Showing posts with label artisans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artisans. Show all posts

31 July 2013

Silver Dress for Goddess Durga


As today is the beginning of a Festival to Divine Mother (see previous posting), thought it would be appropriate to post these photographs which I took some time ago at the Durga Shrine, Ramana Ashram. A devotee wished to donate a silver dress for the Goddess, and that entailed specialist craftsmen coming to the Ashram Temple Shrine and taking three separate moulds; the major one of the Body, and two individual moulds for the arms of the Goddess. 

The photographs show the creation of the primary mould, which once set is taken off the form and allowed to fully dry. Afterwhich individual moulds are taken of the arms of the Goddess. Once all three moulds are fully dry, the craftsmen return to their native place and create the ordered silver dress for Sri Durga. 


Temple Artisan to take Mould

Material to make Mould

Goddess Durga, Ramana Ashram

The Goddess


These men are specialists working with Idols

Preparing the Paste for the Mould



Covering the Statue for primary Mould

Individual Moulds required for each Arm

Primary Mould is set and left to fully harden


The last photograph of this posting is of the Goddess Rajarajeshwari at her peace-filled shrine on the Girivalam Roadway, wearing her beautiful golden dress (which would have been prepared in the same way as above). 


Goddess Rajareshwari in Golden Dress



30 July 2013

Replacing Bamboo Leaves at House



The side wall of the compound of my rented house became unstable after heavy rain, and rather than go through the time-consuming process of having a new cement wall constructed, decided that a bamboo wall would be a quick fix for my compound. 


Garden recovering from hot summer

Another reason for the haste, was I needed to make sure that my all of my six doggies were safe and secure in the compound – so the comparatively quick work of putting up a bamboo wall, seemed to be the smartest decision. 


Inner Metal Plates for Doggy Protection



I am posting some before and after photographs below showing the bamboo work at my house. The work is not yet complete as it still needs a bamboo frame and leaves for the inside of the wall. Thus in affect creating an invisible dog-resistant bamboo-metal plate sandwich.



Bamboo Wall from outside Compound



I know from experience that if the metal plates were not at the bottom of the bamboo wall, my doggies would burrow through in a matter of minutes. So by making a bamboo-metal plate sandwich, it will look nice and be completely dog-proof.

Side of House with Bamboo Frame

Side Bamboo Frame joining with Front Frame


I’ve been told nowadays that the bamboo used to leaves, is taken from immature trees, meaning that the leaves have a shorter life span. However, not too sure if its the leaves, or whether the workers do their work with an intentional short term obsolesce in mind!



Bamboo Frame at Front of House

 
New Bamboo Leaves on Side of House


Side Bamboo Frame at Corner with Front Bamboo


The leaf work around the side of my house was under two years old but from its previous decrepit, mangy look, seemed to be years older. I used local workers for this job, but nowadays most folk who want seriously good bamboo work bring in artisans from Pondicherry and other spots, as there is a deficiency of good bamboo workers at Tiruvannamalai



Front Bamboo Leaves

New Bamboo Leaves, side of Housae


As strong sun and heavy rains, shorten the lifespan of bamboo, house owners nowadays are also choosing lightweight aluminum in place of bamboo leaves.