CRAFTS
A continuing tradition
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`Stone Craft of India does not read like a textbook nor is it highly academic, thereby making it interesting for lay people.'
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AN ambitious project such as this could only be undertaken by crafts professionals supported ably by crafts NGOs or government agencies. Neelam Chhibber tells us that it is important to document stone craft that is scattered across the length and breadth of India. The study not only presents an overview, but a comprehensive, in-depth essay on the thousands of stone craftsmen, some of whom are trapped in layers of obscurity facing conditions of severe impoverishment. The book is all the more valuable since stone craftspersons outnumber those in any other craft.
The Office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, New Delhi sponsored the original survey and documentation on which these two volumes are based and Crafts Council of India, Chennai, took charge of the production. The Council's study was conducted by a team of professionals from the National Institute of Design led by Neelam Chhibber.
Abundance of material
The knowledge of the variety of stone available in India and sourcing them can be traced to our shilpa shastras. The oldest monuments which still exist are living proof that the study by the traditional artisan has been scientific and that the best raw material has been sourced. The Indian sub-continent boasts of an abundance of stone in a multitude of forms.
In the first volume, the author takes the reader through "understanding the quality of stone and its various types". Stone is classified into building stone and soft and hard stone for carving and sculpture. Exploring traditional guilds, one comes across stone products of everyday use like grinding stones, lamps, cattle water troughs and so on, right to the intricate jallis and architectural products like balustrades and ornate door frames. Ritual stone objects for the temple and the puja room were made with utter devotion and a classic example is the modular granite temple lamps made in Thrissur, Kerala.
The Vaastru Shastra, which carries a deep understanding of philosophy, science and art, educates the shilpi. Armed with this discipline, he is engaged in temple sculptures, each of which are executed with mathematical precision according to the precepts laid down in the shastras. The designing architect is called the stapathi who is revered by his pupils.
By the Seventh Century, the art of building with dressed stone masonry was born. Rock-cut architecture was seen in Maharashtra in Ajanta, Ellora and Aurangabad. Methods changed in the course of time. For instance, in the Gupta and Chalukya period of 450 -750 AD, chiselling was done on the carved decoration instead of preparing it at the quarry. The Pallavas impacted to a large extent the history of South India, a fine example being the Shore Temple at Mammallapuram. The Chola architecture expresses its maturity in the Brihadeeshwara Temple, besides others, in Thanjavur.
Temple architecture has been classified into two main styles — the Indo Aryan styles of the North and the Dravidian of the South. The Chalukyan style emerged as being very distinctive and most of the buildings took place under the Hoysalas. The Halebid temple is the highest achievement of the Hoysala school. No book on stone would be complete without mention of the Indo-Islamic architecture, which was predominant from the 12th Century onwards. New styles appeared on the Indian horizon during the reign of the Khiljis, Tughlaks and Lodis. The Mughals, who were always great patrons of art and craft, significantly contributed to stone craftsmanship, an example being the magnificent Fatehpur Sikri during Akbar's reign. Stone used for contemporary products are illustrated along with hand tools used by the artisans.
In the second volume, significant stone craft traditions are highlighted along with raw material resources. The craft pockets visited by the research team are profiled and the entire gamut of information made available, like number of craftsmen, raw material sources, products, marketing and problems faced by them. Production procedures across granite, marble, sandstone and soapstone, along with case studies complete the picture.
Each state has been documented as a rich source of stone: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkand and Manipur; and it seems that every state has its own story to tell in terms of the spectacular images that have been created by stone artistes who deserve to be venerated.
Not academic
The visuals are so powerful and compelling that you want to reach out and touch these products, so lovingly and devotionally created. Stone Craft of India does not read like a textbook nor is it highly academic, thereby making it interesting for lay people. These volumes would be invaluable in libraries and particularly useful for architects and interior design offices, for, the variety of stone documented is mind boggling and helps source design and form.
Though stone is not practical to use in the modern kitchen due to its bulk and difficulty in maintenance, present day craft enthusiasts contemporarise traditional products. As an example, the humble kal chattis and unwieldy vessels used in the old days in soft stone, has now evolved into exquisite tableware unique in its ethnicity. Taking tradition forward and not allowing skills to languish should be the aim of every craft activist today.
The idea of this whole exercise is to present a comprehensive picture to governmental development agencies, NGOs and the private sector and to acquaint architects, interior designers and craft enthusiasts of what is available in the country and to help the craftspersons by using the vast repertoire of stone wealth in the country.
SABITA RADHAKRISHNA
Stone Craft of India (Two Volumes), Neelam Chhibber, Crafts Council of India, 2004, Vol. I, p.260, Vol. II, p.285, Rs. 6000.
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