This Xmas, spare a thought for the blind

Neha / TNN / Dec 22, 2005, 00:52 IST

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Made of braille paper, the luminous tree is the centre of attraction in the lobby of Maurya Sheraton.

This Xmas, spare a thought for the blind

NEW DELHI: This Christmas tree is special. Not green but beige, not the conventional leafy plant but pierced with innumerous tiny holes emitting light. Made of braille paper, the luminous tree is the centre of attraction in the lobby of Maurya Sheraton.
Standing seven-feet tall with a diameter of five feet, the theme behind it goes much beyond the size.Inspired from the tree of light, it is the use of braille paper in its construction that makes it different.
Its aim �� reminding every onlooker to spare a thought for the special people in this world during the festive season. Inspired by the shadow puppets of Arunachal Pradesh, numerous leather cut-outs of mythological figures have been designed on the paper by craftsmen from Arunachal and Agra.
Brightening the area with light shining through the dotted outlines on its surface, the tree is a reminder of the missing light in the lives of millions of these special people.

The irony is, the same tools that blinded four-year-old Louis Braille and years later, inspired him to create the Braille alphabet, have been used to make the beautiful tree.
The gift boxes under the tree are also wrapped in Braille paper, decorated with leaves of Mango and Peepal trees, both of which are an integral part of Indian customs and rituals.
The colourless tree also signifies the many individuals who visualise the colours of life in deeper dimensions, as different from visible colours.
Said Pratima Vasan, PRO, Maurya Sheraton: "Thirteen such trees have been designed by craftsmen who have been working on them since October.
They were given the paper which they took back home and brought to us the desired finished product. The hopes and underlying message being reflected is a sincere desire to share a vision to brighten the world."

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