New Delhi: BJP President has unveiled the world’s largest wooden charkha at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The four-tonne charkha is made by 42 carpenters in 55 days, of high-quality Burma teak wood and is estimated to last for over 50 years.
It is 9 feet wide, 17 feet tall and 30 feet long. The order to make the spinning wheel was given to Paryog Samiti, a Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) unit, near Sabarmati Ashram. Delhi, being the national Capital, was initially selected for the charkha because all foreign embassies are here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “The charkha is a symbol of our glorious heritage, and an inspiring reminder of our freedom struggle, led by the father of the Nation — Mahatma Ganndhi. I am sure the charkha will serve to remind travellers at the IGI airport of India’s timeless heritage and the values of sustainability and harmony that it stands for.”
“Charkha, like the memorial to unknown soldiers, is memorial to the unknown rural masses, who heard the call of the father of the nation and took to the demonstrated ways of self-reliance and dignity of labour,” said VK Saxena, KVIC Chairman.