“The Sculptor Who Breathed Life”-
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'Thanks to ChatGPT for assisting in the English translation of my original Tamil creations.”)
the above image of “Sivagami” was drawn
by my wife Usha bharathi madam.. My thanks to her.
As you enter the Uthirakosamangai Temple through the eastern
seven-tiered gopuram, and pass the entrance, on the right side lies the Agni
Theppakulam (temple tank). The reason it is called so can be learned from
various sources.
On the left side, long black stones lie scattered in
abundance. There, several sculptors work tirelessly, their chisels dancing over
the stone, bringing forth statues. The rhythmic sound of chiseling fills the
air like music.
Presiding over them is their leader—the master sculptor,
known as the Sthapathi. He supervises the work, while also carving
himself.
His school was very close to the eastern gopuram entrance.
During school breaks, it was his habit to go inside the temple and stand near
the sculptor, watching in awe as the stone slowly transformed under his hands.
“Stand back, thambi… stone chips might fly into your eyes,”
the sculptor would warn.
Yet, he himself wore no protective covering over his eyes.
He seemed to instinctively know the direction in which the stone fragments
would fly.
A long, lifeless black stone would, over many days,
transform into a graceful form—as if it had begun to dance. The artistry in his
hands, the elegance of his craft, the rhythm of his chisel—it would send a
shiver down one’s spine.
Even today, in the corridors of Utharakosamangai, there are
sculptures carved by him and his team. A stone ball that rolls within the mouth
of a sculpture without coming out, intertwined serpents carved from a single
block—these are but a few examples of their skill. There are countless such
marvels in the surrounding corridors.
At that time, he had just begun reading 'Sivagamiyin Sabadham' by Kalki Krishnamurthy.
He would sit beside his grandmother, combing her hair with a
lice comb in one hand, while holding the thick novel in the other, reading
aloud to her.
In that book, there is a moment where Mahendravarman speaks
to Narasimhavarman. The essence of that dialogue is this:
Mahendravarman says:
“This is no ordinary stone, Narasimha!
To breathe life into stone—that is art.
These stones will speak…
Even if we humans perish,
they will preserve our thoughts and our glory.”
He continues:
“We may exist today and be gone tomorrow,
but these sculptures will speak for a thousand years.
That is why I love art more than war.”
Narasimha asks emotionally:
“Father, is there life in stone?”
Mahendravarman replies:
“There is life…
if only there is an eye to see it,
and a heart to feel it.”
After reading this, every time he went and saw that
sculptor, he no longer saw just a man at work.
To him, the sculptor had become an “Ayanach Sirpi”—one
who breathes life into stone.
And for those who have read Sivagamiyin Sabadham, let
me add—
this “Ayanach Sirpi” did not have a daughter… there was no Sivagami in his
life.
— Nagendra Bharathi
My Poems/Stories/Articles in Tamil and English
