As one heads towards Mamallapuram on East Coast Road (ECR), they often stop at the tender coconut stalls on the stretch, either to quench their thirst on a sweltering August day or eat some home-cooked food. Nearby, they will be greeted by a row of art shops on both sides of the road, with the sound of stone being chiselled filling the air. For many, especially school students on field trips with Mamallapuram on the itinerary, watching a sculptor turn a block of stone into a statue is one of the major activities.
Among the cluster of shops, stands Venee Art Sculptures, helmed by a National Award Winning sculptor V. Punniyakotti with a long list of sculpting degrees to his name, albeit being a first-generation sculptor. “My routine is like any other professional’s — a nine-to-six grind — beginning with selecting the stone, drawing on it, and guiding the other sculptors if they are carving the face of a deity. Our sculpting process is rough cut and nice work followed by polishing and ornamenting,” he says.
Some travellers, who had stopped to look at the art shops, inevitably arrive at Mr. Punniyakotti’s shop. “We were on our way to the shore temple, and just stopped by to buy a stone mortar and pestle to grind garlic,” one of the visitors says.
Mr. Punniyakotti talks about how once a week he teaches about the basics of sculpting to women who are part of a nearby non-governmental organisation on ECR. He adds that some sculptors have lost their eyesight or wounded their arms while working on statues, and government assistance for them has been sparse. He says this has been a major challenge.
Sourcing the stones from Sankarapuram in Kancheepuram district, Mr. Punniyakotti gets clients from many parts of Chennai, who purchase intricately carved statues of deities, especially ones of Buddha. Some customers even drop off photos of beloved ones for custom sculptures, while others from across India place their orders online.
“Mostly, we make statues of deities, which is our traditional work. But we are open to any custom work, even sculptures for places such as the Central railway station or museums. We also made the chess piece sculptures for the Chess Olympiad that was held near Mamallapuram,” he says, as he leaves to carve a speak-no-evil statue that he has been working on for a week.
