Turning Art and Architecture with Wood
West Bengal is one of the major centres where woodturning thrives. In this craft, the tools stand still while the wood turns. It is a form of woodwork, used to create wooden objects on a lathe, a machine that can change the shape of the wood.
The Making
This form of woodwork allows woodturners to create intricate shapes and designs. They create floral and geometric carvings on pillars, brackets, beams, and rafters of traditional chandimantaps (community halls) in villages that are centres of rural culture. Woodturners who are also called sutradhars in Burdwan, specially Kalna, use mango wood to make platters and bowls in different shapes. In the districts of Howrah and 24 Parganas, they make panels and decorative furniture with teak, sheesham, and mahogany. The Karanga community, living in the Susunia Hapania forest region of Bankura district, are also known to craft turned wood items.
The Legacy
Woodturning is an ancient craft. It is believed to have existed even before the stone sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora came up. Chandimantaps are popular for displaying this remarkable woodwork form. They can be found in Atpur and Sripur-Balagarh in the Hooghly district, and in Ula-Balagarh in the Nadia district.
Memory Vault
In West Bengal villages, you can see carved wooden images and figures in temples and shrines. The main deities are often folk gods and goddesses. The images are carved from neem or bel wood.
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