This post is all about this orient table fan. This fan is from my Amma Babu[ parents- mother, father] home for as long as I can remember, even the blue red electric wire is the old one. This fan used to be out of its cover only during summer months. My Amma had stitched a round cover with the provision of putting string inside gap at the end which can be tightened to close it completely. It was sky blue cotton cloth over which she had stitched remains of a plastic table cloth,red yellow flowers on white background. At the end of summers the fan was cleaned properly, oiled and put inside cover and then to attic for rest of the year. During the summer months, come Sunday and my Babu would sit with the bottle of oil and a rag to clean and oil the fan. His that frame comes alive to my mind even today. Completely engrossed in the process he used to handle it with such care and love that it became apparent how he valued it.
That generation survived on minimum of things and maximum of sharing. They valued their possessions.They cherished their relations.
That day we took out this fan after I don’t know how many years. Sunder dusted it and we simply put the plug in socket and lo, it moved smoothly.No servicing, nothing was required. Enjoying it’s breeze I could inhale the fragrance of their love, care and my those lovely, carefree days.
Most of the people of that generation were honest to their commitments and prided themselves in executing their work properly.
The machinery inside this fan must be of an outstanding quality that it runs smoothly without any servicing and least care even after more than forty years.
Development is must but we need to revive certain values if we really want to leave something lasting for generations to come.

 

Pics by Sunder Iyer