Bengaluru Worksite

The Rajasankar family came out to greet us as we arrived in Bengaluru, welcoming us with loving smiles and flowers. Off to their home which is the headquarters for Iraivan carving here in India. After an arati by Yoginathaswami, we feasted on real food, which is ontologically different from hotel food.

At the site stones are everywhere, mountains of stones, rows of stones, stacks of stones. A long tour ensues, and some of the photos are in the slideshow.

Jiva found this copper Yogaswami at the Sivathondu Nilayam in Jaffna, and we now want to see if we can get some for the MiniMela.

He also had this crystal photo (like a hologram almost) made of Gurudeva.

These are the pillar parts of the perimeter wall.

Right out of the quarry

these pillars are for another temple project the team is working on.

the detail is amazing.

The perimeter wall pillars

A cement model of the yalli made to guide the sculptors

The carvers pose

Up close with their patience-testing work

Swami holds a carbide-tipped chisel, and we are told these will last for hours, instead of minutes like the iron chisels.

Tools of the trade.

A dynamic workshop

Sthapati makes some drawings to define our discussions

One of the model panels, of which the wall will have 35 in all

Later he will put this all in his CAD program and send to Kauai for approval

Each detail has its own details leading to more details

The position of the 35 panels

They show us a tool that stipples the surface of the rock.

Perimeter wall stones stored nearby

A shrine they made (it\

s for sale)'

The silpis gather that night for a Keynote slideshow I prepared for them, a chronicle of their work over the years.

Jai!

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