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Wherever she goes, Sathya Reddy spreads light on the importance of lamps in worship. Without a flicker of doubt, she adheres to the view that lighting oil lamps in an attitude of devotion can bring prosperity and wellness. A month seldom goes by without Sathya lighting an array of lamps at a temple. Sticking to proper form, she uses lamps specific to the deity or the festival.

When Sathya chooses her lamps, religious significance is not the only consideration. She is in pursuit of aesthetic appeal too. The lamps come in a bewildering variety of designs. Made of material ranging from terracotta to silver, these lamps cover a wide price band.

She is aware of every lamp sale in the city. “I know when the major lamp sales take place. For example, I know Sankara Hall will witness a sale during Karthigai Deepam. Scanning the papers for lamp exhibitions and visiting Poompuhar (on Mount Road) regularly, I don’t miss a thing.”

Into this collection for 15 years, Sathya has the expertise to spot differences in lamps, from one region to another. She points out that kuthu villakus from Kerala are shorn of embellishments on the top, in contrast to those from Tamil Nadu.

Thanks to her ability to arrange different lamps in a manner that brings out their contrasting designs, Sathya is a ready choice for many TV channels seeking to highlight festivals like Karthigai Deepam. During such occasions, she prefers to stay on the sidelines and let her lamps hog the limelight.“The lamps matter, not the collector” is her explanation.

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