Do you feel the ban on mining activities has led to a situation where sculptors are struggling to get stones for their work?

Yes. We require various types of stones. Many rules are attached to mining. One cannot get granite from Khichingi in Mayurburbhanj anymore. We have to get approval from the forest authorities and others, which is a cumbersome process. We are now required to go to the site where stones are available and do the sculpting. That again is very difficult.

Similarly, the white stones, used for construction of the Lingaraj temple, were no more available on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar because of various rules and regulations.

Aren’t artisans facing problems because of delay in issuing non-antiquity certificate by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?

Yes. A foreigner cannot wait for several days to get the certificate and to take his product from Odisha. He would prefer getting his work done by artisans in other states. It has been delayed because of the corruption at various levels. The poor artisans have been victimised.

Do you think the ongoing repair works at the Puri and Konark temple is up to the mark?

It has been noticed that people who lack necessary expertise are engaged by the ASI to take up repair work.

I have 50-year-old photographs of the two temples. You can see how repair works over the years has distorted the temple sculpture.

Everything has a life span. The government should initiate steps immediately to create the replicas of Konark and Puri temples. If we don’t do it now, we will repent in future.

There is no dearth of funds. The Centre must also be involved in this.

How difficult is it for a sculptor to eke out a livelihood?

There was a time when we used to spend all day on the Puri Grand Road to sell our products. Forty years ago, there was only one Dama Maharana who was working with a Bhubaneswar organisation and making money.

Times have changed. People keep idols in their houses. That has opened up a new market. However, one has to be good at his work to fetch a good price.

Besides, the government must set up a research-cum-resource centre to keep the art alive. The government training centre in Gandamunda area of Bhubaneswar should be developed.

Do you think artisans in Odisha command a fair price for their creations?

I wouldn’t say no. I get a fair bargain. My work fetches a good price in the domestic and international markets.

But there are people who exploit others and compromise with their works. I don’t want to name them. Everyone in Odisha would be able to guess their names.

It has been alleged that even you do not give proper remuneration to your workers. How would you respond to this?

These are baseless allegations. I pay my workers according to merit. If a worker deserves Rs 500, why should I give him more? It is a free market and everybody has the freedom to work wherever they want. In fact, other artists have taken many of my workers, who helped them earn name and fame.

Do you feel that the quality of carving and sculpting has gone down over the years?

The quality has been affected as some people employ an artisan just to make one part of a structure instead of the whole thing. If one is allowed to do the whole work on his own, the quality of a product will improve.

Have you ever sought any help from the government?

No. Many people, including the so-called eminent artists and sculptors, have got government land in the city. But their contribution to the state is nil.

Which has been the most challenging project so far?

The horse sculpture at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. I was young when I got the offer. Nobody from the state was prepared to carve out an entire horse. I got Rs 35,000 for that work. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik calls me junior Viswakarma.

Do you have any regrets?

Just one. The plan to replicate the Sun temple in Konark has been hanging fire for decades. The government had allotted around 200 acres for the project but it could not materialise because of funds crisis during the Emergency period. I want to see it through, build it with my own hands. If every person in Odisha donates Rs 200, it can become a reality.

Sculpting success

Raghunath Mohapatra, 69, a Padma Bhushan awardee, is a noted architect and sculptor who has designed and crafted many temples, interiors of posh hotels and sculptures at various locations across the state

Born into the Viswakarma family in Puri’s Pathuria Sahi, Mohapatra has studied till Class III. He opted out of school after one of his school teachers beat him. Thereafter, he got into sculpting and carving. Today, his distinct style and versatility has catapulted him into the big league with several projects like statue of Sun God at Parliament Hall, New Delhi, Buddha statues at Dhauligiri and a black granite lotus at late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial to his credit

Mohapatra has served as a senior instructor and superintendent at the Handicraft Training and Designing Centre, Bhubaneswar since 1963

He has trained over 2000 youths in the art of sculpture and temple designing. He was conferred the Padmashree in 1976 by the then President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and then the coveted Padma Bhushan in 2001 by former President K.R. Narayanan

What would you have been had you not been a sculptor?

I couldn’t have been anything but a sculptor. It is a hereditary profession. I always used to see my forefathers making sculptures out of stone, wood and brass. Naturally, I developed keen interest for this type of artwork since a very young age. Painting or modern art did not fascinate me as much. I must have been just about eight years old when I started sculpting. And every time I carved out something, it made me passionate to do more. Earlier, artists used to maintain secrecy about the nitty-gritty of their art, but I want to train as many youngsters as possible in this line of work