The art of stone
carving developed in India a little later when
compared to woodcarving. India has a huge
resource of different varieties of stones and our
skilled craftsmen fuse life into them. The Indian
craftsman’s mastery over stone is best revealed
in the architecture and sculptures found in Khajuraho temples. The intricate carvings found
at Sanchi are among the finest found anywhere in
the world. Gaya, a pilgrim centre for the
Buddhists, also has an ancient tradition of stone
carving.
Guilds of masons and stone carvers have existed
here since the 7th century BC. Different types of
stones like, marble, soapstone, sand stone are
used by craftsmen in India. The act of carving
the deity was considered as an act of worship and
was considered as a sacred ritual. Stone temples
are built even today. Sthapathis of Tamil Nadu as
well as the somapuras of Gujarat and Rajasthan
are in good demand throughout the country.
Varanasi is an important centre for stone carving
work. Here a community of people, called the
Raidas, carry it out. Varansi, Hamirpur, Tehri
Garhwal and Bageshwar are famous for sculpture
whereas Banda is known for agate stone work.
Agra, in Uttar Pradesh, is famous for its
marble stone work. Many pieces like lattice
windows, mirror frames, carved brackets,
canopies, pendants and filigree works are
carved here. The craftsmen are famous for
their inlaid works. Mostly geometrical and
floral patterns are worked on using coloured
stones and semi-precious ones.
Rajasthan has a rich tradition of stone
carving even in the common domestic
buildings. Door-frames are commonly built of
red stones. Windows have stone trellis works
and even the supporting frame for the loom is
made of carved stones.
Jaipur is one of the most important centres
where a large community of stone-carvers
carve deities in marble. Large commemorative
stones are a common sight in Rajasthan as
well as in Gujarat.
Orissa also has a tradition of stone carving.
Besides the main deity, they also carve
figures for the temple friezes. Nowadays soft
stones are used for carving small souvenir
items, which are meant for sales to the
tourists.
Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu deals with hard
granite stone carvings. There is also a
school for training the sthapathis according
to the rules of the ancient Shilpa Shastras.
In Karnataka, Devanahalli, a village near
Mysore produces carved figures in relief on
black stone. The figures appear to have
movement and strength in their postures. The
figures not only have the effect of light and
shade and a rounded form but also a linear
quality.
Durgi, in Andhra Pradesh, is another carving centre where large nandis, bulls and
local deity images are carved.
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