Vadodara: Charkha , synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi 's ideals has faded into history, and a handful in Vadodara use the spinning wheel regularly. However, there is one man who not only uses it but also possesses the rare skill to repair it—a craft born from years of personal experience. At 66, Bakul Shah , a committed Gandhian, is the only person in the city who can mend charkhas.
His expertise stems from decades of spinning, which has given him an intimate understanding of the instrument's mechanics. Shah's tryst with the charkha began as a child when he was a student at Swaraj Ashram in Vedchhi in Tapi district. He first started spinning the wheel in third grade and has continued the practice to this day.
Now, driven by a deep commitment to keeping the tradition alive, he not only spins but also teaches others and repairs charkhas purely out of passion. "My father, Bhagwanji Shah, was a teacher at the Vedchhi Ashram, and he played an important role in fostering my interest in the charkha and the Sarvodaya Movement that Mahatma Gandhi started," recalls Shah. "He taught PTC and later B.
Ed. students at the school, where spining the charkha was compulsory until class 11. His influence inspired me to carry forward this practice," added Shah.
Though the charkha is not a complex instrument, Shah says that only someone who has spun regularly can truly understand and fix it when needed. "Very few people spin these days, and that's why there are so few who can repair the instrument,.
