Radeesh Ratnakar Shetty
Radeesh Ratnakar Shetty is the proprietor of greater than 400 lamps collected from the world over. At Deepotsav, Radeesh’s assortment is being showcased at his retailer, The Purple Turtles in Jubilee Hills. The gathering of lamps pays homage to the timeless significance of conventional oil lamps, the place one can see lamps comparable to Ravana Vilakku, Rooster Pahana and Nila Vilaku. The exhibition, open for viewing from 10.30am to 8pm on the retailer, tells of the importance of those lamps and their place in a family or a temple.
A Garuda lamp at The Purple Turtles
| Photograph Credit score:
PRAVEEN VARMA
Many of the lamps are vintage items that have been acquired from temples, individuals’s properties and collectors. The exhibition is on view until December 16 at The Purple Turtles.
Radeesh says, “The gathering unfolds a fascinating narrative of sunshine. It options rigorously curated classic oil lamps sourced from numerous areas of our nation. My ardour for lamps started in my early twenties. I inform everybody, as an alternative of me trying to find lamps, they discover me. I used to be as soon as trekking in Sri Lanka and I received a random supply from a person. He confirmed me stunning brass lamps and requested if I might purchase them. I instructed him I couldn’t trek with the lamps; nonetheless, if he have been again on the identical spot in three hours (we might return to the spot from the trek) I might purchase them. To my shock he was there ready for me. I purchased the lamps and added them to my assortment. They’re stunning rooster lamps which are utilized in meditation.”
Hanging outside lamps
| Photograph Credit score:
PRAVEEN VARMA
When requested in regards to the cleansing means of the previous oil lamps, Radeesh says, “That’s the fantastic thing about vintage lamps. Many collectors, together with me, will recognize vintage lamps with the previous burnt oil and the patina.”
Radeesh mentions that the majority lamps bought to collectors are often bought to create space for brand new lamps. “Particularly in temples. When an even bigger and a greater lamp is donated then the previous ones are put out for collectors. South India and Sri Lanka are the locations I’ve collected most lamps from. And they’re often from temples. I’ve a couple of distinctive items from Gujarat, Sri Lanka and Odisha. Lamps from Odisha have intricate Dokra work. The collectible figurines on them are small however detailed. A few of them have stunning patina types. They really make them extra fascinating, “explains Radeesh.
The exhibition ends on December 16, 2023. They’re on show at The Purple Turtles, 885, Highway No. 45, Masthan Nagar, CBI Colony, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana
The gathering can be at Chennai.