Sandalwood artisans hang on despite hardships

“My children will not become artisans. They will pursue higher education and get proper jobs that can secure our social and economic status. I am the last generation of artisans in our family to carve artefacts from sandalwood and other types of wood,” said Adarsh Gudigar, a woodcarving artist from Sagara in Shivamogga.

Born into a traditional artisan family, his forefathers were artisans. Traditionally, Gudigars and Achars who have settled in places like Sagara in Shivamogga district, Sirsi in Uttara Kannada, Channapattana in Bengaluru Rural and places in Mysuru district have preserved the art of woodcarving for several generations in Karnataka.

Mr. Gudigar explained, “My grandfather carved artefacts out of ivory. Later, when the Forest Department banned ivory artefacts, artisans switched to sandalwood. And now with sandalwood shortage, I have switched to rosewood and teakwood.”

He noted that procuring Sandalwood is an expensive affair. “In 1990s, it cost ₹115 to buy one kg of sandalwood. When I started working in 2010, it was between ₹8,000 to 10,000. Now, it costs ₹18,000 per kg but the availability of sandalwood has reduced. Besides, the quality of wood is also important. It should not have cracks or lumps in it,” he said.

The prices of these artefacts start from ₹500 for a keychain and go up to ₹3 lakh to ₹4 lakh for the statue of gods and goddesses. Comparing the cost of silverware, Mr. Gudigar said, “With that money, people would prefer to buy some silverware. In order to survive and pay my employees, I have switched to interior designing, wood and furniture making. But whenever I receive order for sandalwood carving, I do it for the clients.”

Bhoopathy Achar, a 70-year-old artisan from Channapattana in Bengaluru South district, who has won several awards, said the shortage of sandalwood in the State is the important reason for the dwindling number of artists.

“After 2000s, thousands of woodcarving artists have been left without work. In a year, the government must provide 18 kg of sandalwood to sustain. However, it was reduced to some four kg and later just disappeared,” Mr. Achar.

His brother and son are also into the woodcarving, but Mr. Achar is not sure whether his grandchildren will continue in the same profession.

Ganesh Achar, another artisan from Sirsi, is also the last in his family to pursue woodcarving as a profession. He said, “A key reason for the shortage of sandalwood is the loss of forest cover not just in our State but in other States also. It takes 17 years to harvest wood from a sandalwood tree. It cannot be grown in few years and harvested.”

He is appreciative of the government’s initiatives to encourage youngsters to train them in woodcarving and rock-carving. “Recently, Shilpa Gurukula in Sagara was renovated by the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited. Interested people can apply to get admissions here. The training is for 10 months, and the government provides artisans with a stipend of ₹1,500 per month for these 10 months,” Mr. Ganesh said. The institute also provides hostel and food accommodations. Anybody in the age group of 16 to 35 can apply.

“Modern institutions in cities must also include courses like diploma in rock-carving, woodcarving and integrate them with new courses,” suggested Mr. Achar.