please feel free to use my Rangoli images and request you to please add a link back to my blog whenever you use my image. Thanks and Regards

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  28. It's a beautiful blog !! So nice to visit this nice blog featuring lamps of India.

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  29. Very nice blog indeed. You must have taken a lot of pains in collecting very rich information about lamps of India. Good luck.

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  30. very good collection, Thanks you for sharing this work

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  31. You have an amazing collection.
    This is a priceless post! Well done with the presentation. I am glad I saw this, thank you so much for letting me know.

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  32. very good collection and we can learn and remember everything of our Indian culture with the help of your blog.

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  33. I visited your blog. It looks awesome. Hope to spend more time there..I wish you success in your endeavours.

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  34. very good collection of the antiques , i have visited Raja dinkar Kelkar museum sometime back and seen many of these. The books published by them have some of these photos

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  35. You have a nice blog. Lovely lamps and beautiful pictures.

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  36. Lamps play an important part in the Indian culture. Very informative and interesting write up, which shows your hard labour behind it. Best wishes....

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  37. Dear Srinivasu garu, Namaskaram. Just saw your blog. It is an excellent collection. You must have done incredible search and research. I will go through leisurely again. I have a suggestion. It will be very useful if you categorize the pictures by chronology, or by deities or by persons, or by themes - such as festivals, house hold lamps, temples etc to and give an index. That makes it much more interesting. It is just a suggestion, but forgive me if that is too much.

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  38. Amazing blog with plenty of valuable information on Indian Culture. Thanks for sharing about Lamps of India. Through your Lamps message many people in India are now getting interested and fascinated about the subject Lamps of India. I sincerely appreciate your efforts to introduce this unique subject Lamps of India to our people. I hope you already achieved some milestone in this aspect which reflected in the comments given by other people to your Lamps of India message. In future also please share many more topics relating to Indian Heritage and Culture like this Lamps of India subject. Best wishes to you.

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  39. Excellent presentation on Lamps of India with amazing picture. Well done and thanks for sharing. Best wishes to you.

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  40. Lamps are playing vital role in our Sanatana Dharma from the olden days. It is indeed very pleasure to observe that at least some younger generation Indian people like you trying to preserve our glorious heritage. Best wishes for your noble efforts.

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  41. This post is pretty a sincere work, I must say! Amazing collection, in fact the facts listed in here, I have hardly been aware of! A deep read of the history, like I said.. of my interest totally!
    Following you here. :)

    And oh by the way, your blog is superb.. and this post is kind of majestic! :D

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  42. this is an excellent post, and blog. so much information about Indian heritage. And I must appreciate your hardwork in posting such a post.

    Thanks for introducing me to your blog.

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  43. his is an excellent post, and blog. so much information about Indian heritage. And I must appreciate your hardwork in posting such a post. thanq very much

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  44. Thank you for sharing this. The intricate and varied lamps of India have caught my eye for many years. As you say, no other culture, to my knowledge has celebrated the sacredness of the lamp to such a degree.
    You have really spent a lot of time and effort.
    -Jeronimus from Indian miniature paintings blog.

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  45. Sir,Very informative post.Thank you for sharing this information. Glad to know the information about Indian heritage. hats off to all your efforts and hard work. Your blog is excellent and I am now following.

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  46. Such a beautiful compilation And Thank you so much for the sweet comment on my blog
    Cheers
    Dr Sonia

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  47. Amazing, Great post. Thanks a lot for sharing.
    Great to visit your blog and tanks for visit my blog.

    Regards

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  48. Srinivasu, This is really enlightening!
    This Post is detailed with great pics. Shows your effort & commitment.
    May you continue to spread the light of knowledge about Indian heritage.
    Thanks for sharing! I learnt a lot :)

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  49. Hello Dokka Srinivas.........Good Job By Exploring our Indian Heritage.

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  50. This is a great collection and details about the Indian heritage. And you can take the diya image from my blog.(with a mention or link to my blog of course :))

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  51. Really a great Blog! Thanks for your Comment and will keep watching your turns.

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  52. A very nice and elaborate collection indeed!

    I have come from your comment on my blog post on Hawa Mahal.

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  53. This is a very useful resource indeed, both for researchers as well as for general readers - thank you for sharing the images from your collection of postcards and books, and making them accessible in the public domain - and for meticulously citing your sources, too.

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  54. a really fantastic information about Indian Lamps....and there is nothing more u can do on an auspicious Diwali season...where lamps play the vital role...all the best and expecting more information about Indian Heritage in future from u...god bless u

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  55. Glad to see wonderful collection of lamp pictures. Thanks to visit my place.

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  56. A complementable collection.... "Deepam jyothy;Ratma narayanah param"... Our very early age of veda depected in the form of lights...Thank U for getting all the lamps at one place... Very inquisitive.

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  57. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  58. Beautiful Blog, just loved the way it has described the importance and tradition of India. We are glad it aligns with Store Utsav's (www.storeutsav.com) theme of celebrating the traditional Indian art and earn it the position it so deserves on the world map. With the enthusiasts like you, we sure shall reach the destination! :)

    Thanks,
    Store Utsav,
    http://storeutsav.blogspot.in/

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  59. Really spellbound with the detailed tradition depicted of our country India with your profound words-the best I have read about Indian heritage!!!

    Thanks a lot for sharing:)

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  60. Hi Srinivas Garu,

    Nice Article. Way of Composing & Image collection is tooo good.

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  61. That was a lovely post. Amazed to see such a vast collection of lamps and the hard work that you put into this . Great job.

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  62. Very nice compilation. thanks for visiting and commenting on my post.

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  63. This is amazing. Depicts all the research work that must have gone into writing this.

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  64. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  65. Dear Srinivasu,

    I am spellbound while going through your extraordinary collection of lamps and their historical importance. It seemed like a journey through the ages. I can only imagine the sort of hard work and dedication that has gone into it to put forward to all of us our glorious past.

    It is an outstanding work, which I am not qualified to comment but can only view it in awe and amazement. HATS OFF TO YOUR DEDICATION AND EFFORT!!

    Do text me your number. We may talk at a convenient time.
    Cell: +91 98323 43535, +91 98007 22247
    E-mail: toprasenjitdas@gmail.com

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  66. This is absolutely incredible!
    What a beautiful collection of pictures ! Salute to our rich Indian culture and heritage and also to the efforts you have put in to compile this post :)

    http://beneathmyheartart.blogspot.ae/

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  67. I am in awe and wonder struck at your effort and our heritage. Absolutely incredible. Happy Diwali in advance.

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  68. Hi
    Wishing You nd your Family a Very Happy Diwali & A Happy New Year
    Your blog is fantastic, And keep up your good work... the pics u shared were superb,
    Thanks for sharing
    Have a great year ahead

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  69. Hi,
    Wish you very Happy Diwali to you and your family. Wonderful and lovely collection of lamps, amazing and lovely collection, so many lamps are just unique and so new to me.
    Thanks a lot for sharing,

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  70. You have an amazing collection of lamps. Each one is unique. Wish you a very happy Diwali. I am glad that I found this great blog.

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  71. well collected pics and info. Keep up the good work..

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  72. Lamps Collections are wonderful and well collected.kakinada&amalapuram phtos on the eve of dasara and depawali MORE FANTASTIC.
    Few countries can vie with India in the wealth of imagery and symbolism built around the lamp. Our ancestors associated the lamp with almost all important events and activities of mans transitory existence on earth. The birth of a child was greeted with a lamp and it was with it, again, that warriors were given a send-off and triumphant armies returning from the battle-field were welcomed home. In temples and other places of worship the lamp had a still more prominent role.
    surya mohan

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  73. You are taking so much pain in collecting this detailed information about our Lamps. A great effort. First time i saw different types of lamps used in our country. Thanks for sharing.

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  74. exhibits ancient India!!!

    http://www.culturenyou.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=493_494

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  75. Lamps are integral part in our Sanatana Dharma. It is indeed a great pleasure to see various Lamps used in India from our olden days. Thanks to Dinakar Kelkar for his treasure collection of stamps and sharing them to people through his blog and also through Lamps of India book.

    Appreciate you for your noble effort to compile information about various Lamps mentioned in the book and also for sharing your beautiful collection of Indian Woman Lighting Lamps vintage postcards.

    Your vintage postcards and the Lamps images from Lamps of India books are giving the reader of this post a very worthy compilation of information about our glorious heritage from the time immemorial.

    Best wishes for your efforts and i hope in future also please share many more treasure posts like this in your golden blog on Indian Heritage and Culture.

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  76. There were beautiful Dipalakshmis in Bengal. Have a look at the State Archaeological Museum, Kolkata.

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  77. Thank you very much for the information on Dr.Dinaker Kelkar and his books and other books on Indian lamps.I have been searching for information regarding lamps in use in India since ancient times.My best wishes to you for this work.
    The lamps pictured here are amazing artisan works.Could you pl tell me in which place in India they can be found
    today for purchasing.I will be greatful for further information Srinivasgaru.

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  78. Books OutlookIndia number one Traveller books Website and Get more information please visit this link-Heritage Holidays in India

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  79. Very nice and informative blog you have written. Thnx for sharing such valuable knowledge. If a research can be done on dates of those lamps etc you have shared that would further help.

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