How To Clean and Maintain Handcrafted Metal, Stone, and Wood Statues?
To have handcrafted artwork in your home is a dream for any art lover. The search for the perfect pieces to adorn your interior is an ongoing quest, taking you from local markets to online collections of statues and craft works. But your journey for the best statue and interior decoration does not end with finding them and bringing them home. Rather, another, more important phase begins- that of maintaining your handcrafted collections once they are in your home. The collectors and connoisseurs of art know that the task of cleaning and maintaining an artwork is a real challenge, especially because they are made from metals, woods, and stones that undergo aging, wear, and tear, loss of surface luster, and softening of details over a period of time. While an antique look adds value to the art, it is important to see that time does not affect your prized collections too much.
Published in Sep 2024
10 Decorative Lamps to Light Up This Festive Season
Festivities around the world are synonymous with light. Whether it is Navaratri with an offering of Jyoti to the goddess or Diwali with a row of Diyas, a glowing atmosphere suggests festivity more than anything else. For lighting up your festive season, we have curated a list of 10 lamps, crafted by Indian artists and craftsmen from all over the country, representing the best of every region. The list goes from simple stand-alone diya at the altar to magnificent wall pieces with wicks to give a regal look to any space, offering you a variety of options to brighten up your home, as the time of celebrations comes close.
Published in Sep 2024
A Timeless Diwali Ritual : The Significance of Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja
The article highlights the symbolic meanings of wealth, success, and new beginnings associated with these deities, and explains how this puja fosters gratitude and spiritual connection among devotees. Additionally, it mentions the cultural and historical context of the festival, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness. Illuminated with the glow of numerous diya’s, adorned with rangolis gracing their entrances, and fragrant from the decoration of flowers, every house is a sight to behold on Diwali. Seeking to dispel darkness and celebrating the prevalence of god over evil, Hindus worldwide celebrate this auspicious festival with a lot of joy and enthusiasm. While Diwali is synonymous with diyas and rangolis, the festival of lights is never complete without performing the Lakshmi-Ganesh puja. Devotees clean their houses, decorate them, dress in their finest attires, and pray to Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi for good luck, prosperity, and financial success.
Published in Nov 2023
The Meaning Behind Diwali Rituals and Celebration
Discusses how Diwali fosters unity and togetherness among families and communities, reinforcing the idea that the festival is not just about celebrations, but also about nurturing relationships and spiritual growth. Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. It is a five-day festival that not only Hindus but people of every community love to celebrate with zeal and jubilation. Diwali is marked with candles, ghee lamps (diyas), and lanterns. Every house and temple is illuminated with lights and decorations of rangoli designs beautify the floors. Cleaning and decorations of homes begin days before the festival. It signifies the cleaning of the dust accumulated in our hearts in the form of lust, anger, pride, illusion, and attachments. The devotees thus invite Lord Ram into their hearts and pray for the welfare of their families. Elderly people read Ramcharitmanas or Srimad Ramayan everyday to remember the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts.
Published in Oct 2022
How to Decorate Home for Diwali : Unique Ideas
The article on preparing your home for Diwali offers practical tips and suggestions to create a festive atmosphere. It emphasizes the importance of cleanliness and organization, encouraging thorough cleaning to invite positive energy. The article also discusses decorating with traditional items like diyas (lamps), rangoli (colorful designs), and flowers to enhance the aesthetic appeal. Additionally, it highlights the significance of creating a welcoming space for family and guests, and offers advice on organizing puja areas for rituals. Overall, the article aims to help readers set the perfect environment for celebrating Diwali and fostering joy and prosperity. The most important aspect of the celebration of this festival is undoubtedly the plethora of rituals performed on different days to please the gods and goddesses. The act of expressing honour, beholding a god in worship, and giving devotion is referred to as puja in Hinduism culture. Each ritual has huge significance in Hindu mythology and is believed to bring happiness and prosperity to the devotees. So lets us look at a few main pooja/ritual items that you cannot do without. These items are available at Exotic India aiding you to complete your shopping festival in a jiffy!
Published in Oct 2021