Shubha Shrivastava III Semester, Toy and Game design Guide: Mrs. Gayatri Menon
Shubha Shrivastava, III semester,Toy and Game design
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Jabalpuriya Marble Craft
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Digital publication of student documentation for private circlulation only. PGDPD Toy and Game Design NID, India Text @ Shubha Shrivastava Toy and Game Design, NID Photographs @ Shubha Shrivastava Source : Mentioned under the photographs unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved under international copyright covention.No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Edited by: Shubha Shrivastava Designed by: Shubha Shrivastava Processed at National institute of design
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Acknowledgement I offer my sincere thanks to all the craftsmen involved with the Jabalpuriya marble craft who willingly shared their knowledge and time with a smiling face.Specially Mr. Madan Sinha, the father figure for all the artisans of Jabalpur. I would like to thank Mrs Gayatri Menon(Co-ordinator- Toy and Game Design)and Radhi Parekh for guiding and giving valuable inputs in Graphics and typography, putting together and writing the craft documentation. I am also thankful to National Institute of Design, who inspired us to go to certain fields of craft which areusually familiar to the particular places but still unexplored by the advanced society. Last but not the least,I would like to thank and convey my heartiest regards to my parents and my brother Ashutosh Shrivastava, who is the source of immense inspiration and talent for me. Without the support of family and the talented artisans it would not have been possible.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Preface The National Institute Of Design ,NID as it is popularly known was started when design as an educational subject was unheard of in India. It is one of the foremost multi disciplinaryinstitutes in the field of Design in india and comes under the ministry of industry and commerce. NID has been doing educational, research and consultancy projects in disciplines in design ever since its inception in 1961. The institutes resource center has a wonderful collection of student document which is a boon to the field of design in India.
Hundreds of studies both large and small have been conducted over the years, hence the knowledge management center of NID has a rich collection of documentation of Indian crafts.The structure of the document has evolved with a lot of research and discussions. The first quarter is concerned with the general insights about the introduction of the craft, place, history and the Community with the geographical,social, and historical backgrounds of the area. I have opted for the Jabalpuriya Marble carft as it is from my native place.I have been bought up in the Jabalpur which is famous as Marble city.The experiencce of the craft documentation was gratifying.I am thankful to all those who made it possible.
One of the major areas of focus in the institutes educationprogramme has been the study and development of the craft sector beginning in the 1960 s.Starting from an exploratory process later the subject was introduced into the design curriculum.The initial studies into India s craft culture gave a glimpsof the richness of resources trapped in the thousands of crafts in India has further strengthened the institutes determination to keep in touch with the well being of Indian design knowledge that is embedded in the craft and traditions distributed all over the country.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Content Acknowledgement Preface
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1. Introduction
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2. About the place
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4 History of Craft and
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History Craft community Living and condition
5. Case Studies Shubha Shrivastava, III semester,Toy and Game design
7. Craft Material and process
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Craft community
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Geographical location How to reach Topography Climate History
Craft
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6. Semiotics
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Raw material Tools Process Workspace & Ergonomics
8. Product range
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Market
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10. Analysis
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11. Design Intervention
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12. Conclusion
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Introduction There are towns in India know for beaming beauty and art work which leaves one spellbound and compels to cherish these memories for one’s lifetime. One such place is Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat. Bhedaghat, twenty five kilometres from Jabalpur, this is the place where I went for my craft documentation. The purpose of documenting the craft of Jabalpur marble works led me to appreciate my city from very diametrical views. While on the move I got to read these few lines about Bhedaghat , a small town near Jabalpur, Captain Forsyth speaks eloquently about the infinity varied beauty of the rocks. “The eye never wearies of the effect produced by the broken and reflected sunlight, now glancing from a pinnacle of snow-white marble reared against the deep blue of the sky and again loosing itself in the soft bluish greys of their recesses.” I could really praise the author as I have explored the beauty of the marble city from quite near. The overall experience of this journey is very wondrous. Shubha Shrivastava, III semester,Toy and Game design
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boating inGayatri Bhedaghat Tourists enjoy Guide-Mrs Menon
About the place Geographical location
Bhedaghat is a town in Jabalpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated by the side of angelic Narmada and is approximately 20 km from Jabalpur city. On map its location is 23° 7′ 48″ N, 79° 48′ 0″ E; 408 meters from mean sea level.
Transport
By air: Jabalpur (23km) is the nearest airport. By rail: Jabalpur, on the Mumbai Howarh via Allahbad main line is the main railhead. All mailvv, expressv and passenger .The nearest railway station is at a distance of about 5 km.i.e. Bhedaghat
Topography
The topology of Jabalpur is hilly and the huge marble rocks have attracted many film makers to avail the beauty of the anaemic rocks. The city is surrounded by low, rocky, and barren hillocks. Water is also drawn from Narmada River by Public Health Dept. The main crops are wheat, rice, pulses, oilseeds,
and maize. Bargi Dam also known as Rani Avanti Bai Sagar Pariyojna Project on the river Narmada is used for irrigation, water supply and power generation. The town is surrounded by several lakes and water tanks. The area is rich in limestone, refractory clay, bauxite, iron ore, manganese and other deposits. There are industries connected with above minerals in the area.
Climate
Jabalpur has a humid subtropical climate, typical of North-Central India. Summer starts in March and last up to June. May is the hottest month with average temperatures reaching up
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became infamous for the Thuggee murders, but made more famous by the man who suppressed thugee, Col. Sleeman, who was also appointed commissioner at Jabalpur.
to and beyond 45 C. They are followed by monsoon season, until early October. Winter starts in late November. They peak in January with average temperature near 7 Jabalpur gets moderate rainfall of 35 to 38 inches during July–September due to the southwest monsoon.
An important landmark event was the holding of the Tripuri Congress session in 1939 that was presided over by Subhash Chandra Bose. Politically under Lokmanya Tilak’s direction Jhanda Satyagraha was launched with success. A memorial Kamania gate was erected in city. Jabalpur is also famous as Sanskaar-bhumi as the people here are very religious and all the festivals are celebrated with a great verve.
History
It is believed that Jabalpur is the tapasya bhumi of Jabalie Rishi, who is believed to be mentioned in Ramayana, from whom the name Jabalpur is derived. Ashokan relics have been found. Later on it was the capital of the famous Tripuri kingdom in the (9th– 10th centuries). In AD 875, it was taken over by the Kalachuri dynasty who made Jabalpur their capital. In the 13th century, the Gonds seized it and made it their capital. Eventually the city was submitted to the Mughal emperor Akbar. From time to time, the Mughal rulers tried to overrun it. The legendary Gond Queen Rani Durgavati also died fighting the Mughal forces. Jabalpur was alo influenced by Marathas. Later the British made Jabalpur the commission headquarters of the Narmada territories and established a cantonment here. Under the British Raj, Jabalpur became the capital of the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, which was part of the British North-Western Province. At that time it
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Marble Rocks and waterfall on the Narmada
The river Narmada, the longest of the east-west flowing rivers of India, the traditional boundary line dividing the north and south of the country culturally, rises from the Amarkantak hills of the the Vindhyan. The scenic beauty it produces has perhaps no parallel in the world. On a moonlit night, boating amongst the huge creamy marble walls looks likea dream ride. Marble Rocks are later formations created out of earthquake and various other tectonic movements underground.
Dhuwadhar falls at Bhedaghat
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A muralGuide-Mrs work of marble rocks Menon at Bhedaghat Gayatri
Craft Jabalpur is famous as Marble city, hence the craft of this region is mainly due to the availability of marble in abundance, which is marble sculpting and combination of painting and mural. There are mainly two varieties of marble found in Jabalpur and nearby area which is hard marble and other one is very soft called soap stone. The marble sculpting is being done by the craftsmen since 50-60 years. They are practicing this since generations . The marble available at Jaipur is one of a supreme quality as compared to the marble available at Jabalpur.Few craftsmen bring the marble from Makrana, Rajasthan. Mostly the craftsmen are busy making the sculptures of Ganesha, Shiva,Godess Durga, Sai baba. Many other artifacts which have changed through generations are also made like pata for making chapaties, stone grinder, small items like jewellery which includes ear rings, necklace, backclips etc worn by women.
Also sometimes when marble is imported from Jaipur the whole idol is prepared and their faces and finishing is done at Jabalpur. The other work which is a uniqueness of the city is also remarkable as it utilises the unused pieces of marble and are made in the mural format to replicate the very famous Dhuwadhar falls at Bhedaghat and this has aroused its popularity as this is now given as a souvenir of Jabalpur. Besides the Dhuwadhar backdrops of Bandar kudni are also made.One can find this mural-painting work anywhere in the Government offices or a famous product to gift someone with a nostalgic packing of the essence of the beautiful city.
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Market at Bhedaghat.Various product made in marble.Few products are made from Onex stone from Karachi,Pakistan.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
The craft of a region reveals about the culture and environment where it belongs. And one tends to figure out the similarity and differences in various crafts of the area.Another most important crafts of Jabalpur is durry designing. The Durries are actually flat carpets which is very popular not only in Jabalpur but in the entire state.Durries are available in a variety of designs. A Jabalpuriya durry is made up of thick cotton or woollen fabric. The specialties of the durries of Jabalpur are beautiful and unique patterns and colours. Mainly, the women of the city are engaged in durry designing. The women of the rural regions of Jabalpur also create beautiful durries. The most popular durries are the woollen and cotton punja durries. The durry designs that are in demand are human and animal figures, kiln designs and geometric patterns. ‘Chindi’ durries, or rag rugs, are a relatively new type of durry on the Indian market, where durries have been woven on simple looms for centuries. Probably the creation of a thrifty householder, they were originally made from scraps of old apparel, using stout cotton thread as the ‘warp’. Cotton still forms the warp, but the ‘scraps’ used for the weft in these durries are recycled silk fabric, and the stylish burgundy cotton border is a newer innovation, adding a touch of class.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
History of Craft & Craft Community The craft of Bhedaghat is more than 6070 year old. The artisans had been working beautifully on soap stone, as well as hard marble since long. The present artisans living in the village of Baghrai and Bhedaghat regard Mr.Madan Sinha as their godfather. The history of formation of this community started off with Sinha sir’s interest in the field. Though the practice of this craft was going on before him but he gave a start to a new era in terms of creativity. Mr.Madan Sinha, student of B.Com final year came to Jabalpur for a reunion during 1955-56. He visited Bhedaghat and Chowsath yogini temple and was awestruck by the splendorous work. He had a inclination towards sculpting since childhood but could not afford to study in an art school, unwillingly he had to study commerce. But the artist inside him found a way. When he came to Jabalpur, he decided to finish up the final exams and come back again; during his viva he was asked about his interest when Sinha sir showed some
of his work in soap stone, which he picked up from Bhedaghat. Eveyone inspired him to make a career in art and he did some marvellous work in soap stone. During 1957 he decided not to pursue M.Com planning rather fate led him a chance to show his work to the Chief minister Dr. Kailash Nath Kathju and IAS Mr.P.K Dave. These two at once decided to summon Sinha Sir as a training guide for the artisians of Jabalpur; who were very poor in their skills during this time.
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This was one part, the proceedings were rather more interesting as all the artisans were satisfied with what they were earning. Sinha sir applaud the beautiful greenishwhite soap stone available at Bhedaghat.The stone was very attractive and whatever you make is bound to influence tourists.When the Training centre was setup; no one came. It was thence, a big responsibility which Sinha sir had on his shoulder to bring artisans to the training centre. Only a few were there in the first batch, Mr. Sinha used to make few small artefacts and use to give them to the craftsmen and ask them to sell them for 50/which was a huge amount during early 1960s. But the small products like twin elephants, peacock in soap stone they are sold quickly in 50/- This encouraged craftsmen to learn the smartness in work as they sell 1 feet sculpture in not more than 5/- and now earning 50/- out of a 5 inch piece whic is a good deal. Sinha sir even brought a transistor thinking people may come to listen songs if not for learning. All these efforts bore fruits and in the immediate next batch the number of crafts men increased many times. Sir also asked the middleman in Bhedaghat to encourage the artisans to come to training centre by giving them daily rupees 2 which later increased to 10 as the craftsman learnt good skills and middlemen had no problem in investing this amount for selling better products. Presently the craftsman who are practicing are the generations whose grandfathers/fathers have
Jabalpuriya Marble Craft
been trained under Mr.Madan Sinha.It is because of his efforts that so many families are earning their daily bread. And these artisans teach the skills to other newcomers also. The design intervention which he introduced was to make a small but finished product rather than a big sized flawed product.
inherited the traits and modify as per time and space. There is a strong sense of bonding between crafts men which was very mirthful as they complete each other’s orders if needed and generally prefer to work together. Product like small huts, houses, birds, writing names in soap stone is done by the women of the house also. They even prefer to marry the girl who is an expert in the marble work rather than having mastery in kitchen, as their food comes from the daily money they get after selling off the artefacts. Besides soap stone they also work in hard marble. But the community which mainly work in hard marble lives in Baghrai as well as in Bhedaghat.These people from Baghrai are in quite remote area and not in constant touch with Jabalpur, as Baghrai is 26 km on the other side of Jabalpur. They prepare the idols; in hard marble; there in the village and bring it to the market area or shops in boats.
Craft community 1. The craftspersons are hereditary carvers belonging to the Visvakarma caste, some are Jharia and Adivasi and some are Muslim who have learnt the craft.Many craftsmen belong to Jain community from Jabalpur.Hence it is a mixed set of people. But their main source of income from the stone work itself. They are practicing these skills since ages and have
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2. There are people who make mural and painting work to replicate the scenic beauty of the Dhuwadhar falls. These are same amongst the family member of the craftsmen who do sculpting.Generally this craft requires unused pieces hence this craft is done generally in the vicinity of the work place for sculpting. Also this for this craft the preferable material is soap stone which is currently available in Jabalpur. Hence I have observed that most of the people have started making these mural painting craft. This craft is less time consuming and marvellous. Besides the different caste and religious practices the craftsmen share a common love for their work. And celebrations are organised among the community on the occasions of Dussehra, Diwali, Holi and all other religious festivals.They have a respect for each other’s custom which is appreciable.
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Living space and conditions The craftsmen live in Bhedaghat and a small village near Baghrai which is on the other side of the river. The huts are small with a big veranda outside where they work all day long. Generally the women of the houses starts off with the work at 4 am in the morning. They all get together at the verandas and work together.Sometimes the other family members also join in the work. I felt elated to the enthusiasm with which each one of them celebrates their work. This part of the work starts at 4 till 8 when there is sunlight and females make their children go to school and prepare food. This group works again in the evening from 6 pm.
do not have any other sources of income, marble fetch them their daily bread. But the economic conditions lacks from what they need for a proper living and cannot even afford one time meal, which forces them to sell their own work (idols or other artefacts) in lesser price to the dealer, who makes profit out of that. For the workers of soft marble the daily wage is from 300-500/and for hard marble craftsmen earn from 500-5000/- depending on their skills and expertise. The crafts men living in the village of Baghrai get their orders over phones or in person are paid on the basis of the project they undergo. Generally during the time of monsoon i.e. from 15th june to 15th october boating is banned in Bhedaghat, hence less tourists come and this all affects the poor craftsman’s pocket very badly. There is sort of seasonal unemployment for almost 3 months. Also their crafts which costs around 500/- are sold in 150/- .
The work generally involves making small huts, finishing them, set of birds, cutting of soap stones for making more huts and other products. For men who do sculpting their work area is generally in the vicinity but not in home as they use machines which produce annoying sounds. Most other workplaces are away from the tourist spots in Bhedaghat. They work on their landlords’ workspace as they are hired labours.
Income and economic conditions The craftsmen work for merchandiser and hence they get wages on the basis of the idols they make in a month’s time. Generally they
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Case study Vinod Dahiya, age 35 lives in Bhedaghat. Vinod has been working on soap stone since 15 years and more. This is a family occupation he take up. His wife Sunita Dahiya,30 years also help her husband in her husband in the same. The family members include Vinod, his wife, their 3 children, Vinod’s mother and siblings. The earning members of the house include Vinod, his brother Ashok and wife Sunita. The family earn their livelihood from the soap stone work only, there is no other source of income. Living and working space: They family resides in Bhedaghat; a small house with a huge veranda; where the craftsman work together with other artisans as well. When half of the city is asleep these craftsman join together at Vinod’s house at 5 in the morning to work in the cool breeze of the morning. They usually sits on the ground which is well polished by the cow dung and kept clean after work. At 9 the group breaks for preparing food in their respective homes and make their children go to school. People
think of villages as peaceful havens where life is simple, air is pure and the land is green as far as the eye can see. Some of those images are indeed true, but the realities of day-to-day life for a great majority of rural people challenging.
Work: the artisans bring the soap stone or gora patthar in large amounts like 15-20 kilos. The cost per kg is 8/- The products which they mainly make is houses made up of soap stone, set of elephants, birds, carves faces on the soap stone. The marble dust which is left after work is sold back at 15/to the Karkhana; from where they soap stone is brought. Places nearby Bhedaghat like Sridham is also a source of soap stone for the artisans. Place called Sagda has recently been found to have an abundance of pink marble.
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Family lives in a small house in Bhedaghat
Sunita Dahiya, helps her husband in making artifacts The family has three children.
Making soap stone houses
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
. Sheikh Shehzad, 30 years and Sheikh Aihfaz, 26 years They have a shop in the main market area in Bhedaghat.The younger brother is very creative in his own ways.He has been awarded by the President of India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam for his sincere efforts in the field of craft. The products available in this shop are very different and unique from others. They have learnt this from someone who was a student of Mr. Sinha and this is shown in the style of work. The work place is away from the shop in market area, called “karkhana�. The raw material is purchased from the vendors but they do not sell their product through middleman. In the shop one can see a variety of products from 2cm Hanuman idol to huge sculptures made in 2
They also work in soap stone and make murals which are scenes of Bhedaghat. There are 10 workers who work under them in the Karkhana(work place). The elder brother Sheikh Shehzad sits in the shop and Aihfaz works in the karkhna with other workers. The elder brother has expertise in making mural and soap stone works while the younger has a brilliant understanding of hard marble. The product price ranges from 100/- to 15,000/- The smallest idols and costly products are made on orders mainly. And the sales also depends upon the season.During monsoons the craftsman get less orders and sales fall where as the peak season is around December-March.
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Karim Arts,shop owned by Shehzad and Aihfaz.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Semiotics The craft of a region reveals about the culture and environment where it belongs. And one tends to figure out the similarity and differences in various crafts of the area.The idols made in Jabalpuriya marble work are similar in style with the idols in the temple of Chousath Yogini (the 64 attendents of Goddess Durga) v This is a 10th century temple situated on the top of a hill at Bedaghat in Jabalpur.The main sanctum has an idol of Lord Shiva and Parvati riding the Nandi. But people believe that the temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her 64 attendants. Exquisitely carved 64 sculptures of the attendants is the highlight of the temple. These are placed in tiny cells and each entered by a small and plain doorway and roofed by a curvilinear shikhara of an elementary form. The idols made by the craftsmen in Jabalpur resemble with those in Chausath Yogini temple.The similarity can be found in terms of body proportions,style of face,oranamentation. Artisans have adopted their own unique style of making with time but the essence of the
inspiration remains the same.The Chausath Yoginis have different pose in the temple which can be related to the pose found in the dancing Ganesha idols or other human figures. The mural work on the other hand captures the scenic beauty of Bandarkudni(Monkey leap).Boating in Bandarkudni is a major tourist attraction.Hence the mural work resembles from the environment of the city.
“Yogini� represents both a female master practitioner of Yoga, and a formal term of respect for a category of modern female spiritual teachers.
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Other areas near Jabalpur include Khajuraho,which is approx 250 kms away from Jabalpur and is renowned for its marvellous sculptures Khajuraho's art is a manifestation of the essence of the philosophy of Indian aesthetics. The erotic sculptures of Khajuraho depicting Kama Sutra are unique in the world. These sculptures representing the Indo-Aryan architecture, congeal in stone a lyrical paean to love and passion and reflect the Chandela dynasty's passion and immense appreciation for the forbidden art, paradoxically, in the land of Kama Sutra. They cannot be passed off as just erotic sculptures; the temples have some of the most revered Gods of Hinduism
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
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Craft material and Process Raw Material Marble carving
The raw material required for Marble carving is Hard marble.Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Jabalpuriya marble is Dolomitic marble.The cost is Rs.2000-4000 per tonne.
Mural work
Raw material used in mural works is soap stone.The scientific name of the same is Steatite.It is a form of metamorphic rock containing magnesium, dolomite and talc - is so-called because touching its surface produces a tactile sensation that is remarkably similar to that of a dry bar of soap. Earlier in the mainland of Bhedaghat craftsman use to get the raw material i.e. soap stone from the riverside. But now since 2005 High court has banned this practice and
has put a stay order to break stones from marble mountains. Thus in order to work the craftsman buy the soap stones in varying amounts like 5-10 kg which is used up in 10 days. They purchase the soap stone from the local dealers. Now the amount of soap stone available is quite less; this has affected the pockets of the poor craftsman. The earlier price was approximately 10-12/- per kg which has now increased to 18-20/-. After work whatever the marble dust is left; the craftsmen sell it to the middleman or to the place of purchase in 15/- per sack. For finishing Sandstone is needed, to file the surface of soap stone.
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Sources of raw material
There are various marble mines near Bhedaghat where soap stone is being extracted.Some produce hard marble as well. The adjoining areas near Jabalpur like Salimnabad near Katni is also said to have marble in decent amount recently. Hence a new mine is being setup in that area. This has led the craftsman of Bhedaghat to purchase from Salimnabad in cheaper rates in coming time. Also the marble of Salimnabad has a pink-white color and is good in quality. The hard marble extracted in Jabalpur is slightly yellowish in color. Marble block from the Jabalpur district was sent to Paris Exhibition in the year 1865, was pronounced to be equal to Italian Marble. However the mining, sawing and export of Marble commenced a couple of years back due to the pioneering efforts of entrepreneurs from Rajasthan.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Tools used Marble carving- Hard marble Mainly machines like grinder and drill with different size of blades are used. The cost of one grinder machine is approximately 2500/- and the crafts man own this machine in their personal possession. Other sculpting tools are also needed namely: Tooth chisels Flat chisels Point chisels Mini stone chisels Hammers and picks Pneumatic tools But mostly the craftsman in Bhedaghat makes their own tools according to their comfort using wood or stone.
Types of Chisels used in Marble Sculpting reference- http://www.trowandholden.com
Tooth details of various chisels Shubha Shrivastava, III semester,Toy and Game design
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Square file
Hand Grinder Machine Half round file Flat file
Flat file
Hammer
Craftsman using the grinder
Various files with their side profiles
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Tools for Mural work and other Soap Stone product
Hand saw Hand saw blades
Hammer and nail
Files are used in soap stone work also
Plier Shubha Shrivastava, III semester,Toy and Game design
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Process 1.Marble carving process Marble has been used for centuries as a sculpting medium. - Marble pieces are first marked with the contour lines for the basic shape.For this hammer and point work is the technique used. 2.Cutting marble with grinder
- It consists of holding the pointed chisel against the stone and swinging the hammer at it as hard as possible. When the hammer connects with the striking end of the chisel, its energy is transferred down the length and concentrates on a single point on the surface of the block, breaking the stone. This is continued in a line following the desired contour.
1. Craftsman giving countour line on a marble slab 3. Removing large unwanted material
using hammer and nail
-Lighter hammers are used for detail work and removing small portions of marble, while heavier hammers are more efficient at removing large chunks of marble and lessdefined carving. -Once the general shape of the statue has been determined,the craftsmen uses other tools like claw chisel or grinder to refine the figure. In Bhedaghat there are craftsman who expertise in various types of idols like Goddess Durga, Saraswati, Ganesha, Shiv linga, Nandi, Hanuman ji.
Jabalpuriya Marble Craft
- On the refined form details are given using small tools and with great efforts.Ex carving chisel,Various chisels and hammer are used which the craftsman called “chenii-hathodi�. -Tools called rasps and rifflers are then used to enhance the shape into its final form. A rasp is a flat, steel tool with a coarse surface. The sculptor uses broad, sweeping strokes to remove excess marble as small chips or dust. A riffler is a smaller variation of the rasp, which can be used to create details such as folds of clothing or locks of hair.
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-The final stage of the carving process is polishing. Sandpaper can be used as a first step in the polishing process, or sand cloth. -Bhura pathhar (name of a stone),a stone that is harder and rougher than the sculpture media, is also used in the finishing process. This abrading, or wearing away, brings out the color of the marble, reveals patterns in the surface and adds a sheen.Zinc powder is also used for finishing of the sculpture.
6.Refined cutting and cleaning is acieved by using roaty machine. 8.Enhancing the shape using rotary machine.This is used for sanding and carving on marble.
4 4&5. Obtaining refine form using grinder
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7. The surface of marble needs to be cleaned with brush to remove marble dust.
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9. Marble surface is rubbed with stone piece periodically to remove the marble dust over it..
11.Silver and golden coating is done on the crown of the God/God-
dess to give a majestic look.
10.Finishing the sculpture.Bhura pathhar,a kind of stone harder than marble is used.
The stone used for finishing is brought from Jaipur.
12.Applying colors on the idols. Oil colours are used for this purpose.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
2. Mural work - The process starts with making a ply frame first.The form is like a wedge shape that is made up of 3 ply pieces.There are two pieces are on either side of a base.The two pieces are wider at the apex and tapering toward the base. -Tourists are mostly attracted towards the Dhuwadhar falls and boating at Bandar Kudni. In this mural work artisans try to replicate these marvellous view. This craft is also very old and sold as a souvenir of Jabalpur -A rough conture of the scene is sketched on the frame. -Layers of thermocol is pasted on the frame using fevicol. Soap stone pieces are pasted over thermocol layer. Thermocol layer makes the joinery of stone stronger enough to hold on the frame. For small sized mural work soap stone pieces are pasted over the frame directly. Sometimes putty is applied over the frame to hold soap stone pieces.
2.Ply is bent in order to give a depth.
1.Preparing ply frame for the mural work
3.Contour lines of the scene are sketched on the frame
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4.Pasting themocol and soap stone on the frame using putty and fevicol.
- Once the soap stone pieces are arranged, clouring is done according to the scene.Intergrate details of boating scene are painted.This also includes painting the reflction of magestic marble rocks on the sacred Narmada.
5.The contour sketch is covered with soap stone pieces. 6.Painting the sky,river and minute detals on the frame.
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- Final stage of the work includes fixing small CFL(Compact fluorescent lamp) or buld inside the frame.
Workspace and Ergonomics The workspace of the craftsman is generally nearby their homes or in verandas in case of soap stones. As the soap stone work does not require any machinery and hence no annoying sounds.Hard stone sculptures are prepared in place sheltered with large tin sheets.Vendors also hire shop for the work.Soap stones work is also done by women of the house so the workplace is generally neat and clean verandas of the houses.
- Once this electrical connection is set up,a glass slab is covered over the frame.
The workplace is full of marble dust.This dust is harmful for the craftsmen.But not much heed is given to this.Moreover the machines like grinders and other make very loud noise. Proper attention is required as craftsmen often get serious injuries by fast moving grinders. Tools which craftsman made by the craftsmen are ergonomically good and are easy to hold.
7. Fitting buld inside the frame. 8. Finished mural work.
Work space for sculpting.The place is 1-2 km away from the town.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Product range There are varieties of products are available in market. But the scenario is rather complex when it comes to the purchase of the product. When one buys the product from the craftsman it cost cheaper as compared to the showrooms or shops. The product ranges as: 1. Idols of god and goddess While purchasing from the craftsman a 1 feet idol costs around 300-400/- while the same costs about 800-1000/- while purchasing from vendors. In case big showrooms the same idol values 1200-1300. This price variation across the channel persists for all the products. The temples made up of marble are sold for 800-1000 in shops whereas in showrooms the range is more than 1500 /The craftsman earns only a slight profit out of their hard labour. Most of the artisans work on hire basis and do not have any product of their own to properly channelize it. Thus the shops and showrooms earn most of the profit.
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A 2 cm small Hanuman carved out of marble Price 8000 INR.Made on special orders.
Price of Temple ranges from 1000-1500 INR. 5 feet Ganesha idol in showrooms. Price 3000 INR
Idols in showroom.Price increases with coloring Price varies from Rs.500 and above.
Jabalpuriya Marble Craft
4 feet long idol of Sai Baba. Price 4000 INR. When purchased direclty from artisans this cost 1200-1400.
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Idols which are sold in showrooms are approx 4 times costly when it is bought directly from artisans.Price of one Nandi is 200 INR
Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Mural work 17x12 inch.Price varies from Rs.500 and above Mural work of small sizes.Price ranges from Rs.200 onwards.
Idols made of soap stone.Price ranges from 100 and above
Elephant set price Rs 10-25.
Relief sculpture made on soap stone.Price varies from 100-800 INR
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Mural work 8x4 feet.Price ranges from 10,000 and above.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Market The products’ price ranges from Rs.10 to 1o,ooo and more depending upon the intricate details given in it. Products made of soap stone are relatively cheaper.As soap stone is easy to carve.On the other hand hard marble carving requires more skilled artisans. The market scenario of Jabalpuriya marble craft is shown in the flowchart.The two main categories of the craft is products made of hard marble and of soap stone. The middle men distribute the product to both wholesale and regular market In the Wholesale market the cost of the product is Cheaper than the regular market because there the shopkeeper sells in a bulk. Bhedaghat has a big wholesale market for marble products. Retailers sell the product in local shops and also in other places of the country.A single foot marble idol costs aorund Rs.500-800 in wholesale market;whereas the same will cost Rs. 1200 or above at showrooms in Jabalpur.
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The craftsman visit to the trade fair held in Delhi,during November.Their counterpart from Karachi also visit the fair and there is an exchange of products. Thus in the shops at Bhedaghat, there are products from Karachi; made up of Onex stone.Marble products from Agra and Jaipur are also exchanged. Generally the road side shops on the way to Bandar Kudni in Bhedaghat sell most of the products. At times when the boating is banned during june to October the sales falls rapidly and the craft products can be obtained at a cheaper price.
Products made of Onex stone from Karachi
Marble artifacts from Agra
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
A shop at Bhedaghat
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Analysis Strength
The craftsmen are learning new things as they periodically visit Jaipur and few of them attend the training centre for skill development. The mural work which replicates the magnificent marble rocks of the city are unique product.
Weakness
The seasonal unemployment during the time when boating is banned from 15th june to 15th ooctober. The craftsmen get no orders and also sell their work for fewer prices. They fall pray for ani-social activities during this time as they could hardly get work to get paid.
Opportunity
The craftsman lack in the use of machines they are not much updated to the new machineries which are otherwise used by the craftsman in Jaipur. Training centre for such knowledge may provide good opportunity to
Craftsman working in Karkhana. Work place is full of marble dust.
improve skills and save labour. New marble mines near Salimnabad area also provides new source of raw material, as the marble from Salimnabad is pink-white and better in quality than found in Jabalpur.
Threats
The workspace of craftsman is full of marble dust all around and they inhale it all day, which may result into tuberculosis in few cases. Also the soap stone is not available in adequate amount in Bhedaghat which may result into the fact that now lesser soap stone products are made.
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Political interference
There are no such issue in this crafts; moreover the craftsmen are well supported by the Nagar panchayat of the area. Earlier during 1950’s training centres have been setup by the government. Now such training centres are not working but regular measures are taken for the health care of the artisans.
Economic status
The economic status of the craftsman is rather poor. The craftsman who works on hard marble gets wages on daily basis. Also the vendors and middlemen enjoy most of the profit of the craftsman’s labour. Soap stone products are sold for 15-20/- ; they earn about 5000-6000/- per month with this. Although the craftsman from Baghrai are better economically as they expertise in their work and get good orders.
Social
The crafts community includes people coming from different castes like Jains, Muslims, Harijans etc. But they all live together and have a common bonding amongst themselves. They all celebrate together and prefer to work in groups. They are expertise in different genre of work.
Technology
The work involves machines like grineders and drill which they use, but they lack the knowledge about the other latest machines for finishing.
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon
Design Intervention The first intervention made by Mr Madan Sinha has improved the quality of the craft and skills of the artisans. The training centre set up during late 1950 has made a remarkable change in the craft of Bhedaghat. But with time skills need improvement, artisans have been making the same products since 15-20 years, which affects the sales of the product. The soap stone products can be broken easily but mural work is an intelligent way of putting up the show. This product still holds a high demand in whichever size one asks for. The work place of the artisans is full of marble dust which is very harmful. While working they inhale marble dust all time, which may become risky in later stages.The average life of a marble worker may have been reduced to 50-55 years. They should be provided with mask, which should not be an irritating factor while working for long. The government has been making laws for the healthcare of the artisans but the authorities are not implementing these laws
properly, and artisans do not pay heed about inhaling marble dust, which can cause tuberculosis if not taken care of properly. One cannot avoid the use of machineries while working on hard marble, but grinders produce very loud sound which can damage ears, because the artisans have been working throughout the day; since 20-25 years. This might not be harmful in small duration but for such long period, there can are cases of partial deafness The time during the time when boating is banned from June to October the period of seasonal unemployment should be utilized for skill development of the craftsman. Since this period affects their sales the most and they are forced to get caught
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in some anti-social activities due to tension and economic pressure. Some NGOs which work for the crafts community may sell the products by the artisans during this time; as these four months have important festivals like janmashtmi, rakhshabandhan,savan maas fairs etc. Jabalpur is also famous as Sanskardhani; people celebrate each and every festival with full enthusiasm. These fairs can be utilised for selling the products of the artisans. A product is made with the artisans which is cheap and can be made quickly.The craftsmen at Bhedaghat make mural work which is two dimentional,this design uses the same concept to make a 3D lamp or table-top accessory. The soap stone pieces are drilled.A wire is inserted through stone pieces.Adding wire structure gives a strength to the product and also desired shape of the mountains can be achieved.Inside this structure is an assembly of light of desired color.Small flags are put to make a 3D marble rock with small temples which resembles Jabalpur city.In the sketch the blue color shows light from inside.This also looks like water flowing through the mountains.
Jabalpuriya Marble Craft
Product made with artisans using properties of soap stone.This product is less time taking in its making.
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Conclusion The craft documentation provided me an insight to see my city from a very different perspective and appreciate the people and craftsman for their wonderful contribution in carrying the craft and name of the city to new heights. The soapstone revealed by the Narmada provides occupation to families of carvers of God and Goddess, lingas, crosses, madonnas, ashtrays and trinket boxes. Once again the perpendicular magnesium limestone rock fringe the crystal clear placid water of the Narmada provides a fascinating site.
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Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org http://wikitravel.org http://jabalpur.nic.in/tourism.htm http://www.stoneshaper.com http://www.indianetzone.com http://www.mptourism.com www.trussel.com www.craftandartisans.com
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Guide-Mrs Gayatri Menon