KADAPA: Woodcarvers of Settigunta in Railway Kodur mandal of Kadapa district find the going tough with dwindling availability of red sanders and other wood for various reasons. Some woodcarvers, finding it difficult to make the ends meet, are migrating to other places in search of livelihood.
For over 100 years, woodcarvers of Settigunta and Lakshmigaripalle, located about 110 km from the district headquarters Kadapa on Kurnool-Chittoor National Highway, have been eking out a living by carving various artifacts from different types of wood, especially red sanders and teak.
Different types of woodcarvings by the artisan have earned fame far and wide. Around 300 families depend on the craft, which has passed down from generation to generation for more than a century. The finished products are sold at pilgrim centres like Tirupati, Tirumala, Srikalahasti, Srisialam and are also sought after as wedding gifts.
Between 1997 and 2002, with government encouragement and DRDA assistance, through DWCRA, the artifacts used to be marketed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Former US president Bill Clinton was so impressed by the art that he had bought a wooden statuette of Shakuntala during his visit to Hyderabad. According to K Subbarayudu Achari, who runs Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Woodcarvers Association, getting wood has become a problem for the last 10 years.
Low wood supply hits artisans’ livelihood
“We used to get teak, neem, mango wood from the forest, but with increasing restrictions imposed by the forest department owing to spurt in red sanders’ smuggling, it has become difficult to get the wood,” he explained. As an alternative, the woodcarvers started procuring wood from farmers, but it has put a lot of burden on them. “Today, as the availability of wood has come down, work has decreased. With no other option available, people from the village have started migrating to other places in search of work.
Some have gone to cities like Tirupati, Bengaluru and other places and some have even gone to Gulf countries,” Subbarayudu said. Artisans who are still continuing to make a living from the craft have urged the State government to step in and lend a helping hand to them. “Since my husband died, I have been supporting my family by woodcarving. I managed to educate my son and daughter and my son is also engaged in woodcarving today.
By carving 10 pairs of Raja Rani statuettes a day, we earn Rs 500. Now, scarcity of wood has become a problem and the government should help us in procuring the wood,” said Sumathi, a woodcarver in SettiguntaD Kesav, B Rajasekhar, B Santhosh and other woodcarvers in the village say the government should help them preserve the art, which is also the pride of the region. They want the government to follow the example of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where the wood is provided to artisans at subsidised prices.