By Manvi Malhotra
Dancing Girl(Mohenjodaro), Ashoka Pillar(Sarnath), Nataraj(Chola Bronzestatue) and Buddha Statue(Sarnath).
These very famous sculptures of our country would have definitely caught your attention as they are well known and have been beautifully sculpted and intricated. Majority of our population is able to recognize and quickly create an image in their minds by just a mention of their name. However, there are many villages and countrysides in our country which serve as home to beautifully intricated sculptures with years of devotion and diligence, but are not yet fully recognized and not many people know about them.
A small village of Shivarpatna in Taluk of Malur of district Kolar is home to stone carving and idols of gods and goddesses. Shivarpatna which itself is synonym to the word “sculpture” is home to around 300 families who have been continuing this age-old family tradition of stone carving. When one first enters the village, one feels the constant noise of hammering, chiselling, polishing and is greeted with craftsmen who have spent years of devotion into putting life to the sculpture. The sculptors of Shivarpatna find their inspiration not only from their forefathers but also from nature. Mr.Ramanath from Sri Sai Sculptures has shared with us his experience as a sculptor and the hurdles they face behind the perfect and happy mask of the sculptures they create. The stones are selected based on their texture such as Mysore Soft Stone which is used in houses, hospitals and the other type is of Chitradurga Black stone which is used in Temples for Abhishek. The selected stones then undergo the process of stone cutting, some artisans and craftsmen do not even require the use of marks on the stone owing to their age-old expertise and experience. After the stones are cut, it undergoes the process of rubbing. Working on the facial expression is the most crucial and important part of the whole process as bhavas form a integral part. According to the source, around 70-80% of the time is consumed in making the facial expressions to make it look seamless. The final process includes polishing to embellish the final look.
Over the years, there has been a shift from the manual mode to the machine mode. With upgraded tools, sculpting has grown easier, more efficient and less time consuming. The sculptors of Shivarpatna face major problem in procuring raw materials. They also say that their work is not much recognized. To exhibit their work of art, they take part in exhibitions too such as Chitrakala. After visiting the village that is filled with unique art and the emotions that are aptly represented through stones, it is deeply saddening to see our culture, our tradition and our art being lost in the fast-paced world. If we fail to recognize these craftsmen who truly put life into form, we as humans might slowly turn into the sculptures they create.
