Mahabalipuram Essay

Craftsmanship of mahabalipuram
Analysis

Mahabalipuram is a beautiful sculpture town that was hand carved by the pallava dynasty. But the reason behind Mahabalipuram still being a town known for its carvings, sculptures and temples, is its craftsmanship. The craftsmen of the place play a very vital role in shaping it into a better marvel. The craftsmen are not just the people of this generation who got their hands into carving stone, but almost 30 percent the craftsmen population are people who are descendants of the pallava dynasty. We can also say, that it is because of this genetically gifted skill, along with consistent practice, make them the finest craftsmen of Tamilnadu. Apart from making business in Mahabalipuram and Tamilnadu, they also export goods to other states and countries as well.

Figure 4 : Shows the graphical representation of reasons said by craftsmen for choosing this profession.
Source : Author

More than half of the craftsmen population of mahabalipuram is highly educated with respect to their context. They have taken proper education from sculpture colleges in and around Mahabalipuram itself, before going into the profession. And the most famous college among those is the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mahabalipuram., which has produced innumerous craftsmen, specialized in stone carvings.

‘‘No, basically this work is very tough. We can’t do it easily. There are no disappointments, but there are difficulties, and there is happiness beyond that. The achievements! Nothing is easy; you won’t get anything easily. If you intend to achieve big, you have to work hard.’’, said Mr. T. Baskaran, the founder of ‘Creative Sculptors’, Mahabalipuram; on asked whether he regrets over his choice of profession. (Refer to Appendix, Interview