World's Largest Charkha @ Delhi Airport

Google Maps contribution stories
1

Delhi, India.

WORLD'S LARGEST WOODEN CHARKHA or spinning wheel at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
WORLD'S LARGEST WOODEN CHARKHA or spinning wheel at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi4160×3120 1.52 MB
IMG_20180502_141954.jpg
IMG_20180502_141954.jpg4160×3120 808 KB
I had come to Delhi to be with my son who was in ICU with HAPO – high altitude pulmonary oedema. Actually, he should have been the one to be with this group because he is crazy about travelling and meeting the locals and trying local cuisines. He and his friends attempted to climb the famous Indrahar Pass in the Himalayan ranges in Himachal Pradesh and reached just 200 meters below the summit when he ended up with severe lung complications because the team did not allow time for acclimatization to the height. Well, here I was in Delhi to take care of him.

On the way back to Dubai, saw this WORLD’S LARGEST CHARKHA in the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and now being a member of Local Guides Connect, thought of sharing with you all.

Charkha is a SPINNING WHEEL used in India for spinning cotton. You must have seen pictures of India’s Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi sitting cross legged on the floor spinning cotton with the Charkha. Mahatma Gandhi used it during the freedom struggle as a symbol of self- sufficiency and freedom.

This wooden charkha was made by 42 carpenters in 55 days and is displayed at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. It weighs 4 tonnes and is made of Burma teak wood. The charkha is placed at the departure forecourt between gate number 4 and 5.

Next time when going through Delhi Airport, don’t forget to catch a glimpse of this.

9 Likes
2

Thank you Dr.Indira for sharing this interesting information to the world of travellers and tourists.

1 Like
3

Thank you for sharing, @Indira_IllathuVala . In Bulgaria, we also had a similar tool, a lot smaller, of course. Many museums have it as exhibit nowadays. One of them is the Bulgarian history museum.

Is it still used in India for the sake of the custom like Gandhi did or is it used just as a reminder of the past customs? Where else could it be found?

1 Like
4

@IrrPavlova @Roykannur

I think it is more of symbolic, though I came across these interesting facts about the Charkha still spinning in India - Dr Sita Bimbrahw is conducting charkha spinning certification courses at Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhi. In Rajasthan, RS Hiremath’s e-charkhas help villagers power their homes as they spin yarn. In Chennai, VR Devika, a scholar on Gandhi `spins a yarn’ at schools. Thanks for making me check up these facts. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
5

Thank you for sharing them with us, @Indira_IllathuVala . They are indeed interesting. Just make sure you use as much as you can your own words when reading somewhere else.

For tips on creating your own great posts on Connect, please see How do I follow the original content guidelines on Connect?

1 Like