CHENNAI: When B Dilip, a resident of Thirumazhisai, Poonamallee High Road, is not tending to the patients who arrive at his clinic for physiotherapy, he labours himself over miniature carvings on sandalwood and rice. It is a practice that demands meticulous attention to detail, and his works are a draw among the clients who visit his store.
In time for Vinayaga Chaturthi, he has just finished work on his newest labour of love, a sandalwood sculpture of Lord Ganesha. Like a true artist, he has taken a few liberties with his creation. Rather than a mouse, which in mythology serves as Ganesha’s vahana, Dilip has shown the Elephant God seated on a seven-headed snake holding a shankha in one hand and a chakra on the other, both weapons attributed to Perumal.
He’s called the sculpture Adisesha Narayana Ganapati, and the title makes it clear that he’s referring to the Lord Narayana, who is usually seated on Adisesha, the seven-headed snake. It’s been a labour of love that took three months to finish, and he feels it’s one of the best he’s accomplished so far.
Runs in the family
Dilip began learning miniature carving ten years ago from his father TK Bharani, an accomplished miniaturist himself whose 12- inch sandalwood depiction of the Siva Purana won him a National Award. It has been a serious vocation for the 24-year-old for the past six years, which he now balances with his profession as a physiotherapist.
“ My appointments are usually in the mornings and evenings, and I’m free during noon, which is when I work on my art,” says Dilip, whose client base mostly comprises people from the middle to upper-classes seeking deities in more compact sizes. The Adisesha Narayana Ganapati sculpture is seven inches high, two inches in width and five inches in length, pretty much the same size as his o t h e r sculptures. Apart from Ganesha, there are other gods that Dilip’s clients get to choose from. “I’ve done carvings of Murugan, Anjaneyar, Hanuman, Krishna, Radha-Krishna and Perumal among others.
Sometimes clients visit and choose something they like, and at other times they come in with specific requirements, and I’m happy to customise,” he says. Having been trained exclusively in sandalwood carving, Dilip finds it the most comfortable medium to work with. Also, the thickness of sandalwood and relative softness makes it easier to work with, unlike redwood or rosewood, two other commonly used mediums for wood sculpting. And it’s not just sandalwood Dilip also makes carvings on rice, a skill that demands the precision of a watchmaker.
“Working in rice is very tricky because the tiniest of errors can ruin the whole carving. I custom- make my tools for the rice carvings, and they are often sourced from the spokes of bicycle tyres, blades, etc,” he explains, adding that a typical rice carving might take around two months to complete. It’s also the medium where he’s freer to choose themes, and one of his works has former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister the late K Karunanidhi carved onto a grain of rice.
Pandemic lull
Like most self-employed artists, the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions on movement caused a dent in Dilip’s revenue, and his art and physiotherapy practice suffered as a result. “For many months, there were no clients and no visitors to the clinic, and some of the clients found it hard to even pay the amount in full,” he recalled.
The last few months have seen a revival in fortunes for him, and the fresh take on the Ganesha iconography is a sign of his renewed optimism. But with the liberties he’s taken, does Dilip feel apprehensive that he could stir a few feathers, especially during a time when religious sentiments are easily hurt? “Not at all,” Dilip gives a confident reply.
“The symbols I’ve used are all from the Hindu pantheon, and there’s nothing in it that could be of offence to anybody.” Dilip’s sandalwood carvings are priced at Rs 50,000 and above, while his rice miniatures are priced at anywhere between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000. The Adisesha Narayana Ganapati is also up for sale.
Dilip can be contacted at 9444657747 and 8190030011.