Additional information
THE FRAME
The front face is cut as a jali — the pierced lattice screen used in Indian
temple and haveli architecture to filter light and air. Here it does exactly that
job: with the internal lighting on, the pattern of the lattice is thrown out onto
the wall around the frame, so the piece lights its own corner rather than sitting
flat against it. At the centre, a scalloped mehrab arch opens into the recess,
giving the idols a doorway to stand in instead of a background to sit against.
Below the arch, a cut swastik flanked by two vertical bars, backlit by the same
concealed lighting.
The box is 2 inches deep, which is what allows the interior to be a genuine
three-dimensional scene rather than a printed image behind glass.
THE BOTANICALS
The greenery is real reindeer moss, preserved rather than dried — treated so it
holds the texture, softness and colour it had when harvested. It is no longer
living, which is the point: it will never need water, will never need sunlight,
will never grow leggy or drop leaves, and will not attract insects, because there
is no soil and no moisture anywhere in the piece. The flower clusters worked into
the moss are preserved in the same way.
Kept indoors and out of direct sun, the botanicals hold their colour for three
years and more.
THE IDOLS AND THE LIGHT
Goddess Lakshmi stands on a lotus base to the left, Lord Ganesha to her right,
both cast in gold-toned metal with the halo and ornament detail picked out.
Warm-white LED lighting is built into the box and hidden from view — you see the
glow on the moss, the gold and the wall, never the source. A slim cable runs out
from the side, so the piece can be positioned near any point.
WHERE TO PUT IT
It hangs from a single nail on the sawtooth hook fitted to the back panel, and it
also stands upright on a flat surface, which makes it as workable on a mandir
shelf or a reception counter as on a wall. It suits an entrance foyer, a pooja
corner, a study, a cabin, a shop counter or a reception desk. Keep it away from
direct sunlight, away from bathrooms and damp exterior walls, and at a safe
distance from open flame.
FOR CORPORATE ORDERS — PERSONALISATION
The piece can be personalised, but not everywhere on it, and this is worth being
specific about.
The right surface is the 2-inch side edge of the box. It is hard, flat, wide
enough for a wordmark, and — crucially — it is not in the sightline to the
idols. A small brushed brass plaque mounted flush on that edge is the cleanest
route and reads as premium; direct laser engraving into the walnut-stained MDF
is also possible, though on a dark stain the burn gives a subtle tone-on-tone
mark rather than a high-contrast one, so a metallic UV print is the better choice
if legibility matters.
The back panel takes a larger dedication or a "presented by" line, though it is
hidden once the piece is on a wall — better suited to a message than to a logo.
Two surfaces we would advise against. The lower front panel is flat and would
take a mark, but it sits directly beneath the deities, and a company logo in that
position reads poorly to a lot of recipients. And nothing is ever applied to the
moss, the flowers or the idols themselves.
For most corporate Diwali programmes, the strongest option is to leave the piece
itself unbranded and carry the identity on the outer gift box and an accompanying
card — the gift stays purely devotional, and the brand is still unmistakably
present at the moment of opening.