Exclusive: How Chola-era skill was used to sculpt 8-metal,18-tonne Nataraja idol, in 7 months

As World leaders and delegates arrive in India for the G20 summit this weekend, a majestic 'Nataraja' sculpture that reflects a centuries-old royal art form from India, awaits them. The world's largest idol of 'Nataraja' (Hindu God Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer) installed at the forecourt of the Bharat Mandapam G20 venue in New Delhi, traces its origins to Swamimalai in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, the land of the mighty Chola empire. WION spoke to Srikanda Sthapathy, the master craftsman in bronze castings, who along with his family and fellow artists sculpted the world's largest Nataraja idol in record time, ahead of the G20 summit.

"It all began with a tendering process and detailed scrutiny. Our family-run firm S. Devasenapathy Sthapathy Sons submitted our proposals, tax documents, cost estimates and a detailed presentation about how we would execute this project. With no expectations, we prayed to Lord Nataraja and submitted our tender," Srikanda Sthapathy recalls.

After the scrutiny, we were contacted by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Ministry of Culture, and told that we would have to build the world's largest Nataraja sculpture in less than seven months, he says.

Twenty seven feet tall, 21 feet wide weighing 18 tonnes and priced at Rs. 10 crore (approx $1.2 million), this sculpture is inspired by the Chola-era Nataraja idols that were built by the Swamimalai Sthapathies of the Vishwakarma community, that Srikanda and his ancestors belong to.

Swamimalai (Lord's Hill) is one of the abodes of Lord Murugan and is situated on the northern banks of river Cauvery. In addition to being a pilgrimage centre, the town is renowned for its bronze idols made by the Sthapathies, whose services were utilised by Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola for the construction of the Thanjavur Brihadeesawarar temple. It is said that the Sthapathies of the Viswakarama community have been passing on this ancient art form known as the 'lost-wax casting method', for more than 34 generations.

Explaining the process of making the mould, Srikanda said, "We begin by preparing a mixture of paraffin wax, resin and ground nut oil. When exposed to fire, this material becomes very flexible and the Sthapathi works on the wax model and divides the sculpture into 120 parts, of which the dimensions of the face, torso, limbs etc. are fixed as per the Shilpashastras (scriptures). Once the wax model is ready, we coat it with alluvial soil from the Cauvery River basin and dry it in the sun. We apply multiple coats of soil on the wax models to make the mould stronger and also reinforce it with metal wires and rods." he said. The clay mould so derived is then heated (thereby melting the wax within) and the wax is drained out.

The empty mould (known as 'karuvu' in Tamil) is then heated, while the 'ashtadhatu' eight metals (in their apt proportion) that are to be used for the sculpture are melted in a crucible to a liquid form. As the mould becomes red hot, it is buried in the ground. With only the mouth of the mould visible above the ground, the molten metal is poured in and the mould is gradually allowed to cool. Later, the reinforcement rods and wires are removed and the mould is broken open and a rough sculpture is obtained. Thereafter, it is chiselled, filed, engraved and its finer details are worked upon.

"The traditional idols we offer for temples are 'Panchaloha' (a five-metal alloy of gold, silver, copper, zinc, iron), whereas the world's largest Nataraja is made using an eight-metal alloy (copper, brass, lead, tin, mercury, iron, gold and silver). Using an eight-metal alloy will ensure that this sculpture lives for centuries without any wear and tear. In fact, as it ages it would begin to radiate its antique colour and only become more mesmerising to the beholder," Srikanda says confidently.

"We see this opportunity to build the world's largest Nataraja, as a great honour for the 40 families and nearly 600 artists of Swamimalai, who are carrying the legacy of a Chola-era art form. The Nataraja undisputedly belongs to Tamil Nadu and we can't be happier, as our Nataraja stands tall at the Bharat Mandapam G20 venue which will host world leaders," he adds.

About a week ago, a team of craftsmen from Swamimalai were in New Delhi to carry out the finishing touches for the sculpture, ensuring that it is displayed in its full glory, ahead of the G20 Summit.

"This statue of Nataraja, an important symbol of cosmic energy, creativity, and power, is going to be an attraction at the #G20 summit. This iconic project is carried out by the Ministry of Culture team IGNCA,"tweeted the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

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