28 panchaloha idols made by T.N. artisans set to be installed in a temple in Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka

Meticulously crafted panchaloha idols of various Hindu deities sculpted at Thimmakudi village near Swamimalai in Thanjavur district are set to be installed in a newly constructed temple in Sri Lanka

A total of 28 meticulously crafted panchaloha idols of various Hindu deities sculpted at Thimmakudi village near Swamimalai in Thanjavur district are set to be installed in a newly constructed temple in Sri Lanka.

Made with a combination of five metals — copper, zinc, tin, gold and silver — the 28 beautifully carved idols are ready to be shipped for ‘Sri Kamakshi Ambal Devasthanam’ at Mayilampaveli in Batticaloa district in Sri Lanka.

The idols were made at the ‘Cast In Bronze Creative’ unit at Thimmakudi following a lengthy process. “The task of making the 28 panchaloha idols was entrusted to our unit and it took two years for completion”, said Varad Rajh, a first generation sthapathy and proprietor of ‘Cast in Bronze Creative’ functioning since 1998 at Thimmakudi.

Every idol displays the mastery of a team of 28 highly skilled artisans engaged in the unit proficient in casting, chiselling, engraving, designing, scraping, and buffing among others.  

A nearly four-foot tall idol of Goddess ‘Varahi’ weighing around 180 kg and a three-and-half-foot high idol of Lord Nataraja weighing nearly 105 kg are among the mosaic of icons ready for despatch. The idols have been crafted by following the traditional pattern and as per Shilpa Shastra.

“Lost wax” process was followed in the making of the idols, said Mr. Rajh. Explaining the process in a nutshell, Mr. Rajh said the idols were first made in wax and packed with vandal mannu (clay) lifted from the nearby Cauvery.

“The mould is then kept in sunlight till it becomes dry. Thereafter, the mould is heated and the wax starts melting and gets removed. The mould is heated again. The five metals are melted and poured into the mould. The mould is broken once it cools down after 24 hours and we get the rough sculpture. The other processes are followed thereafter, including chiselling, filing, scraping, and engraving in order to make them captivating,” he said.