Sculptors at work to carve out a new town of Ambaji

Nearly 20 carvers from Makrana who travelled 470 kilometres across Rajasthan to Ambaji — one of the shaktipeeths in Gujarat’s Banaskantha — are part of a team of specialised stone carvers roped in to beautify the town of Ambaji.

Mohsin and Javed are part of a team of stone carvers between 23 and 36 years of age who have been working day and night, braving the weather, for 20 days now to meet the deadline, before the sculpture symposium is opened for public.

These are part of 10 symposiums to be conducted by the Stone Artisan Park Training Inst-itute (SAPTI), run by the Comm-issioner of Geology and Mining Industries and Mines Depart-ment, in Ambaji that has undertaken the project of beautification and revitalisation of the town.

At the end of 10 symposiums, of which six have been planned this year, 150 life-size sculptures will be ready.

“As a part of the multi-dimensional development of Ambaji, SAPTI is organising Shilpotsav — a series of stone sculpture symposiums. Following the second national sculpture symposium to conclude on August 8, there will be eight more symposiums, including an international one scheduled in October. The sculptures prepared during these symposiums will be part of project revitalisation of Ambaji,” Roopwant Singh, Commissioner of Geology and Mining told The Indian Express.

The sculptures made and exhibited during the symposiums will also be part of an elaborate sculpture museum in Ambaji that has been conceptually approved under the revitalisation project of the town.

The Emerging Stone and Sculpture Museum is being planned on 10 acres of land in the abandoned marble mines around GMDC ground near SAPTI campus. The museum will host an Interpretation Centre, Experience Centre and open galleries with different themes.

“It gives immense satisfaction and happiness when people from every corner of the country get to see your work and appreciate it,” says Aarif Hussain another carver from Makrana.

“My father was into mining in Makrana from where I picked up this work. My family of three children and elderly parents is in Makrana,” adds the 32-year-old carver with a secondary certificate adds as he gets back into carving “Gateway to Divinity”, an interactive sculpture by Shantanu Shastry, faculty at SAPTI.
Taking cue from the small clay maquette, Sarfaraz Ahmed (24) follows instructions of his sculptor Kosal Kumar as they work on “Burger Yoga”.

All part of the second symposium — Shilpakriti — that began at SAPTI Ambaji campus on July 20 and will be on till August 8.

“The symposiums will provide a platform for the general masses to witness the process of stone carving and sculpture making unlike the existing trend of seeing the finished product. The colloquiums will further connect the masses with the cultural and historical significance of Ambaji. This will also create an ownership among the public when these sculptures will be placed across the town,” said Nikhil Bhatt, principal and centre director, SAPTI Ambaji.

As briefed from the state as well as central government, the broad theme of the symposiums is based on spirituality, says SAPTI director Veena Padhia, adding that this includes yoga, symbolic representation of the human spirit, courage, aspirations as well as manifestation of geometry in sculpture.

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Stone Artisan Park Training Institute (SAPTI) was established by the Industries and Mines Department and the Office of Commissioner of Geology and Mining Gujarat in 2009, under the Gujarat State Mineral Policy, 2003, to impart professional stone art training to potential youth of state and carry forward its valuable heritage of stone art and architecture.

The office of the Commissioner Geology and Mining has set up a State Nodal Unit and two artisan parks — one in Ambaji and the other in Dhrangadhra, Surendranagar. SAPTI-Ambaji in North Gujarat focuses on marble while SAPTI-Dhrangadhra in the Saurashtra focuses on sandstone.