ubiquitous essay michelle's indian candle sticks

Indian Candle Sticks
Michelle Vanspall
S3137096

These Brass candle sticks are rooted relatively deep in Indian culture due to the cost effective and substantial availability of brass and other similar metals across India. A variety of objects were made with such metals like these candle sticks, originally made to hold a single candle in each but throughout its lifetime, has also held items such as flowers, incense and holy water as well as standing alone, being used as show pieces. Aesthetically speaking, its similarity to gold provided a look of value, of which in India, permitted it to play a part in religious worship. This provided a great significance due to India’s meticulous relationship with religion and worship. The majority of Catholic homes included an altar which was a small but effective contribution to their religion, which consisted of any holy pictures or statues surrounded by some flowers and candles. The altar was to be seen as the most important and valuable aspect of the home so it had to look the part. However to hold a religious value, the Indian Catholic people, generally the older generations now, took such items to be blessed by a priest of status. This tremendously increased its value which is fundamentally why such items have been passed down the generations, becoming part of family tradition, so that their families would have these religiously significant items in their homes, these blessed items in their homes.

Catholicism was introduced to India during the European Colonization which was roughly around the 15th Century and since has become one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world. Today there are over 17 million Catholics in India, which represents 1.5% of the countries population. India is still very traditional with their ways of worship, their values and their spiritual disciplines. Churches in India are always hard to find a seat in if you arrive the slightest bit late and that is on a weekly basis. This is perhaps attributable to this poverty stricken country, where faith and hope is more valuable as it is all some may have. Even in the poorest of catholic homes, there will be an altar in some shape or form. Compare this to our ever growing Australia where according to the 1996 Census report, 26.82% of our population is Catholic but go to one of our many beautiful churches and you can choose exactly where you want to take a seat. Exceptions are religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas where even the priest comments on how he would wish the church would be filled during the year as it is over Christmas. There has obviously been a moderately steady decline in the belief and practice among Australia’s Catholics.

The Indian culture has a recognizable reputation for their craft which is generally revolved around brass works. The notion of metal works has been within the culture as far back as 2500 BC, with such works still found in temples. Brass on the other hand was introduced to India round 1374, where it was produced from the ores extracted from the zinc compound before zinc itself was discovered. Since then and continuing still, brass is used to produce household items such as lamps, platters, vases, frames or other items required for acts of worship. These everyday items such as the kitchen ladle to the water pot have become steadfast examples of the artistic nature in the Indian culture. In addition, brass’ ability to be able to be preserved raises its economical value. Thus it became part of the homes worthy possessions and was a way to distinguish social status. Today, where brass productions is not in the midst of India’s economical benefactors, the brass made items, the works of art, are exceeding in financial value as they near becoming antiques.

These candle sticks were given to my mother as her parting gift, before my family migrated to Australia in 1995. We came here for my father’s work as he believed it would lead to great opportunities for our family. Of course my grandmother was not was happy at the idea of her eldest daughter moving to another country where there was no family and no real assurance that this new country would allow her to continue her religious practice, but my grandmother felt she had taught her well and thus giving her a few small symbols to remind her of her home, her family and her religion, ie the candle sticks. Prior to this; the candle sticks were in possession of my grandmother whom while growing up was instilled with strong religious and traditional values. This was due to the teachings of my great grandmother, a very religious woman who lived a life well into her eighties. It was my great grand mother who had initally purchased these candle sticks, of which at the time would have been reasonably expensive for her, but still easily attainable. Keeping in mind the economical context of the time, prices of these crafted metals were only a fraction of what they would be now. In addition, its preservation is not an easy task as they would have been meticulously scrubbed, polished and shined on a regular basis in order to conquer the aging process. This is known to me because my mother too has to undergo this process which is the sole reason it has lasted this long with its superior quality.

My grandmother goes to church on a very regular basis; it is part of her routine, as the strong Catholic traditions run deep through her veins. It was she who took these particular candle sticks to the church and placed it under the altar, as did many others with their mediocre items of value, when priests of higher status said mass in their local churches. It was a part of the mass ceremonies when the priest would say a prayer over these numerous items placed on the steps of the altar. From then, my grandmother would use these blessed candle sticks to carry home some holy water to keep in the house, especially over the religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas. She would use this holy water to sprinkle around the house as well as to make the sign of the cross on her forehead before she left the home. When not in use the candle sticks were obviously left on the altar she had centered on the wall in the living room.

Now my mother has it on our small altar, it sits there holding some flowers around the image of Jesus. My grand mother does this for all nine of her children who all have families of their own. She provides them with a small token of a blessed item which she claims is to protect the household as well as to remind her family of their religious roots. I know that when I have a home to call my own, my mother will expect me to have a small contribution to my religion somewhere in my home too where these candle sticks will remain for as long as they last as it is a small part of my religious culture.

These beautifully, crafted candle sticks hold a significant religious, cultural and social aspect within my family’s modicum of traditions. As our culture slowly diminishes in today’s contemporary society, small reminders such as these permit us to rekindle our values of tradition and ethnicity.




References

§ The Culture Of India
http://www.cultureofindia.net/
Date accessed: 3rd April 2007
copyright © 2004 -2007 All rights reserved.

§ Religions in Australia, 1996 Census
http://www.adherents.com/loc/loc_australia.html
Date accessed: 3rd April 2007
copyright © 2000 by Adherents.com. Created 16 December 1999. Last modified 9 March 2006.

§ General Information of Zinc
http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/Zinc-information.html
Date accessed: 3rd April 2007
copyright © Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center