South Indian Bronzes: A Historical Survey of South Indian Sculpture with Iconographical Notes Based on Original Sources c9.28

c9.28

There are still a few living artists who work in more than one medium. But from very early times the South Indian Sthapatis generally specialised in one or other medium. With the increase of the demand for the Utsaba Murtis which were so much in request by the Saiva devotees for votive offerings the makers of the bronze-image formed a group by themselves and specialised as sculptors in metals The Jatras or the procession of the Rathas (cars) also called into existence a skilful school of artists who chose wood as their material and were known as the Ratha-Karakas ‘the builders of the cars.’ They executed very fine pieces of wood sculpture which were used as decorations for these cars, some of which are masterpieces of their kind. We can even now find at Kumbakonam and at Trichinopoly a group of skilful wood carvers who are still practising their hereditary crafts The best and the oldest examples of these cars can be seen at Kumbakonam and Tanjore, some of the finest perhaps being among the group of old cars at Inukala Kundrum in the district of Chingleput The Archaeological Survey Department, Madras Circle has obtained photographs of some pieces of these carvings from an old car at Kumbakonam.