Flower Candle Making - Shiroda, Goa
A candle is a cylinder-shaped wax with a wick in the middle which is lit to produce light as it burns. It is one of the main sources of lights other than daylight. Other than light it is used for several occasions, decorative purposes, and celebrations. Candles have been used from generations. The wax used for making candles is collected from beehive. Earlier, simple block of candles was made but nowadays different types of shapes and designs are used to serve different purposes. A person manufacturing candle is known as Chandler. Various devices have been invented to hold candles, from simple tabletop candleholders to elaborate chandeliers. The archeological findings have found candleholders in Egypt that dates back to 4th century BCE, though its origin is still unknown factor. Some early references states that candles were made of tallow with one end made pointy ignition. The tallow was extracted from animals like sheep and cattle hence burned scantily and also smelled worse. In ancient Rome for making candles tallow were used as beeswax was highly charged. Beeswax candles burned cleanly without smoky flame as compared to animal-based tallow. This was the reason they were very expensive. In medieval Europe very few people could afford to buy them, hence these were widely used in church ceremonies. During 19th century first patented candle making machines were introduced and candles reached the homes of all classes. New innovations in candle making process along with braided wick were also introduced which improved its quality.
Nowadays candles are made with blend of essential oil and fragrances. Candle making industry did remarkable change and it also provides lot of employment opportunities to many artists. Ms. Namrata Sardesai is such a well – known artist residing in Goa for the past six years. Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations and also well-known for its variety of handicrafts. Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture. Ms. Namrata learned this art techniques from the workshop organized by the Goa Government to empower women artists. She used to make beautiful candle art and sells them in nearby market.
