Pindwara

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Temple building

As in 2023

Srikanta Tripathy, July 9, 2023: The Times of India

Stone workers make pillars, arches, etc, of the Ram Mandir at a workshop in Pindwara. The parts being pieced together in Ayodhya
From: Srikanta Tripathy, July 9, 2023: The Times of India

In Pindwara, a tribal tehsil in south Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, more than 1,000 stone carvers have been racing against time to finish columns, ceilings, beams and arches in pink sandstone for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The temple opening is scheduled for January 2024, and the deadline for its first phase is December this year. 
Ruparam, a 44-year-old stone-carver, has not taken a day off since the Mandir work began 18 months ago. The whirr and buzz of grinder and gang saw machines has become incessant with time. 
“Rain or sun, nothing stops work. While people feel blessed to send a brick for the Mandir’s construction, we are building much of it here,” says Ruparam, adding that he wants to visit the temple when it opens for Ram Lalla’s darshan. 
 Legacy Of Temple Building 
There are about 20,000 carvers in Pindwara tehsil that is known for temple building. Of its 200-odd stone-cutting and carving units, about 60 are dedicated to building temples. The others have contributed in the construction of government buildings, offices, museums, large private houses, etc. 
The Swaminarayan temples in Abu Dhabi (to be completed by December), New Jersey and New Delhi, the upcoming Jain temples in Bangkok and Melbourne, and the corridor works around Kashi Vishwanath and Mahakaleshwar temples bear the imprint of Pindwara craftsmanship. 
Ashish Sompura, architect of the Ayodhya Mandir, says, “The stone carvers of Pindwara are unparalleled for craftsmanship. They are behind the construction of many magnificent temples around the country and overseas. That’s why three units in Pindwara were given the work of cutting and carving stones. ”
The Ram Mandir will also have an elaborate corridor that, Ashish says, will require about 8 lakh cubic feet of stonework. He’s confident the Pindwara units will bag the orders.


Paresh Bhai Sompura, one of the three contractors carving stones for the Ram Mandir, says, “About 60 carving units in Pindwara are working for more than 100 temples in the country and outside. Any temple construction, especially in the Nagara style, has Pindwara at its centre. ”

Hands And Machines At Work

Paresh says the three contractors were given altogether 4. 5 lakh cubic feet of stonework. His firm has already supplied two-thirds of the 1. 6 lakh cubic feet of stonework assigned to it. The carved pillars, arches, beams and other segments will travel over 1,100km to Ayodhya on high-capacity trucks and trailers. “Given the December deadline, we have to complete the work well in advance so that there is time for installation and finishing,” he adds.

Paresh has added two units to his workshop and hired more hands, at higher wages. “We found our original two units would fall short, so we had to expand. Workers’ wages have shot up from Rs 400-500 a day two years ago to Rs 800-1,200 now, depending on the nature of work. ”

While programmable cutting machines have sped up the carving, artisans are indispensable for the polishing and finishing that makes up half of the work. “When it comes to intricate designs, it’s the artisans who take over,” Paresh says.

Mining Boom In Bharatpur

The Ram Mandir has been a boon for pink sandstone mining in Bharatpur. At the Centre’s behest, the Rajasthan government had denotified the Bansi Paharpur block of the Band Baretha wildlife sanctuary to make sandstone available for temple construction. The 39 mining blocks fetched up to 20 times their reserve price, and people with no mining experience also participated in the auctions to contribute to Mandir construction.

Deepraj Singh, scion of the erstwhile royal family in Bharatpur, says, “I had no clue about mining but plunged headlong thinking I would be part of this sacred duty. ” Legal status for the mines has brought more buyers and the price of the stone has increased by 20%, he adds.

“Buyers are now certain that they will get supplies, which was not the case when mining was illegal and government crackdowns stopped mining for weeks. Now, with supply assured, buyers are ready to pay a little more for the stone that is unique,” says Deepraj.

LONG TEMPLE RUN

Pink sandstone for the Ram Mandir is mined at Bansi Paharpur, which is about 40km from Bharatpur. It is cut and sized at Bayana, 55km away. Then, the cut stones travel more than 600km to Pindwara. The finished columns, arches, etc, finally make the 1,100km journey to Ayodhya