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Of Gods and their creators

Skilful sculptors at Tirupparankundram create impressive images on stones, writes S.S.KAVITHA

PHOTO: K. GANESAN

DEDICATED Transforming stones into beautiful sculptures.

Granite and marble statues of famous political leaders look out from every nook and corner of Temple City. Ever wondered who makes these statues? Go down Tiruparankundram Road in Pasumalai and you'll find the

`factories' which make these statues by dime a dozen.

Sadly, they are located in dingy rooms and yet the workers cannot stop themselves from chiselling the stones.

Rich experience

With five decades of experience behind three generations, C. Ramu Aasari of Om Brahma Sculptures, says aptitude, skill, experience and above all dedication are the pre-requisites for sculptors. "My father is my Guru. He taught me this art."

Unlike other sculptors in the city, Mr. Ramu distinguishes himself by carving statues of Gods and renowned personalities. He counts the statues of Kuberar Temple at Vandalur as his masterpiece.

How did he develop a love for sculpture? Mr. Ramu, with a proud smile, says he belongs to the Aasari family, "who are born to give shapes to the Almighty."

Variety of stones

Listing out variety of stones they work on, he says the `Pennukuriyakal,' a soft stone is best for carving deities while `Aanvarkakal' a hard stone that creates `gana gana' sound are suitable for making gopuram, pillar, roof, mandapam etc.

A good stone should have no flaws - kalanga or stain, patch or spot. "If a task is given to me for creating images for worship, I dare not compromise with the quality of the stone. If it is for an aesthetic purpose, I don't mind using secondary quality. But the themes for most of the sculptures have always been religious in nature with a strong base in mythology and Puranic traditions.

In Madurai district, T. Subbulapuram near Andipatti is the best place to buy dark-coloured soft stones, he says.

Half-a-dozen sculptors on Tirupparankundram Road are seen immersed in their jobs of liberating the artwork imprisoned in unshaped stones by chipping, chiselling, grinding, painting, polishing, but all are eloquent on the question of arts' and artists' survival.

Commercial attitude

"The growing commercial attitude is a major threat to this art and occupation," S. Patturajan, another sculptor, opines and adds that "apart from that, the rising cost and transportation charges make it impossible for us to compromise on the price."

Though they give paramount importance to creative satisfaction and artistic expression and not for `business success,' they do compromise on quality for two reasons in selecting the kind of stone, finishing it off within a few

days for a work that needs months for completion, says Mr. Patturajan, who has been toiling with stones since his childhood days.

He says people are addicted to readymade culture and hence they want sculptures immediately, which is not feasible at all.

"Since we cannot change the society, we've changed ourselves."

"Unlike other forms of art, including paper painting, glass painting, woodcarving etc., stone carving requires concentration, patience, dedication, commitment and more importantly a spiritualistic approach, as mostly it deals with sculpting figures of deities.

A slight dent will cost much damage to your wallet, which is already in tatters.

"When asked about the sculptures most in demand, they opine that there is always a demand for Ganesha idols, the `muzhumuthat kadavul'.

Besides, these artists also engage themselves in engraving words on marble stones. "As long as people believe in Gods and temples, there will be a demand for sculptors," they say.

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