Stone carving in Odisha

Konark Stone Carving
Geographical indication
Alternative names	Konark Stone Carving (କୋଣାର୍କ ପଥର ଖୋଦେଇ)
Type	Handcraft, Stone
Area	Konark, Puri district, Odisha
Country	India
Material	Handcraft

Stone carving and sculpting is an ancient practice in the Indian state of Odisha. Stone carving is practiced by artisans mainly in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Lalitgiri in the Cuttack district, though some carvings can be found in Khiching in the Mayurbhanj District. Stone carving is one of the major handcrafts of Odisha. The art form primarily consists of custom carved works, with the Sun Temple of Konark and its intricate sculpture and delicate carvings on the red vivid sandstone exemplifying the superb workmanship of the artisans of Odisha. Other noteworthy monuments include the Stupas of Udayagiri and Ratnagiri and the temples at Jagannath, Lingaraj, Mukteshwar and as well as other temples in the region.

The artisans of Odisha were comfortable working with a variety of materials.

Natural Stones

Different types of stones such as sandstone, soapstone, Serpentinite, Makrana marble, and granite were used in Konark Stone Carving. Skillful artists may use the delicate soft white soapstone, Khadipathara, or the slightly harder greenish chlorite or Kochilapathara. Rocks such as the pinkish Khandolite, Sahanapathara or Baulapathara, and the hardest of all, black granite and Mugu Nipa Hara are also commonly used.

Procedure

Whether the stone is hard or soft, an outline of sorts is first drawn on the cut-to-size stone. Once the outline is engraved (indicating the shape), the final figure is brought out by removing the unwanted portions. For the harder stones, it is done by chiseling out the extra material. With softer stones, it is done by scraping out the extra material with a sharp flat-edged iron tool. Hammers and chisels of various sizes are used (e.g. the muna, patili, martual, thuk-thuki and nitana).

Products

Carvings are often traditional images, including mythological figures. Utilitarian items like candle stands, pen stands, paperweights, bookends, lamp bases, and stoneware utensils are also created. Following the simple process of turning and polishing, by using a local wooden lathe called Kunda, the craftsmen produce beautiful polished plates (Thali), containers (gina, pathuri), cups and glasses. These are used for Pujas and ritual worships as well, for regular eating. Stoneware containers are particularly good for storing curd as they do not react to acid. They are also filled with water and used for placing the legs of wooden almirahs to prevent ants from getting in.