Sirpi A. Balamurugan wields magic in his deft hands as be brings to life hundreds of idols of Gods and Goddesses on gigantic Gopurams across old and modern temples in the State. Hailing from a nondescript village named Edathanur in Tiruvannamalai district, Balamurugan, a school dropout took interest in the ‘Suthai’ work that’s part of temple constructions. “I always had interest in arts and was good at sketching. Noticing my talent, Sirpi Rajasekhar, a sculptor from Kumbakonam took me in as his shishya. I stayed with him for months and learnt the art of sculpting idols from cement and sand,” he says. “In the villages of Tiruvannamalai when the rains fail and agriculture takes a beating, a number of people migrate to the cities to work as construction labourers. I am happy that I didn’t end up as just another labourer but recognised as a sculptor.”
Sirpi Balamurugan. Photo: Special Arrangement
Balamurugan has worked in over 200 temples across Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala. “The delta districts are famous for this art. However, there’s demand for suthai work even in North India. The look and feel of modern South Indian Gopurams with those colourful idols perched on them is entirely dependent on the sirpis,” he says. “Apart from the Gopuram idols, we also design the ornate tiruvachi arches, domes and yazhi motives that you see commonly in temples.”
The idols are initially given a basic shape with an iron framework, upon which broken bricks are filled in. Once a substantial form is achieved, it’s further refined by using cement. “It’s worked upon in three layers. The final finish is given with water mixed with cement. The work is laborious as the cement gets dried quickly. Once dry, changes cannot be made to the sculpture, so it’s important to work continuously. The idols are made right there on top of the gopuram, contrary to the belief that they are made separately and later stuck on top.”
An idol made by Sirpi Balamurugan. Photo: Special Arrangement
There’s also a set of rules to be followed in the suthai work, says Balamurugan. “We divide the entire idol in nearly nine bhagams (portions) in order to achieve the right proportion in the given space.” He has worked in famous temples like the Poondi Sivan Temple, repair works in Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur and Singaperumal temple, Nagarcoil. “In the olden days, thin wooden sticks were used to give the frame instead of steel/iron,” observes Balamurugan. “If the idol is too intricate then it may take even 20 days. But if the work is simple, I can finish it in just two days. I consider it as a blessing to be involved in temple construction works.”
Published - October 05, 2016 05:23 pm IST
