The Watchman Project — Build an autonomous monitoring system for a sacred flame

At Fidus Central, my office in Chandigarh, there is a room called Paunahari.Fidus.

Inside it, an akhand jyot has been burning since March 2025 -- lit during the last Navratras. It has not gone out once. It cannot go out.

I am a mechatronics engineer. I am never in one place -- multiple ventures, multiple cities, active training schedule. There is no watchman.

The variables are real: wick condition, ghee level, weather, cold winter nights, long travel days.

Build a system that monitors the health of this flame and alerts me before it is too late.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE BUILT (V1):
- Detects flame health -- not just presence or absence
- Monitors intensity, stability, and ghee level indicators
- Sends a phone alert before the flame is in danger
- Runs autonomously. No manual check required. No human in the loop.

WHAT A WINNING SUBMISSION LOOKS LIKE:
- Working hardware installed and running at Fidus Central, Chandigarh
- Alert reaches my phone reliably -- tested over minimum 72 hours
- False positive rate is low enough to trust
- Documentation of the build: components, wiring, code, setup instructions
- Build cost within Rs. 3,500 (hardware covered by Fidus Synergies)

This is not a simulation. Not a prototype on a desk. A real flame. A real room. A real dare.