Idol Makers

Putting the finishing touches on Krishna.

This is not about singers on American Idol. Jaipur is where some of the real idols are made. Within the labyrinth of the Johari Bazaar in the "Pink City" of Jaipur are dozens of idol makers. These artists have been hand-carving marble statues of Hindu deities for generations, sometimes specializing in a single deity. It is said there are hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses within the Hindu philosophy, so they have plenty to choose from.

The skills of these artists are noteworthy. They carve freehand and from memory. Their workshops in the alleys are wide open. It's a fascinating place to watch the craftsmen at work.

The smallish anterior rooms are all painted a powder blue, perhaps to better show off the white marble statues. At dusk there is a fine mist of white marble dust swirling through the air, coating the dirt roads and giving the alleys an appropriate ethereal, other-worldly look. Artists in their white pajamas are purchased atop some of the larger idols, hammer and chisel and hand. Some are painting them in bright colors (I saw black idols with pink toenails). There is no room for error—if there is a flaw in the carving, it cannot be used in a temple. A small likeness of Ganesh may take 40 days to carve, a 5-foot tall Krishna may take 11 months.

Hard at work creating gods and goddesses.

Some artists not only carve images of Ganesh, Shiva, or Hanuman, but also busts of departed loved ones, freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, and even Nobel Laureates. Some of the most startling statues are lifelike likenesses of loved ones. I mistook one seated in the lotus position for a real person.