Now, an e-charkha that can light up your home

Bangalore: It's been an integral part of our freedom struggle and now the spinning wheel or the charkha is all set to get re-launched in a new avtaar — the e-charkha.
The man behind the wheel, R S Hiremath says the e-charkha is special as it not only produces yarn, but it also lights up the users home.
"When you turn the handle to produce yarn, a part of the power that you put in is taken by the generator, so the generator also starts turning and this in turn produces electricity, which can be stored in a battery which is within the e-charkha. After that you can use the stored electricity to operate a light or a radio," says Hiremath.
The invention has caught the fancy of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
The Commission plans to introduce 2 lakh pieces of the e-charkha at khadi weaving centres across the country.

Spinning the charkha for about two hours gives back-up power for six to seven hours of basic lighting and it comes at a moderate price of Rs 3000.
"This will have a very different impact on the rural society. One, there will be light for the housewife to cook properly and secondly, there will be light for children to read," says Hiremath.
Gandhiji once said that the spinning wheel to him represents the hope of the masses. Perhaps with different and revamped versions of the good old Charkha hitting the market, it's the hopes and dreams of the Mahatma that can be fulfilled.