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TAMIL NADU, INDIA, January 2, 2005: Imagine belonging to a tradition that can trace its ancestry back 600 years. Mr. Mohanraj Stapathi, chief architect of the renowned Thanjavur Big Temple, can do just that. Mr. Mohanraj and his two sons, Karunanidhi and Kuberan, run a sculpting idol workshop in Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu, where they employ 20 men and 2 women and train youngsters in the craft. Mr. Mohanraj explains that foreigners come to his establishment to observe the sacred art form and that his business receives orders from temples and cultural centers from around the world. Stapathi quotes a Sankrit sloka about the spirit of his craft, “When a sculptor decides to make the wax model, the icon is infused with a spark of jeevan (life); when it is cast in metal it is half alive. When we draw the eyes it is three-quarters live but when it is placed in a temple and pujas are performed becomes a live being.”

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