The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Ropar recently commissioned a project, consisting of the tallest contemporary stone-carved pillars, inspired by the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation!
Mumbai-based FLINT AROHAS has confirmed the news, stating in a Press Release that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) supported the project, undertaken by Stone Oasis, at Rupnagar. The labour-intensive carving on the pillars, done by the technique of bas relief, is inspired by narratives and craftsmanship of the great civilisation. Each facade depicts a unique story built around central figures unearthed from the ancient Indus Civilisation; such as the iconic Dancing Girl, or the figure often referred to as ‘Pashupati‘, likely the earliest depiction of Hindu God Shiva. The installation spreads over 1,600sqmt of area and consists of four 12mt with a metallic molecular structure on top of each of them, highlighting the fusion of contemporary knowledge with the ancient site.

The pillars, which were carved by Jaipur-based master craftsmen and artisans, took over a year to complete before being erected on the site in Rupnagar. Alongside the carvers, the project was supported by several architects and art historians. As per the Press Release, Stone Oasis designed and installed four 12mt-high monumental pillars. These pillars mark a list of firsts that includes being the tallest stone-carved panel in the South Asian country, and one of the largest works employing bas relief carving outside the sphere of temple carvings.
Professor S K Das, the Director of IIT- Ropar, has thanked the Stone Oasis team for executing the project completely in-house with the assistance of several Jaipur-based craftsmen and artisans. He also thanked noted architects and art historians, saying: “Our initial plan for the pillars was mosaic work with motifs from the Indus Valley Civilisation. However, there was a proposal to also explore the alternative of stone. We looked at the option suggested by Amit Sharma from Stone Oasis, we decided that stone carving was more apt for the location as it reflected the timelessness of the wisdom of the land that it sits in and also the craft performed by the people of the earliest civilisation known to man.”

Professor Das further said: “Amit and his team did a very thorough job in their research and execution of the project. I think that the juxtaposition of the carved pillar with the molecular forms on top gives an impression that ‘On the base of a great civilisation we’re building modern science’ which is a unique statement for an IIT. This could possibly be the largest work of art undertaken in a university campus!”
For his part, Amit Sharma – the owner and founder of Stone Oasis – stressed: “The core of Stone Oasis is the collective wisdom of the team which has a rich experience of working on a variety of stone projects. Along with our in-house team, we employ artisans and master craftsmen from across the country to execute projects with the conventional wisdom of craftsmen and trained professionals like architects, civil engineers and fine arts professionals providing the right balance to team Stone Oasis.”

Boundless Ocean of Politics has received this article from Ms Kaveri Acharya of FLINT, Sahana Enclave, Dr. B R Ambedkar Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai-400050, India.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das