Berhampur: A 22-year-old artist has crafted miniature wooden models of the goddesses of 18 prominent ‘Shakti’ shrines located in Odisha’s Ganjam district in celebration of the ongoing Navaratri festival.
Dilip Kumar Moharana’s intricate creation showcases the models in a wooden map of the district.
The faces of each wooden model, measuring about half an inch in height, have been carefully crafted using ‘gambhari’ and teak wood.
He carved both the map of the district and the faces of each model deity separately and assembled them meticulously.
After adding the final touches by polishing the sculptures, Moharana fixed the models of the goddesses in their respective places on the map, using an adhesive.
Moharana, a first-year postgraduate student, took 10 days to make the sculpture measuring 15 x 13 inches and acknowledged the support of his father, brother, and others who assisted him in completing it.
The miniature map includes shrines of major Shakti temples such as Tara Tarini near Purushottampur, Maa Budhi Thakurani in Berhampur, Siddha Bhairavi at Mantridi, Bala Kumari at Chikiti, Baghradevi at Kulada near Bhanjanagar, Mahuri Kalua at Kukudakhandi, Narayani near Khallikote, and Bankeswari near Digapahandi, among others.
“I created this miniature sculpture to highlight the importance of the Shakti shrines in Ganjam district,” Moharana said.
He planned to display the artwork in a public place in Berhampur to educate people about these famous temples.
Before carving the faces of the model goddesses, Moharana visited several temples and took their photographs.
He sourced images from the internet for those he couldn’t visit.
“This project is not the first. Earlier this year, during the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, I crafted a wooden replica of it,” Moharana said.
He also included the temples of Chardham alongside the Ram temple, with the entire sculpture measuring 14 inches in height and 11 inches in width.
Moharana’s talent in miniature wood carving is a way of preserving and celebrating local culture and religious customs, a district official said.
PTI