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The stone-carving tradition in India is one of the richest in the world.
Guilds of masons and stone carvers have existed here since the 7th century
B.C. The skills were handed down as family lore from father to son, a
practise prevalent in some parts of the country even today.
The classical tradition of stone carving was closely linked with
architecture. All major temples of India-be it Puri, Konark, Khajuraho,
Kailash Temple, or the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram-illustrate the rich
tradition of Indian stone carvings.
The geologically old land of Rajasthan, rich in different kinds of hard
rocks like granites, marbles, quartzite, slates, and other metamorphic
rocks, has been a stone-carver's paradise. Right from the medieval times,
the ready availability of high-quality stone (the use of brick was almost
unknown) made it easy for the Rajasthani builder to construct strong and
beautiful forts, palaces, and temples. The sculptures found in the ancient
and medieval temples of Bharatpur, Baroli, Ramgarh, Nagda, Ajmer, Chittor,
Mandore, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Udaipur speak highly of the artistic
skills of the Rajasthani stonecutters. Apart from temple carvings, the
stone carvers of Rajasthan are noted for their jali (latticework)
carvings. Most ancient palatial buildings of Rajasthan sport jali work on
their doors and windows. The jali screens, sculpted from both sandstone
and marble, were frequently used in the windows of the zenanas (women's
quarters) enabling the women in purdah to view the events of the courts
without being seen. The screens also offered protection from the elements
while allowing the passage of fresh air through the intricate geometric
patterns.
Rajasthan continues to be one of major centres of stone carving in the
country. The capital city Jaipur is the centre of marble carving in
Rajasthan. Here one can see artisans creating marble images of the deities
as well as domestic utensils such as bowls for grinding spices and
kneading dough. At Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Bikaner, one comes across
some very fine examples of the intricate jali work done on screens and
panels of the royal palaces.
The fine quality of marble and sandstone extracted from the numerous
quarries in the state had given rise to a tradition of stonemasons and
sculptors. The quarries at Makrana are quite famous, for it is from these
quarries that the marble used in the Taj Mahal was mined. Also built using
marble from Makrana mines were the exquisite Dilwara Jain temples at Mt
Abu. Rupbas (near Agra) and Karauli still produce the red sandstone that
was used by the Mughals to build their forts and palaces at Agra, Delhi,
and Fatehpur Sikri. In east Rajasthan, Kota produces grey stone for floor
making, Barmer produces yellow marble for delicate carvings, and Ajmer
produces granites.
The soft chromatic stone mined from the quarries of Dungarpur are used by
the stone carvers of the state for carving images of the deities. The
stone becomes black when oiled. As the subject matter of these images is
divine, the sculptors are required to work according to the guidelines
laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on sculpture
and architecture.
The religious themes are carved in stone all over the state. One can see
the lifelike images being skilfully sculptured in different varieties of
stone across the state. In Jaipur, white marble is used for carving out
statues of gods and goddesses as well as animal and human figures.
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