| Wood has been one of the best gifts to mankind and an essential and indispensable part of our lives. It is a scarce item today and is therefore very expensive. Ancient temples and houses have been built of wood. Wood is from fire to furniture, wood is what has kept us going. Pillars of a structure, roof beam, door and window frames, etc are made of wood.
Wood is such a material that makes for an excellent medium for artists in India to express their creativity. Wooden sculptures in India have a remarkable history and are known for its unique design and pattern. Craftsmen of India have created some amazing masterpieces with wood throughout history.
Wooden sculptures play an important role in our lives. Wooden sculptures and the art of sculpting has been an ancient form of art. Carved wooden frames are available even today and are used for various purposes. Every region of India had developed its own style of wooden structures. This style is very unique to that place and marked with a distinct type of carving. Mostly, these styles were strongly influenced by local traditions and the materials that were locally available.
India is famous for its distinct style of wood sculptures and carving that were partly influenced by foreign tradition and mostly by local traditions. In the southern part of the country, architecture is expressed in the form of rathas which are miniature temples on wheels and depict gods and goddesses, mythological narratives that are carved on the side panels of these rathas. In Karnataka, one can look for Bhuta figure carvings that are made from single wood pieces and are very primitive artifacts today.
In Andhra Pradesh, there is tradition of wood carving manufacture that are for religious centers and Tirupathi dolls made from redwood were on sale for pilgrims.
In Kerala, the temples with wood carvings are also very well known. Houses here have a family temple with wooden sculptures and intricate patterns and designs on the ceilings, pillars or brackets. Apart from this, Northern India also has a distinct style of wooden sculpting that is reflected in the furniture. The namghars or places of worship in Assam are also very well-known for their meticulously done wood carvings and sculptures of hanuman and various animal figures. Gujarat is also famous for the wooden sculptures on the doors and ceilings of the Somnath temple.
Wooden sculptures are very popular and have a flourishing industry in India. Some of the states in India that are world famous for the wood carvings are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The carved sculptures of gods and goddesses, animals, figurines, etc are the most popular.
Today, most of the wooden sculptures have innovative patterns and figurines and is not just restricted to deities and mythology. Even abstract carvings or theme-based wooden sculptures are the trends in contemporary art of wood sculptures. For art lovers who are interested in purchasing priceless wooden sculptures, an antique store is the right place to be in. Apart from these, handicrafts exhibitions, ethnic stores, etc sell wooden sculptures.
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