Hand Engraved Brass Chowki, 5 kg

Name: Hand Engraved Brass Chowki, 5 kg
Brand: PEETAL PARAMPARA
SKU: PP-BR-POO-CHO-046
Price: 11599.0 INR
Availability: InStock

A brass chowki with an engraved top plate set into a collar over a pierced apron.

Rs. 11,599.00

Price includes GST.

Weight: 5,000g

Material: Brass, unlacquered, cast legs under a sheet body
Finish: Polished, with the engraved lines darker than the ground
Technique: Hand engraved top plate over an apron pierced in scrolling openwork
Seat: Flat engraved plate seated inside a raised collar, seam visible at the rim
Use: Stands a murti, a kalash or an aarti thali clear of the mandir shelf
In the box: 1 brass chowki

Check delivery to your PIN code

Estimated, not a guarantee. Dispatched from Guwahati, Monday to Saturday.

Each piece is shaped and finished by hand, so small differences in weight, size, finish and surface marking are normal and no two are identical. Colour on screen can differ from the metal in daylight. Handmade in India.

The top is a separate engraved plate dropped into a raised collar, and the seam where the two meet stays visible along the rim. A rosette sits at the centre of the plate inside a ring of sun rays, with flower medallions ringing that, then band after band of fine cut line out to a scalloped border. Under the collar the apron is cut through in scrolling openwork, so light passes under the platform and the weight comes down through the legs rather than the skirt. The legs are cast leaf brackets that curl outward and flare into splayed feet, and at 5 kg nothing shifts when a murti is set down on it.

Technique

Hand Engraved

What is it?

A chowki is the low flat platform a murti or a kalash is stood on inside a mandir, lifting the figure clear of the shelf so it is seen at eye level and the shelf underneath stays clean. A chowki has no back.

Also known as a bajot, pooja chowki, pital singhasan, mandir murti stand or idol platform.

What is in the box?

1 brass chowki

How do I look after it?

Wash by hand with a mild dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge. Dry fully with a cloth before putting it away — water left standing is what causes spotting.
Brass darkens. It reacts with air and with the oils on your hands, and a piece in daily use will dull within weeks. That is the metal telling you it is not plated.
To bring the shine back: a paste of lemon juice and salt, or tamarind pulp, or a proprietary brass cleaner. Rub, rinse, dry. Two minutes.
Do not use steel wool, scouring pads or bleach.
Not dishwasher safe. Not microwave safe.
If you would rather it stayed dark, leave it alone — a settled patina protects the surface.

How was it made?

Hand Engraved

Handmade in India

Every piece finished by hand

Solid metal

No plating, nothing to chip

Weighed and listed

In grams, on almost every page

Tin lining stated

Where a vessel is lined, we say so

Questions about this piece

Is this brass solid or plated?

Solid. It weighs 5,000 g. Cast legs and a heavy engraved plate account for that, and plated sheet at the same width would be a fraction of the number, so a kitchen scale settles it.

Will it look exactly like the photograph?

No two match. The engraving is cut by hand, so the bands do not close at the same point on every plate, and the polish takes light differently across the top.

Is this the same as a singhasan?

No. A singhasan has a raised arched back for the murti to sit against. The chowki is a flat platform with no back, so a figure of any height can stand on it.

How do I clean it after pooja?

Lift the murti off, wipe the plate with a dry cloth and take the oil and roli out of the cut lines with a soft dry brush. Water left standing in the engraving will mark the brass.

Will the engraving hold dirt?

Roli, oil and ash settle into the cut lines. A dry brush lifts most of it. Do not soak the plate, because water sitting in the engraving dries as a dull ring.

Will it mark my shelf?

The feet are bare cast brass carrying 5,000 g on a small footprint. Set a cloth or a mat under it on wood or polished stone if you would rather not have the marks.

Will it tarnish?

Yes. Unlacquered brass darkens as it is handled. A dry cloth keeps the raised surfaces bright, and many households let the low engraved lines stay dark so the pattern still reads.