Handcrafted Plain Cross Brass Oil Lamp 3 Feet

Handcrafted Plain Cross Brass Oil Lamp 3 Feet

Oil lamp resembles the nilavilakku or floor lamp traditionally used in Hindu temples and homes. It has a circular base, a tall stem with ringed turnings culminating in a broad oil well. However, the elongated finial that surmounts the nilavilakku is replaced in this example by the Cross associated with the Jacobite Syrian Christian community.

Oil lamps or vilakkus, a ubiquitous element in Hindu temples, domestic shrines, and homes were incorporated into the rituals of early Christian converts in Kerala, a telling example of enculturation. The lamps used in Christian households, especially in St Thomas traditions, are often identical in form and crafted using the same processes as their traditional Hindu counterparts and are also lit during the daily prayers held each morning and evening. Brass lamps may also be placed in the front of the house during church festivals and on days when religious processions are held.