Master craftsmen give tips to trainee artisans on the first day of the month-long capacity building programme for artisans working on temple building. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 24: The state archaeology department in collaboration with the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project started a month-long capacity-building programme for 35 artisans.

The workshop is for those artisans who work exclusively on temple buildings and restoration work of historic monuments.

Five master craftsmen will teach nuances of temple architecture and techniques to the artisans, who on the other hand, will use their knowledge for better renovation of the historical sites.

Nrusinghnath Maharana, an artisan from Nayagarh feels that the techniques learnt from the master artisans will help the new generation of sculptors to take up temple building and restoration work.

Sushil Maharana, an artisan from Sukhuapada near Lalitgiri, famous for Buddhist sites, said: “Traditionally our forefathers were associated with stone carving. Practical knowledge from seasoned artisans at this workshop will help us and we will be able to contribute towards the technically right upkeep of the historical monuments, especially temples.’’

The trainee artisans will build three temples in the three distinct temple building styles of Odisha during their month-long training.

These three forms of Kalingan temple architecture style are Rekha, Pidha and Khakara. Emphasis will be laid on imparting detailed knowledge of techniques in temple building, said director culture Sushil Kumar Das.

Kirtan Maharana, a master artisan from Nayagarh said: “The traditional artisans are getting distracted to other professions due to lack of interest in the family tradition of sculpture making or temple building. At the workshop, the young artisans will hone their skills so that they can earn more while working for restoration works undertaken by the state archaeology or the Archaeological Survey of India.”

Well-known sculptor Padma Vibhusan Raghunath Mohapatra said that apart from good remuneration for the artisans, the agencies involved in using their services should also have the right policy to treat them with dignity.

Lack of patronage for the traditional arts such as stone carving could be a reason for which young artisans are getting distracted from their family traditions, said ASI superintending archaeologist, Bhubaneswar circle Bhuvan Vikrama.

“Apart from capacity building, we must ensure livelihood support for them,’’ he said.