As the shrill sounds of a machine cutting through dense stone rent the air, a worker takes a scientific instrument to measure the depth, hollowness and other facets of the rock required to carve a statue. This is a run-of-the-mill scene at Pattharkatti, a village in Bihar that falls within the state’s poverty-stricken Gaya district.
Pattharkatti, meaning cut-stone, whispers a tradition sustained for generations. Here, skilled artisans transform rough black granite into sculptures and statues of gods and goddesses, historical figures, saints, lovers, and teachers and reformers. But how does generation after generation manage to pull off such craftsmanship with ease? What knowledge does offspring inherit from their ancestors that makes them craftspeople par excellence? How do they expand their knowledge? These are the questions that come to mind when visiting Pattharkatti.
Each sculpture inspires an air of amazement. Ravindra Nath Gaud is one of the inheritors of this legacy of stone-craftmanship that the stone carvers, who came from Rajasthan to Bihar in the 18th century, brought to the state. Since then, future generations of the carvers have been allowed to live here and, in return, the children taught the villagers of the surrounding hamlets the art of turning a stone into a piece of art. An inch of a wrong measurement, and the art becomes a compromise to aesthetics. That is how vital precision is to this craft. For what’s art if it doesn’t have an aesthetic value?
The statues of Pattharkatti speak volumes in silence. The reverence that the carvers hold for their art is evident in the life they breathe into stone, capturing not just form but also emotions and spiritual traits.
“Statues are life for us,” Gaud said. That notwithstanding, the trade offers many a challenge. The rise of mass-produced sculptures and changing market trends have been threatening the livelihood of these skilled artisans. Their faces are sunken, but their sparkling eyes tell stories of their perseverance and thirst for knowledge.
Additionally, the government of Bihar, along with dedicated NGOs, has been working to support this community. Initiatives like the Vishwakarma Vikas Yojana and the Pattharkatti Craft Village provide training, resources and opportunities for artisans to preserve and promote their craft.
Kumar Gaurav is a Village Square Fellow 2023-24. He works as a multilingual audio-visual journalist in Bihar.
