The Engineering Posture
The project does not claim to invent candle-making or waste recovery. It adapts known processes to a sacred, variable material stream and makes the records public enough to be questioned.
The problem is fast, respectful collection in a crowded sacred setting while preserving location, time, weight, and photo evidence.
Latest approved logs show 41 kg diverted and 42 candles produced. The selected node draws from field logs, production batches, inventory records, or payroll records depending on where it sits in the system.
Published Research
Optimizing Rural Water Quality Using Indigenous Plant-Based Coagulants: A Comparative Analysis
Moulik Jain's article is published in Convergence Journal, Volume 1, Issue 4, dated 07 November 2025. It is embedded from the journal's official article PDF so the project evidence stays source-backed.
The Named Machinery
| Machine | Indicative capex | Engineering justification |
|---|---|---|
| Tray dryer | Rs 35,000-60,000 | Controls moisture after sun drying and reduces weather dependence. |
| Pulveriser | Rs 18,000-35,000 | Produces a consistent particle size before wax binding. |
| Microwave binder | Rs 12,000-24,000 | Stabilises small experimental batches before scaling. |
| Moulding press | Rs 20,000-48,000 | Improves shape repeatability and reduces defects. |
| Packaging line | Rs 10,000-25,000 | Keeps finished goods clean, counted, and ready for revenue tracking. |
The Iteration Log
Segregation
First: Single mixed basket from each collection point.
Observed: Plastic thread and leaves contaminated drying trays.
Refined: Two-bin ghat sorting with a photo before transfer.
Drying
First: Sun drying only.
Observed: Weather made moisture content unpredictable.
Refined: Sun drying followed by controlled tray drying.
Pulverising
First: Manual grinding after drying.
Observed: Particle size varied and created weak candle surfaces.
Refined: Small pulveriser with sieve check before mixing.
Mixing and binding
First: High petal share to maximise diversion claim.
Observed: Candles cracked and produced inconsistent burn.
Refined: Documented 1:5 ratio for the first stable batch.
Public metrics
First: Manual impact numbers on the website.
Observed: Claims could drift from field logs.
Refined: Dashboard reads only approved collection logs and production batches.
Replication Toolkit