SYMBIOSIS CENTRE FOR MANAGEMENT

STUDIES PUNE

SOCIO CULTURAL STUDIES

“VYAVASAY – SCULPTING”

Submitted by: Submitted to:

GUNJAN PANJABI, 17020621110 Prof. K. Prasanna
YASHASVI KATYAYAN, 17020621333
GAURAV KUMAR, 17020621352
SIDDHANT SINGH, 17020621286
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express our gratitude to our Socio-
Cultural Studies Professor Mr. K Prasanna for giving us
the opportunity to work on this project and which
helped us learn a lot more about traditional and modern
customs of sculpting and also understanding the daily
lifestyle of sculptors. We would also like to thank the
sculptors who helped us in providing detailed
information on their style of working. In the end we as
group members would thank each other for extreme
support and cooperation which helped us complete this
project together as a team.
 CONTENTS
1. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

2. INTRODUCTION

3. ANCIENT TRADITIONS

4. GENERAL MATERIALS USED

5. SPECIFIC TO PUNE

6. METHODOLOGY

7. SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD

8. PROFIT MARGIN AND CHAIN OF DISTRIBUTION

9. SIMPLE LIFESTYLE OF THE SCULPTOR

10. COMPETITORS IN THE SCULPTING BUSINESS

11. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH PLASTER OF

PARIS
12. MODERN SCULPTING

13. USE OF MARBLE

14. DIFFERENCE IN TARGET MARKET AND

SPECIFIC SEASONS

15. OUR EXPERIENCE

16. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS

17. CONCLUSION

18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of our study are:

 To present the life sketch of a person into
olden occupations skill oriented.
 To make a case study in comparison to a
similar profession in today’s time.
 To understand how meaning is generated,
disseminated, and produced from the social,
political and economic spheres within a given
culture
 To know cultural studies as an academic
discipline aiding cultural researchers who
theorize about the forces from which the
whole of humankind construct their daily lives
 INTRODUCTION

Murti literally means any solid body or form with

definite shape or limits produced from material
elements.[1] It contrasts with mind, thought and the
immaterial in ancient Indian literature. The term also
refers to any embodiment, manifestation, incarnation,
personification, appearance, image, idol or statue of a
deity. A Murti is typically made by carving stone, wood
working, metal casting or through pottery. Medieval era
texts describing their proper proportions, positions and
gestures include the Puranas, Agamas and Samhitas
A Murti is an embodiment of the divine, the Ultimate
Reality or Brahman to some Hindus. In religious
context, they are found in Hindu temples or homes,
where they may be treated as a beloved guest and
serve as a participant of Puja rituals in Hinduism.]In
other occasions, it serves as the center of attention in
annual festive processions and these are called Utsava
Murti. Murti is sometimes referred to as murthi,
or vigraha or pratima.
 HISTORY OF MURTI MAKING IN INDIA

The earliest mention of the term Murti occurs in

primary Upanishads composed in the 1st
millennium BCE. particularly in verse 3.2
of Aitareya Upanishad, verse 1.13
of Shvetashvatara Upanishad, verse 6.14
of Maitrayaniya Upanishad and verse 1.5
of Prashna Upanishad. The Vedic Hinduism rituals
were directed at nature and abstract deities called
during yajna with hymns. One of the earliest firm
textual evidence of Deva images, in the sense
of Murti, is found in Jivikarthe Capanye by the
Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini who lived about 4th
century BCE. Since the ancient times there have
been two major categories of murtis:
Raudra or Ugra - are images that were meant
to terrify, induce fear. These typically have
wide, circular eyes, carry weapons, have skulls
and bones as adornment. These idols were
worshipped by soldiers before going to war, or
by people in times of distress or errors.

Shanta and Saumya - are images that were

pacific, peaceful and expressive of love,
compassion, kindness and other virtues in
Hindu pantheon. These images would carry
symbolic icons of peace, knowledge, music,
wealth, flowers, sensuality among other
things.
Major Hindu traditions such
as Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smart
aism favor the use of Murti. These traditions
suggest that it is easier to dedicate time and
focus
on spirituality through anthropomorphic or
non-anthropomorphic icons.
GENERAL MATERIALS USED IN MAKING MURTIS

Murtis, when produced properly, are made

according to the design rules of the Shilpa
Shastras. They recommend materials,
measurements, proportion, decoration and
symbolism of the murti. The most important
materials used to make murtis are:
 Clay/Plaster of Paris: The key element used is
Plaster of Paris which is mixed with water and
further made into a thick paste and used for
making idols
 Plywood: It is used as a base for making the
clay to roll forms.
 Bamboo Sticks: It is used as the bottom base
in making of the idols.
 Varied Shaped Sticks: It is used as tool to
carve the shapes as per the idol to be made.
 Sticks: It is used as a base to make the idols.
 Rice Husk: It is used to mix with clay to make
it stiffer.
 Moulds: It is generally used to make jewellery,
chains etc. for the Ganesha Idols by the
craftsmen.
 Paint Brushes: Different sizes of paint
brushes are used to paint the details of the
idols.
 Twine: It is placed in between for the making
of chains/ jewellery for Ganesha.
 Spray Guns: It is used to spray the water
colours to the idols.
 SCULPTING SPECIFIC TO CUSTOMS IN PUNE

In Pune, Murtis are primarily made during three

major celebrated holy festivals i.e Diwali, Navratri
and Ganesh Chaturthi. This is in accordance to the
market sales and the fact that most people tend to
buy idols during these three major seasons. The
idol maker whom we interviewed also makes idols
during these three major seasons and mainly earns
his source of livelihood through sales in these 3
major seasons.

Also, all over Pune most idol makers tend to

prepare and sell idols during these 3 festivals.
There are very few idol makers who produce idols
all over the year.
 METHODOLOGY

 First Plaster of Paris is mixed with water

and a paste is made which is then kept for
some time to thicken and get smooth.
 The thick mould is purified through a
sieve.
 Then the mould is rolled into balls
according to the size
 This clay is then reshaped, hands and legs
are made according to the sizes with clay
 The idols are then left for a few days to be
dried out and hardened
 After the idols get dry, they are spray
painted and coloured with different
colours according to requirements
 Then the painted idols are left to be dried
out and once the paint dries the idols are
further decorated by painting the eyes,
nose and other features.
 Also, the idols are decorated by putting
the mukut or decorative jewels and then
sold in the market.
 SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD

After exploring a number of areas in Pune, through

some sources we met Sanket Kumber, a layman in
Viman Nagar whose livelihood entirely depends on
the art of making murtis. We asked him some
questions about his source of livelihood through
an interview and he answered the following:

Q. Yashasvi: Since how many years have u been

working as a sculptor?
Ans. Sanket: Since my childhood, since we belong
to the Kumber caste and our caste mainly is
engaged in sculpting

Q. Yashasvi: So how many generations have been

sculpting in your family?
Ans. Sanket: My grandfather came to Pune about
60 years back and he settled here and has been
sculpting. This business is in my family since 60
years approximately.
Q. Gunjan: So, do you make murtis all over the
year? Is it a full-time business?
Ans. Sanket: No, we mainly engage in sculpting
during Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali. We
make murtis all over the year for these three
seasons as our sales are maximum in this season.

Q. Gunjan: Do you use eco-friendly clay or POP?

Ans. Sanket: I have tried using clay but it is very
soft and the durability of the murtis tend to
reduce. Therefore, we engage in using POP as it is
strong and durable.

Q. Gaurav: Is there any other source of livelihood

in the family?
Ans. Sanket: No, our family is totally engaged in
sculpting. My father deals with wholesalers and
me and my brother work with my mother and
make idols. But we are also focussing on our
education and we will try to earn alternative
sources of livelihood by working in companies.

Q. Gaurav: Are you satisfied with your source of

livelihood?
Ans. Sanket: Some days are difficult, some days
are good for us. Even if we earn less we try to stay
happy with whatever we earn. We are very simple
people and we earn enough to satisfy our basic
needs.
 PROFIT MARGIN AND CHAIN OF
DISTRIBUTION

During our conversation with Sanket we asked him

about the chain of distribution of the idols he makes
and he said “ Our idols are mostly bought by
wholesalers and we don’t have any specific shop as
such for selling the products that we make”

He also told us that he mainly sells his idols to

wholesalers in areas of Kumbarvada, Kasbapet,
Keshavnagar. We enquired with him about the
whole selling process and he informed us with the
following details about his sales:
 Idols are made in accordance with the season.
 The wholesalers directly finalise the deal with
his family at the negotiated rate
 About 2000-3000 idols are sold every year.
 Transportation is provided by the wholesalers.
Also packaging costs are incurred by the
wholesalers.
 Idols are sold to the wholesalers at 100 and
150 each in accordance to the amount of
decoration
 Also payment is made to them after the sale
of the idols in the market
 The annual income of the Kumbar family is
about 2 to 3 lakhs per annum.
 Due to damages and other bargains the
Kumbar family is not able to earn any profits
as such. They still are earning to overcome
their annual costs.
 There are no labour costs in their family, since
they are self-employed. Also in the near
future they plan to incur profits by working,
after both the sons of the family complete
their education,
 Also the family told us that many a times
there are malpractices in the whole selling
business. They are made payments late, they
are sometimes cheated about the rates. Also
sometimes the sellers pay them less than
what they deserve by frauds.
 Their most frequent dealer with the idols is
Harish Ansari who deals with them every year
and sells in Kalvad area.
 Also the market for murtis in Pune is always
seasonal, barring a few retail stores. And idols
are sold for about 500 rupees.
SIMPLE LIFESTYLE OF THE SCULPTOR

We interviewed Sanket Kumbar, a young man

who lives a life of a simple sculptor. He is still
studying in college, he is doing his B.Com from
a college in Pune. He aspires to work in a
company and still continue his business. He
lives a hectic life. He strives hard to maintain a
balance between his studies and his work, but
his sheer determination ensures that he
maintains a perfect balance in life.

His family whom we also interviewed live a

simple life. His brother goes to school and also
works with his family, his mother a simple lady
balances the household chores and also helps
in the work. They also have a cat and a parrot
in their house. Despite hard times the family
lives a simple life, they are never
disappointed, they are happy with the fact
that they can satisfy their basic needs.

Also the whole production unit is set up in

their house. Their house has a room to
accommodate all the murtis and open space
to work. Also there is a store room above
where they store all the murtis. And a
backyard where all the big murtis are stored.

Also they produce murtis on a large scale for a

particular season. During our first visit they
were working on the murtis for Navratri. They
were making murtis of various devi’s like
Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga etc. On our second
visit they were making murtis for Diwali,
which were mainly Ganesha and Lakshmi.

The most unique feature of their murtis was

that they were perfectly made. The art was so
fine that the face of the murtis was perfectly
carved, painted with a suitable colour and
then the colours matched with the perfect
features. The family also believes in quality
service, they work very hard to make sure that
the customers are happy with the idols as
they are going to worship these idols for their
life and what they pray should be something
they like and are impressed with.

Also since the art of sculpting is in their genes

and they have been working in this business
for many generations that’s why they have a
very fine sculpting technique and sense of art.

Also despite the low incomes both the boys of

the family have high ambitions. The elder
brother wants to work in a company and the
younger one wants to become a professor in
mathematics due to his deep interest and
liking of mathematics.
 COMPETITORS IN THE MARKET
Every business or occupation in today’s time has
competitors. A business without competitors is no
business. We spoke to Sanket about his competitors in
the market.
We asked him if the permanent retail outlets that sell
murtis are his competitors. He said that they are not
really his competition because the aims of both the
types differ. Permanent shops don’t have sales
maximisation as their primary objective. Their primary
target remains profits and secondary target remains
sales maximisation.

While in the case of Sanket, they work seasonally. For

them there is always a pressure of selling all the murtis
before the season ends. So for them their primary target
is sales maximisation rather than profit maximisation.
Since their goals vary the permanent retail outlets are
not really his competition.
He tells us that his major competitors include his
relatives and the sculptors of other caste, who also
work seasonally. He also told us that many of his
relatives work in Pune, however the competition is
always friendly. They have friendly competition and
still are close to each other and meet often and
celebrate common festivals
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH PLASTER OF
PARIS
Plaster of paris, quick-setting gypsum
plaster consisting of a fine white powder (calcium
sulfate hemihydrate), which hardens when moistened
and allowed to dry. Known since ancient
times, plasterof paris is so called because of its
preparation from the abundant gypsum found near
Paris. Plaster of paris does not generally shrink or crack
when dry, making it an excellent medium for casting
molds. It is commonly used to precast and hold parts of
ornamental plasterwork placed on ceilings and
cornices. Some sculptors work directly in plaster of
paris, as the speed at which the plaster sets gives the
work a sense of immediacy and enables the sculptor to
achieve the original idea quickly. Plaster mold casting is
used when an excellent surface finish and good
dimensional accuracy is required. Because the plaster
has a low thermal conductivity and heat capacity, the
metal cools more slowly than in a sand mould, which
allows the metal to fill thin cross-sections.
There have been efforts to ban sale of plaster of Paris
(PoP) idols for Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the past, but
these have proved futile. Also PoP idols are non-
biodegradable. The immediate and most observable
impact of PoP idol immersion is that it makes the water
cloudy. Unlike clay, PoP idols take months to dissolve
and the water remains that way for a long time after the
festival is over. PoP’s reaction with water is
exothermic—it releases heat when in contact with
water.
 MODERN SCULPTING TECHNIQUES
In today’s time technology has progressed to new
levels. There have been several advancements in
sculpting and nowadays the older hand made
techniques of making idols have been replaced by new
technology. We went around a few shops and on our
visit we realised that these days there have been latest
industries set up which produce idols on their own and
basically once again the labour and hand made
techniques have been replaced by modern machines.
According to latest technology new machines have
come for preparing moulds with the right proportion of
PoP and water, there have been machines which
prepare the right shapes of the murtis they work on
the basic shapes and also machines have now
increased the pace of making idols. Many industries
are now using these modern techniques of production
to improve sales and efficiency.
This has a negative impact too as many people tend to
lose a source of earning and are unemployed. Also
there are many believes and perfections attached to
the idol making with hands, and these to some extent
cannot be replaced by new machines.
However suppliers for profits do not think much about
sentiments of people and artists and are adopting
modern technology for their benefits.
 MARBLES IN MODERN SCULPTING

White marble has been prized for its use

in sculptures[10] since classical times. This
preference has to do with its softness,
which made it easier to carve,
relative isotropy and homogeneity, and a
relative resistance to shattering. Also, the
low index of refraction of calcite allows
light to penetrate several millimeters into
the stone before being scattered out,
resulting in the characteristic waxy look
which gives "life" to marble sculptures of
any kind, which is why many sculptors
preferred and still prefer marble for
sculpting.
DIFFERENCE IN TARGET MARKET AND SPECIFIC
SEASONS

The permanent idol retail outlets have a

different approach as compared to the
seasonal sculptors in terms of target market.
The retail stores are more focussed with the
profits and hence are mostly willing to sell to
the rich and those who can afford the
expensive idols.
On the other hand the seasonal sculptors are
more focussed with their sales as they need to
sell all of their product before the season
ends. Also for them profits are a secondary
aim rather than primary one. Therefore they
usually have no specific target market but
 OUR EXPERIENCE

We, the group members of the project are

very thankful to our professor MR. Prasanna
for giving us this opportunity which provided
us with a great learning experience. We had a
wonderful time working with each other and
also interviewing Sanket Kumbar. We were
treated with kindness and hospitality in their
house, they were friendly and answered all
our questions with exact details and also were
free to provide us with as much information
as they could.
We are happy to be enriched with a lot more
knowledge about forms of livelihoods of
sculptors, the way they work, the art of
perfection. We also understood the
production technique and the sales of the
idols through wholesalers. We had a very
good experience and will never forget what
knowledge we attained through this project.
 OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS
During the course of our research we came across a
lot of interesting things which are:
 The life of a sculptor is very hard, they have to
put a lot of effort in their work but they do not
get adequate results.
 The traditional sculptors generally live in very
mediocre settlements.
 Even the sheer lack of money is not able to kill
the sculptors’ ambition and their will to grow.
 The whole of Kumbar cast is engaged in the
traditional art of sculpting, it is their ancestral
profession.
 The Kumbar cast generally resides in Pune and
its nearby villages.
 The Kumbar cast understands the value of
education and even encourages its children to
pursue higher education.
 They believe in keeping their surroundings
clean and their work stations are really well
managed.
 There are a number of different sections of
the society which are engaged in the art of
sculpting such as the Kumbars, the
Rajasthanis, people from the North Indian
state of UP.
 Although there are a number of different
sections of the society producing the same
goods, but all of them use a different kind of
raw material which is unique to their
particular casts and sections.