Carved Tiger

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Carved Tiger
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Traditional and indigenous art forms in India are a neglected lot. On the one hand there are dealers making a quick buck selling "art" in bulk in countries outside India. On the other hand are the impoverished artisans, fighting to survive in this world of "Chinese made" resin art. In between these two the art forms have started disappearing.

Can this situation be salvaged? Many art enthusiasts have tried to answer this difficult question with varying degrees of success. A prominent way to change the situation for the better - is the NGO route. Various NGOs (Non Government Organisations) in India have taken up the cause of impoverished artisans from rural India. But where they lack is creative vision. Their objective is "jobs for the artisans" and they do not have any proactive approach of building and encouraging creative endeavor. The net result is that they produce run of the mill, standard art pieces which saturate the market and diminish the value of the art form.

There has also been some activity on the Schools and Education front. Government sponsored colleges and schools have had courses in traditional art in the past. But even here the focus here is dissemination of a skill set, and not creative vision. Creative vision is a difficult thing to quantify and teach. Especially for the inept teachers and educationalists that fill up the benches in government run colleges.

There is another way to revive these art forms, and this will hold the best chance for survival for the indigenous art forms. This method involves the collaboration between the traditional artists and the urban and contemporary artists. Various components from traditional art can be used in contemporary art. And while this is happening the rural artists can benefit from the creative vision of the urban artists.

Industrial design is another place where traditional artists could be used. There are various objects of daily use which can be adapted to carry a bit of our heritage in the form of designs and motifs. Cellphone cases, PC cases made of carved wood and digital photo frames with wood carved frames are a few examples of such adaptation. There is great scope in this direction, for the emancipation of the rural artists.

In the coming few years it will interesting to see if activities in this direction increase. For that to happen our great "Indian Handicraft Dealers" will have to abandon their narrow "bulk deal" oriented mindset and innovate with the help of the artists.

web: http://www.rareindianart.com blog: http://www.surajitray.com

An avid art and handicraft enthusiast.

Mahapalipuram

Introduction:

    Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

About sculpture:

 The temples of Mamallapuram, built largely during the regions of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The mandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are  from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed what makes Mamallapuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates.

 All but one of the rathas from the first phase of Pallava architecture are modelled on the Budhist viharas or monasteries and chaitya halls with several cells arranged around a courtyard. Art historian Percy Brown, in fact, traces the possible roots of the Pallava Mandapa to the similar rock-cut caves of Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. Referring to Narasimhavarman's victory in AD 642 over the Chalukyan king Pulakesin II, Brown says the Pallava king may have brought the sculptors and artisans back to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as 'spoils of war'.

 The monuments of Mahabalipuram are picturesquely situated close to the sea about 55 km south of Madras. Most of the magnificent monuments of this ancient sea port were built during the reign of Narasimhavarman I & II(630-728 A.D.) of the Pallava dynasty. The monuments at mahabalipuram can be grouped as: (i) Monolithic temples constructed in the style of rathas or chariots, (ii) caves by excavating the hills for temples called mandapa, (iii) the masonry temples, and (iv) sculptured scenes or carved hill edge.

 

   

 It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style. These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ. While excavating Khajuraho Alex Evans a stone mason and sculptor recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandsstone, which is softer than granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. the carving at Mahabalipuram must have required hundreds of highly skilled sculptors.

 

 

Caves

 There are nine rock-cut cave temples. The Mahishasuramardhini cave, contrasting the goddess fighting a demon on one side, and Lord Vishnu's cosmic sleep on the other, is a particularly remarkable.

Krishna Mandapam

 This cave has a big bas-relief, notable for its realistic representation. The panel relates one of the stories of Lord Krishna.

Five Rathas

 These rock-cut temples are rated as excellent examples of Pallava art. Shaped in different styles, the five structures are named after the Pandava brothers of the Mahabharatha and Draupadi. These are monolithic temples, each created in a different style. They are also known as the Pancha Pandava Rathas, and the four of the rathas are supposed to have been scooped out of a single rock formation.

 

The Shore Temple

 This is one of the oldest temples in South India. It belongs to the 8th Century A.D. and is a good example of the first phase of the structure of temples constructed in the Dravidian style.

Other Interesting Monuments

 The Ganesha Ratha, the Varaha Cave, the Old Light House, Krishna's Butter Ball, Gopi's Churn, Valayankuttai Ratha, Kodikal Mandapam, are some of the other monuments that catch a person’s interest.

Varaha Cave

 This is a small rock-cut mandapam featuring four panels of fine looking door-keepers and four interesting bas-relief.

Krishna's Butter Ball

 The huge boulder near the Ganesha Ratha is popularly known as Krishna's butterball. It rests precariously on a narrow rock base. It is believed that several Pallava kings have attempted to move the stone, but legend is that neither the kings nor their elephants could shift the boulder even by an inch.

 

 Arjuna's Penance - relief sculpture on a massive scale extolling an episode from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata.

 Varaha Cave Temple - a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century.

The Shore Temple - a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone.

Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled — each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.

 

Tiger's Cave

 This cave it is located 4 kms north of the main monument complex. It was built as an open-air theatre, where cultural programmes could have been held during the Pallava period. Though it is very near the sea, the place is serene and calm.

 

The five monolithic rathas are square or oblong in plan, pyramidal in elevation and varying in their overall dimensions. the Dharmaraja ratha constructed in Pallava style is the largest of all, having huge pillars in the portico with statute of lions, pyramidal tower and turret roof. The Arjuna ratha is the most elegant of the group having beautiful makartorana on its three sides. The other three rathas named Bhima, Ganesh and Nakula Sahadeva have Buddhist type of architecture with an oblong base on which two or three storey structures with a small gopuram stand.

 

The ten mandapas are hewn out of huge rock mass. Their heights vary between 4.5 and 6 m. They are famous for the shape and design of the pillars and roll, cornices and sculptures. Of all the mandapas, the Varaha cave and the Mahishamardini cave are the finest architectural works of Pallavas in the rock-cut temples. Of the different carvings in addition to the Hindu deities, there are the monkeys, lions, elephants, deer and ascetics exhibiting vigour and charm.

 

 

 

About the Author

I am Pavithra, I am Historical Studies Student, so I have Interested in writing articles.

Was this Violin a good find or a waste of time?

My daughter has become more serious about playing (3 years now) and needed something better than what I bought from an ebay instrument power seller. Her teacher said the one I bought isn't really good for serious students.
I don't know anything about violins, so back to ebay I went. But this time I wanted to purchase from an individual, not a music store that mass produces junk. I found a Dick Cozart custom made hand carved violin with a queen head carved on the scroll. It is full size and the inside label says "Custom made for Reid and Son Violin co. Hand carved . Copy of 1726 Stradivarous." It has rosewood fitting with ebony fingerboard and spruce top, tiger flammed back sides and neck. I couldn't find any info on Dick Cozart who made the violin. Can anyone tell me if I've made another bad decision or if this is a good buy? The seller said it retails at $1800, but I can't find anything on 'Dick Cozart' to verify such a claim. Thank you.

Buying a $1000+ violin that your daughter doesn't like is bad for everyone except Dick Cozart (btw, some violin makers don't advertise their name on the web). Your daughter must absolutely love the violin because playing on a crummy will eventually lead to quitting.
I suggest that you buy a violin from a luthier nearby. Online companies offer only words, and when $1800 is on the line, words don't suffice. If this Dick Cozart is reputable, luthiers will know him (the violin-making community is quite small), and even brag about knowing him.

Last word in extravagance
As I was writing about Centara Grand at CentralWorld's Champagne Surf & Turf Brunch held once a month at its 55 Restaurant, I couldn't help but wonder how it would survive on a very low price and such an extraordinary huge culinary offering.

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