Thread of simplicity

The digital age has left the charkha forlorn but Indu, pictured in the next two pages, teaches those who care to learn how to spin the charkha and connect with an important thread of India's history.

arun

Arun Kumar | January 10, 2019 | Delhi


#India history   #thread   #National Gandhi Museum   #British rule   #spinning wheel   #Mahatma Gandhi  
Image courtesy: Arun Kumar
Image courtesy: Arun Kumar

No expert would hazard a guess as to when humankind began to spin cotton, wool, and other fibres into yarn. But it is accepted without much doubt that the spinning wheel was invented in Asia, probably in China or India. And Mahatma Gandhi turned the spinning wheel, or the charkha, as it is known in India, into a symbol of self-reliance, simplicity, even classic design. It was also a strong statement of resistance to British rule.

 
There is something elemental about spinning that elevates it to an activity resembling meditation that is reached through focused and relaxed physical effort. The digital age has left the charkha forlorn, but at the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi, right across Rajghat, Indu, pictured here, teaches those who care to learn how to spin the charkha and connect with an important thread of India's history.









Comments

 

Other News

Rethinking policy framework to address animal-human conflict and animal welfare

Animal welfare requires as much a structured policy approach as do other sectors in India. Conflict that exists today is due to lack of an integrated policy approach which in turn exacerbates the conflict and instigates public health crises. The Indian Constitution already recognises the importance of anim

Mobile phones in classroom: redirect, not eliminate

In this era of AI and classrooms filled with students glued to their cellphones, there is a need to focus on redirecting, but not eliminating, the distraction. While there is no doubt that we need to go back to the older ways of teaching such as taking oral viva exams, practicing ‘sthithprajana&rsquo

Four Labour Codes come into effect to simplify, streamline labour laws

Four Labour Codes - the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 have come into effect , rationalising 29 existing labour laws. By modernising labour regulations, enhancing workers` welf

Governance as ‘cyborg’: Rethinking AI rules through philosophical lens

In the world of science fiction, the cyborg, a hybrid of human and machine, often evokes fascination and fear. However, American scholar Donna Haraway conceptualises cyborg as more than a futuristic body; it is a philosophical lens, a way of thinking about identity, agency, and responsibility in a world wh

The process, not the verdict, is often the real punishment

When we talk about criminal justice in India, most people think about the final verdict — whether someone is found guilty or innocent. But for many ordinary Indians, punishment is not in the verdict, but in the process itself. The waiting, the uncertainty, the endless hearings, and the years spent be

Pollution control isn`t charity; it`s strategic economic investment

Every winter, as air pollution shrouds Indian cities from Delhi to Kolkata, public debate converges on the costs: the crores spent on air purifiers, water sprinklers and stubble management, the outlay for waste treatment plants and new green technology. Environmental clean-up is framed as a fiscal burden,

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter