Community Research

WOODEN BLOCK CARVING –PETHAPUR,GURAT.


Pethapur is situated 40 kms from Ahemdabad and is the only surviving centre of ancient wood block carving in India. The craft was developed and specialized by Suthar artisans who were originally carpenters. It is also believed that the craft has been adopted from Iran at the time of mughals and then it concentrated in shikhapur in sindh from where its spread in Pethapur ,Gujrat.Rajastahn ,Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh are the three centers where art of making wooden blocks became famous.Most of the craftsmen engaged in this work belonged to the gujjar suthar caste who believe that their ancestors settled in pethpur 200 years ago. These people believe that they are the progeny of Vishwakarma-the architect of the gods.
The block makers of Pethapur believe that many years ago when women got bored of wearing plain clothes they began using their bangle dipped in color to pattern their clothes.Pethapur supplies hand blocks to Sangnar(rajasthan) ,Bagh (Madhya Pradesh) and Kutch region. Blocks are ordered and sold directly between the printer and the carver, with no middlemen or agent. Block makers travel to the printing centres most of them located in M.P with their directory of designs or vice versa the printers come to the village with their samples.


Artisans-

Gajjar Shantilal(family)
Popat Lal Mistri(family)
Govind Lal Prajapti(family)


Tools

ari/karvat(saw)
bhido(vice)
dismis(screw driver)
farsi(chisel)
ghodi(wooden stand)
gothilo/tahpdi(mallet)
hathodi(hammer)
kanas(file)
pakad(pliers)
panch(punch)
randho(carpenters plane)
shardi (vice)
tankanu(chisel)
vansalo(adaze)

Raw Material

Wood
Khadi(white chalk)
Tracing paper
Coloured Pencils

Process

The wood Is bought In an open market. The most common wood is teak (sag) or ( (sag saghwan) preferred because of it is durable ,water proof, resistant to termites and decay. It Is locally known as (sag2 patll). Despite Its durability, the wood Is soft I and easy to carve. It is also fibreless so especially suitable for fine work. It is bought from the forests of Southern Gujarat.
When bought the wood is in uneven pieces called (wadh). It is stored In a dark enclosed space for up to one year. Once the wood is ready the edges are shaped with the saw, chisel and adze to give it the desired shape - oblong, square or round, depending on the design. The surface to be carved is filed and smoothened by grinding on a rough stone on which is spread fine river sand and water. The shaped smoothened block Is known as (kaplo)
The (kaplo) is now ready for the design to be traced on Its surface and carved. For any design two types of blocks are carved today: the main block with the outline called (rekh) and the subsidiary or relative blocks for each colour called (data3). They are both carved in relief.
The smoothened surface is coated with the layer of white chalk to aid definition and visibility of the traced design.
The design is first drawn on paper. The paper is fixed to the whitened surface of block, held in place with nails. Using a fine tipped or pointed chisel the design Is perforated onto the block.
Once the design Is traced onto the block, the negative spaces are carved or gouged using a variety of different shaped and sized chisels. If the spaces to be removed are vast, a hand drill Is used. Once the block has been carved the block makers finish by engraving a nail shaped point, (mokh), on the right hand corner of the block. This enables the printer to precisely align the blocks while printing.
The four sides of the block are sloped, narrow at the top slanting outwards at the base where the design is carved. In the case of dense designs such as floral patterns or closely carved designs holes are drilled through the block to allow trapped air to release and thus ensure all' bubbles don't smudge the print or spread the colour. These air passages are called (pavan-sar).
The handle (chhado) is either carved from the block or attached later. The first is more durable and also more expensive.
After the carving is complete and the block Is ready it is placed in groundnut oil for a couple of days to season the wood and protect It from climatic changes and moister.this makes sure that the block doest wrap through repeated use .It takes up to three days to carve a intricate design .and the general price is 2000 per block.the rates vary on the basis of complexity of design.

Meeting with Govind Lal H. Prajapati

It was indeed a life altering experience. As we look towards the legends of art in the western world ,after meeting govind I realized there are millions of bernins yet to be discovered in our nation.
Govind who is 62,has been involved in the business of wooden block carving ever since he was 11 years old. He left his school as the art of carving wood interested him more than anything else.Govind never attended formal classes to learn reading or writing but to my surprise he can read and write in Gujrati,Hindi and as well as in English. When I entered Govinds home , he was carving a wooden block in a well lit baramada,over his wooden sindook. . His house was very neat and clean with miniumal basics . Next to Govind was his wife ,who has been witnessing him working on those wooden blocks day in and day out since the last 54 years..Govind goes to Madhya Pradesh with his huge design directory to get orders from the printers. Wooden block carvers are also settled in faukabad ,jaipur,khushhgi ,bagh but as govind says “ fine intricate carving can only be done in Pethapur”. Govinds blocks are more or less like a art work -very neat ,precise and expressive..Another difference between the craftsmen of Pethapur and other states is that they use a different wood called -shishu( they sell it in the name of shesum).This wood is Corse and thus the carving is often not very fine. The kind of finish which comes by using blocks made in pethapur is just like a digital print. They donot leave any scope for error.Govind is quite a passionate worker but he says as time is proceeding further artists are paying lesser attention to neatness and intricacy .They don’t want to spend much time on one block.Govind has been facing this problem with the workers earlier as they can’t do fine work."It will take three years to pass on the knowledge as the skill needs a lot of practice" says govind .his son is also engaged in the same business though he sells these blocks to Kutch region of the country. When Govind was 50 he could easily make 20-25 thousand a month (It was only him because he never wasted a single plank). He claims that even if we do laser cutting on wood it cannot be as precise as his work .It is a miraculous sight to see Govind carve on wood faster than we can draw on paper. At 62 ,in spite of having a cataract removal surgery ,govind passion for wood carving is unbeatable. He truly cherishes his profession.

Meeting with Lokesh

Lokesh is a ahemdabad based designer.He has been exporting block printed bags to U.K and U.S from the past 5 years.Lokesh is a regular vister to pethapur.I met him at gajjar lals,studio where he had come with his hand drawn samples.While talking to lokesh i got to know that Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Bagru, Farukhabad and Pethapur, are the main centers of hand block printing in Rajasthan and Gujrat. The Bagru and Sanganeri prints are not easily distinguishable but on a closer observation the difference between the two are revealed. The Sanganer prints are always on a white background, whereas the Bagru prints are essentially in red and black. Artistry and intricacy characterize the designs of Farukhabad. Banaras block prints which makers design their blocks to suit fine silk printing - sometimes each design has seven colors.
Block print design gets bigger and bolder and the delicacy is lost as one moves towards the south or towards Calcutta. The designs vary from traditional flowers and creepers to images of animals and birds and also modern graphical patterns. Today, Andhra Pradesh is a large center for hand block printing
Block printing is popular because of the rich and vibrant colors. Originally natural dyes and block printing inks were used but today they have been replaced by chemical and artificial inks.

as the journey continues...
The future of the block carvers of Pethapur Is uncertain. It Is entirely possible that they will follow the other block making traditions and apply their skill to making products which have a wider and also urban market. This would ensure the continuity of the knowledge but it would be unfortunate if In the process the beautiful hand printed fabrics which India has been renowned for since the beginning of civilization become extinct.