Hanging oil lamp has been the simplest of the innovations made by our forefathers, to generate light. In those days, they used to suspend it from the ceiling, for better illumination.
Oil was the only source of fuel, which was used in this simplest of all lighting devices of the earlier generations. These were also adaptable to using alcohol and other spirits, if oil was not available. History reveals that lamps were some of the earliest forms of light in the eighteenth century.
Even now, wherever they are used, probably for aesthetic purposes, more than the utility factor, the structure of the hanging oil lamp has not altered much. The fuel is held in a deep receptacle, in which the wick is placed. The wick will be lit immediately as one brings a lit match to the tip of the wick. Due to the presence of the fuel in the receptacle, the lamp will produce high flames. The length of the wick is then adjusted to increase the wattage of the oil lamp. The whole device is enclosed in a glass casing, to prevent the light from blowing out, as gusts of wind keep blowing all around it.
The Hanging oil lamps are symbols of the past and have a special relevance in history. History is full of anecdotes of the lamps and lamps play an important role in stories like the Arabian nights, the Aladdin’s lamp and the lamp of Florence Nightingale, which she used as she moved from one wounded solider to the next, while performing her noble service. That is why she was called the ‘the lady with the lamp’
Today also, the oil lamps are significant. They are tested and proven alternatives during power cuts and emergencies, especially in the rural areas.