In a remote corner of Sawai Madhopur district, where time moves slowly, and traditions are still honoured, Babu Lal Sharma begins his day the same way his father and grandfather once did.
At 66 years old, he picks up the same old hand tools—chisels worn smooth by decades of use, wooden mallets marked by countless strikes, and measuring marks learned by memory, not machines. There are no factories, no power tools, and no modern technology in his workspace. Only natural marble, skilled hands, and patience
The Process Of Carving
Picking Up Right Stone
30 years of experience, chooses the perfect marble; it is given to an artist who draws a pencil outline of the statue.
Carving
The 1st craftsman begins the ‘dola’ process of scraping off the block’s edges, after which the 2nd craftsman works on the finer details. The 3rd artisan works on the face, while the 4th craftsman works on the jewellery (tipayi), followed by final polishing by 2-5 polishers, depending on the size.
Painting and Polishing
The painting procedure varies depending on the Marble Type (Alwar, Makrana, Vietnam), but because Vietnamese marble is so white, it requires minimal painting.
The statue is then delivered to the customer after being laminated with a specialised spray that adds life to the paint and gloss to the statue.