From Stone Quarry to Temple

Enormous blocks of stones are taken out of the mountains of Avanahalli, Hessaragatta and Magadi in Bangalore and Padhimalai Kuppam in Kanchipuram, by driving long chisels into the rock and carefully cracking it in perfectly straight lines. Then after transporting it to the carving site, the stones are gradually transformed into a work of art by the devoted shilpis, who slowly chip away at it, hour after hour, day after day, using only hammer and chisel. Just seeing the large white and red stones and realizing this is Iraivan Temple taking shape, our vision and dream for so many years finally manifesting on the earth plane, is quite a wonderful feeling.